Phytochemical Screening and In Vitro Antibacterial Activities of Leaf Extract Acacia etbaica Schweinf Against Multidrug Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Human Pathogens

Abstract

Acacia etbaica Schweinf belongs to the family Fabaceae widely distributed in Africa and various parts of this plant such as bark, leaves, flowers and roots are widely used as a folk medicine for curing of various ailments.This study was aimed to screen the phytoconstituents and evaluate the antibacterial activity of leaf extract of A. etbaica against selected multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae family. Leaves of A. etbaica were extracted with petroleum ether, chloroform, acetone, and ethanol by sequential soxhlet extraction. Phytochemical screening of organic leaf extract of A.etbaica was carried out for the detection of phytoconstituents accountable for antibacterial activity. In vitro antibacterial activities of A.etbaica leaf extracts against selected Enterobacteriaceae family gram‑positive bacteria such as (B.subtilis, E.faecalis,S.aureus)and gram-negative (E. coli, K. pneumonia, V. cholera) were evaluated by agar well diffusion. The antibacterial potential of acetone and ethanol leaf extracts of A.etbaica were determined by 96 well plate broth dilution assay. Among the tested organic leaf extracts, both acetone and ethanolic leaf extract of A.etbaica showed a potentially broad spectrum of in vitro antibacterial activity against tested multiple drug resistant Enterobacteriaceae family gram-positive pathogens such as B.subtilis, E. faecalis , and S.aureus and gram-negative bacterial strains E. coli, K. Pneumonia and V. Cholera with significant MIC values. The significant antibacterial activity of both acetone and ethanolic leaf extracts of A.etbaica was due to the subsistence of secondary metabolites phytoconstituents such as flavonoids and phenolic compounds.