Antibacterial Activity of Acacia (Samanea Saman) Bark Extract Against Escherichia Coli

The World Health Organisation's Global Antimicrobial Surveillance System (GLASS) reported widespread antibiotic resistance among 500,000 people suspected of having bacterial infections, underscoring the need to identify a potent drug that can mitigate the health and economic havoc this crisis may cause. Tapping into phytochemicals has been a prospective solution for this global health concern. A sample plant, Samanea saman, known as Acacia in the Philippines, has a medicinal reputation for treating diarrhoea, tuberculosis, and stomach cancer, among other conditions, documented in various countries. Previous studies investigated its antibacterial activity. However, these studies were limited to fractionation rather than concentration, and the antibacterial assay used in susceptibility testing. The study used a true-experimental quantitative design to investigate the antibacterial properties of S. saman bark extract against Escherichia coli. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of essential oil, steroids, coumarins, anthrones, phenols, tannins, and flavonoids. Antibacterial susceptibility testing revealed mean zones of inhibition of 13.17 mm, 13.73 mm, 11.58 mm, and 9.92 mm for 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% concentrations of S. saman extract, respectively, on E. coli. Significant differences in the mean zones of inhibition were observed across concentrations and the positive control, Gentamicin, indicating that lower concentrations corresponded to wider zones of inhibition. This study proposes mechanisms by which S. saman bark extract can yield greater antibacterial susceptibility.