Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity ofTerminalia chebulaRetz. Fruit in Different Solvents

Petroleum ether, chloroform, dimethylformamide, ethanol and water extracts from fruits of Terminalia chebula Retz. were investigated for their antimicrobial activities. The microbial strains investigated include nine Gram-positive bacteria: Bacillus cereus ATCC1 1778, Bacillus megaterium ATCC9885, Bacillus subtilis ATCC6633, Corynebacterium rubrum ATCC14898, Micrococcus flavus ATCC10240, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC29737, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC12228, Staphylococcus subfava NCIM2178; fourteen Gram-negative bacteria: Alcaligenes fecalis ATCC8750, Citrobacter freundii ATCC10787, Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC13048, Escherichia coli ATCC25922, Klebsiella aerogenes NCTC418, Klebsiella pneumoniae NCIM2719, Proteus mirabilis NCIM2241, Proteus morganii NCIM2040, Proteus vulgaris NCTC8313, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853, Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes ATCC17440, Pseudomonas putida ATCC 12842, Pseudomonas testosteroni NCIM5098, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC23564; seven yeast: Candida albicans ATCC2091, Candida albicans ATCC 18804, Candida glabrata NCIM3448, Candida tropicalis ATCC4563, Cryptococcus luteolus ATCC32044, Cryptococcus neoformans ATCC34664, Trichosporon beigelii NCIM3404 and four moulds: Aspergillus candidus NCIM883, Aspergillus flavus NCIM538, Aspergillus niger ATCC6275, Mucor hiemalis wehmer NCIM873. Growth inhibition was determined using an agar disc diffusion method. Ethanol extract showed maximum antibacterial activity, while petroleum ether and chloroform extracts showed minimum antibacterial activity. No antifungal activity was shown by any of the extracts. Phytochemical analysis of the crude dried powder of T. chebula revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, cardiac glycosides and saponins. The results suggest that T. chebula extracts can be used in treating diseases caused by the organisms studied.