EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF PROSOPIS JULIFLORA BARK (VILAYATI BABUL)

The rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has intensified the need for new antibacterial agents. Medicinal plants remain a valuable source of bioactive secondary metabolites with therapeutic potential. Prosopis juliflora (Vilayati Babul), traditionally used for treating infections and inflammation, is abundant across India, yet its bark has not been well explored scientifically for antibacterial activity. This study evaluates the antibacterial potential of the methanolic extract of P. juliflora bark and identifies its key phytochemical constituents. Methanol was chosen as the extraction solvent due to its ability to efficiently isolate diverse phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and terpenoids. The bark was authenticated, shade-dried, powdered, and extracted using a Soxhlet apparatus. The resulting extract underwent qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening, including estimation of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). Antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using agar well diffusion and broth microdilution assays to determine MIC and MBC values, with Gentamicin as the standard. The extract exhibited significant antibacterial activity, likely linked to its phenolic and alkaloid-rich composition. Overall, the study highlights P. juliflora bark as a promising natural source of antibacterial compounds and supports further research on fractionation, compound isolation, and drug development.