Assessment of anti bacterial screening of Pongamia pinnata stem against bacterial species: An In-vitro approach

Numerous studies have shown that aromatic and medicinal plants are sources of diverse nutrient and non-nutrient molecules which protect the human body against various pathogens. Nature has been a source of medicinal agents for thousands of years and a large number of modern drugs have been isolated from natural sources. Herbal medicine is the oldest known healthcare system known to mankind. India has rich medicinal plants of nearly 7500 species. Many medicinal plants were with a long history of use in folk medicine against a variety of diseases. Recently, many researchers have taken a great interest on medicinal plants for their phytochemical constituents and biological activities including anti microbial activity. The anti bacterial activity of the ethanolic crude stem extract of Pongamia pinnata against four bacterial species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli) was investigated, using agar diffusion technique. At concentrations ranging from 10-40 mg/mL, the ethanolic crude extract showed activity against the four bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and E. coli) from 2 mm-20 mm, after 24 hours incubation. The present study showed the effectiveness of the crude plant extract against the tested bacterial strains and indicates the potential use of the extract as anti bacterial agent for the control of infectious diseases. Keywords:  Pongamia pinnata, anti bacterial activity, agar diffusion technique, bacterial strains, chloramphenicol