Antibacterial and cytotoxic activity of aqueous and methanolic extracts of Terminalia arjuna

Abstract

In the present study, the antibacterial and cytotoxic activity of bark of Terminalia arjuna was screened. Antibacterial activity was tested using agar well diffusion method against Esterichia coli, Klebsiella sps, Pseudomonas sps and Staphylococcus sps. The aqueous and methanolic extract of Terminalia arjuna showed inhibition against all the above mentioned organisms in a dose dependent manner. Cytotoxicity of the plant extract was evaluated using brine shrimp lethality bioassay and MTT assay. The brine shrimp lethality assay of extract showed prominent results in a dose dependent manner, and the LC₅₀ value was found to be 0.093 ± 0.008 and 0.067 ± 0.024 mg/ml with aqueous and methanolic extract respectively. Both aqueous and methanol extracts of Terminalia arjuna showed a decrease in viability of MCF-7 cell lines with aqueous showing greater decrease in viability indicating significant anti-proliferative action of the plant extract. The result of the study indicated that both the extracts of Terminalia arjuna bark were having significant antibacterial as well as cytotoxic activity.