Study of antibacterial activities of Azadirachta indica (Neem), Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi), and Punica granatum (Pomegranate peel) against vibrio cholerae

Abstract

As multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of Vibrio cholerae are emerging at an alarming rate, it has become a matter of importance to find and evaluate the already existing alternates to synthetic antibiotics. For several thousands of years, folks of the Indian Subcontinent, especially in Bangladesh have relied on plant-based medications to treat enteric diseases. As Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of one of the biggest enteric diseases in Bangladesh, cholera; has been the subject of this present study where traditional plants like Neem (Azadirachta indica), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), and Pomegranate (Punica granatum) were evaluated against it in comparison to some conventional antibiotics. Among the three of the plant extracts, only the ethanolic extract of Tulsi showed significant antimicrobial activities, as it showed moderate efficacy with the Activity Index values of “1.16” and “0.7” against the pathogen in comparison to the antibiotics erythromycin and chloramphenicol respectively, which are often used to treat cholera. On the other hand, none of the aqueous extracts showed any sign of activity against the pathogen in concern.