Antibacterial Screening and Phytochemical investigation of bark extracts of Acacia jacquemontii Benth

Acacia jacquemontii was assessed for active principles to ascertain the rationale for its use in traditional medicine. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the stem bark extracts showed that it possessed the active principles alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, terpenoids and tannins. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was assayed against pathogenic strains of Bacillus cereus, Bacillus pumilus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, S. pyrogenes, and Candida albcans using the agar diffusion method. The plant extract exhibited antimicrobial activity against all the test microorganisms. B. cereus and B. pumilus were the most susceptible to the plant extract while Candida albicans was the most resistant. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the stem bark extract of the plant ranged between 30 and 50 mg/ml while the minimum bactericidal concentration ranged between 35 and 60 mg/ml. A. jacquemontii could be a potential source of antimicrobial agents.