AN IN VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF ACACIA SENEGAL AS PREBIOTIC AGAINST PATHOGENS

Abstract

An in vitro antimicrobial action of Acacia senegal extracts against eleven (11) selected microorganisms was determined using well diffusion technique. The microorganisms with their laboratory number were Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 3160), Streptococcus pyogenes (MTCC 1924), Acinetobacter lwoffii (MTCC8288), Proteus vulgaris (MTCC 742), Enterobacter aerogenes (MTCC 2822), Escherichia coli (MTCC 739), Serratia marcescens (MTCC 7298), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 741), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 7028), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (MTCC 3090) and Candida albicans (MTCC 183).Three samples of aqueous extracts of Acacia senegal were used in this study. These are; the crude extract and two other processed extracts manufactured by Sattvic foods ltd and Urban platter industry.With the exception of Serratia marcescens all the test microorganisms sensitive to all the three aqueous extracts. Ciprofloxacin disc was used as standard and was found to be highly active against all the eleven test microorganisms with stronger action against Serratia marcescens (inhibition zone of 41.33mm) and the weakest was against Candida albicans with an average inhibition zone of 25.67mm.