Phytochemical Analysis and Antibacterial Activity of Moringa Oleifera Lam

Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) is a very useful tree in tropical countries. In folklore and ayurvedic all parts of the tree used in different healing procedures for different diseases. The plant leaves are very good nutrient supplement for malnutrition and also used as an antibiotic. To evaluate the antibacterial activity of Moringa oleifera leaf extracts against four microorganisms, viz. Escherichia Coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhii. Phytochemical analysis of the leaf in solvents of varying polarity; viz., Aqueous, Ethanol and chloroform were also carried out. Well diffusion method was used to assess the antibacterial effect of the extracts on both Gram positive and Gram negative micro-organisms. The ethanolic extract was active against Salmonella typhii, and Staphylococcus aureus whereas the aqueous extract exhibited an inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus only. The phytochemical screening indicated the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides etc., in the extracts. We believe that the higher reducing power of the aqueous extract could be due to the better solubility of the antioxidant components in water whereas the predominant antibacterial activity in organic solvent extracts as compared to aqueous extracts, indicates that the active components responsible for the bactericidal activity are more soluble in organic solvents. These studies provide an evidence to support traditional medicinal uses of the plant. © 2011 Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved