Screening of Antibacterial Activity of Cinnamonium Zeylanicum (cinnamon Bark)

Seventy isolates belonging to 3 different species of gram-negative bacilli: E.coli(30), K.pneurnoniae(05), and P.aeruginosa(05), and I specie of gram-positive cocci: S.aureus(30), were used for screening of antibacterial activity of aqueous infusion, decoction and essential oil of cinnamon by standard disc diffusion method. The oil of cinnamon exhibited highest antibacterial activity against S.aureus with mean zone of inhibition 34.60mm :t 7.00 standard deviation. The antibacterial activity against remaining species; E.coli, P.aeruginosa and K.pneurnoniae; noted as 23.30:t 3.00, 14.80:t 2.04 and 20.80:t 0.98 in terms of mean zone of inhibition in mm:t standard deviation, respectively. Decoction of cinnamon bark was found weakly effective against S.aureus with mean zone of inhibition 7.83mm :t 0.78 standard deviation while no effect was found against gram-negative bacteria. However, all isolates were found resistant to aqueous infusion of cinnamon bark. INTRODUCTION