Screening of Antibacterial Efficacy of Aloe Barbadensis Miller (Aloe Vera) Using Leaf Extract against Different Bacterial Strains

Abstract

The current research was aimed to evaluate in vitro antibacterial activity of crude extract prepared from leaves of Aloe vera plant. The extract of Aloe vera was prepared in Methanol. Two extracts were prepared, one from whole leaf powder and the other from fresh Aloe vera gel. To determine the antibacterial efficacy of the given plant, Kirby-bauer disk diffusion method was performed. The standard antibiotic used was Gentamicin. Gentamicin showed significant antimicrobial efficacy against E.coli and Bacillus subtilis forming a zone of inhibition of 34mm in both. This research provides information about antibacterial susceptibility of aloe vera leaves (leaf powder and fresh gel) against two different bacteria: E.coli which is a gram-negative bacteria and Bacillus subtilis which is a gram-negative bacteria. The antibacterial susceptibility test showed that the extract of leaf and the gel of Aloe vera inhibited the growth of both microorganisms during test. Growth of E,coli strain were inhibited more as compared to Bacillus subtilis because gram negative bacteria do not have lipopolysaccharide layer in their cell wall. Also the fresh gel Extract was more effective as compared to Aloe vera leaf powder.