Antibacterial properties and phytochemical screening of Tamarix nilotica leaves from Sudan

The antibacterial activity of crude extracts of leaves coated with wax and other de-waxed leaves of Tamarix nilotica, against nine human pathogenic bacteria were evaluated using the agar plate well-diffusion method with plant extract concentration of 100 mg/ml. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined. The antibacterial activity was found in the least MIC, as 7.5 mg/ml, belonged to Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Most susceptible gram-negative bacteria were P. aeruginosa and least susceptible gram-negative bacteria were E. coli and S. typha. In gram-positive bacteria, most and least susceptible were S. aureus and B. cereus, respectively. These findings should stimulate the research for novel, natural product such as many anti-bacterial agents. The percentage yield of epicuticle wax from Tamarix nilotica leaves, extracted with n-hexane was 0.7%. The results of the preliminary phytochemical analyses of the ethanol extract of the leaves coated with wax and de-waxed leaves of Tamarix nilotica were performed. Steroids, phenolic compounds, saponins, tannins, flavonoids and sugars are present in all of the two samples analyzed except sugars in de-waxed leaves.