SCREENING ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL FOR MALAYSIAN ORIGINATED TAMARINDUS INDICA ETHANOLIC LEAVES EXTRACT

 Objective: The aim of the research is to study the antimicrobial potential of Tamarindus indica leaves extract (Malaysian origin).Methods: T. indica leaves extraction was carried out by maceration (TIME) and Soxhlet extraction methods (TISE). The phytochemical test was conducted for the confirmation of various phytoconstituents present in the leaves extract. Antimicrobial assays were carried out by minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and agar well diffusion method against ATCC bacterial strains.Results: Ethanolic extraction of T. indica leaves by maceration method showed better yield (70.38%) compared to Soxhlet extraction method (60.55%). The qualitative phytochemical test on TISE and TIME were confirmed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, mucilage, tannins, steroids, proteins, and carbohydrates. TIME was selected for antimicrobial studies, and it was found to have MBC value of 500 μg/mL and MIC value of 250 μg/mL among various test bacteria, and it was also found to exhibit good zone of inhibition against Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Conclusion: These findings deduced that T. indica leaves have various phytochemical constituents which could be responsible for their natural antibacterial activity especially against Gram-negative bacteria