In-Vitro Antimicrobial Screening of Boswellia serrata

The present study shows in vitro antimicrobial screening of leaves, bark and fruits of Boswellia serrata Roxb. ex Cocls. which is collected from southern Aravalli hills of Rajasthan. To prepare crude drugs extraction was done successively and separately in four different solvents i.e. petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of all the extracts tested by agar-well diffusion assay. All extracts displayed varied level of antimicrobial activity. Methanolic extract of leaves was found to be most active against Streptococcous pneumoniae (18 ± 0.00) and Escherichia coli (16.33±0.57) while in bark, ethyl acetate extract showed more antimicrobial activity against Klebsilla pneumoniae (15.66 ± 0.57) and Staphylococcus aureus (15 ± 0.0) and among the four extracts of fruit ethyl acetate extract was found to be more active against all tested organisms, specifically Escherichia coli (16 ± 0.0) and Streptococcous pneumoniae ((15.33 ± 0.57). Methanolic and ethyl acetate extract of all parts also shows good antifungal activity against A. niger with a zone of inhibition 20 to 22 mm. In C. albicans ethyl acetate extract of leaves found to be most active with a zone of inhibition 11 ± 0.0 mm. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of phytochemicals such as tannins, phenols, steroids, flavonoids, and sapponins. The results obtained in this study confirm the antimicrobial potential of this plant and its usefulness in the treatment of diseases that may be caused microrganisms.