Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity of Chloroform and Acetone Extracts from Tabernaemontana divaricata

Review Article

Abstract

The widespread emergence of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria has necessitated the exploration of alternative antimicrobial agents, with plant-derived compounds gaining significant attention. This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of chloroform and acetone extracts obtained from the stem of Tabernaemontana divaricata, a plant widely used in traditional medicine. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, and saponins in the extracts. The antibacterial activity was assessed against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC-25923) and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC-27853) using the agar well diffusion method. The zones of inhibition were compared to those of standard antibiotics, azithromycin (for Gram-positive) and metronidazole (for Gram-negative). Both chloroform and acetone extracts exhibited concentration-dependent antibacterial activity against the tested strains. The chloroform extract exhibited more potent activity, with larger zones of inhibition compared to the acetone extract. At the highest tested concentration of 1000 μg/mL, the chloroform extract exhibited zones of inhibition of 13.73 mm and 12.25 mm against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, respectively. The findings suggest that the stem of T. divaricata possesses bioactive compounds with potential antibacterial properties, warranting further investigation for the identification and isolation of the active principles responsible for the observed activity