HPTLC fingerprinting of Azadirachta indica leaf and bark extracts and their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli

Abstract

The Meliacea family includes Azadirachta indica L., popularly referred to as "neem," which is extensively accessible throughout the Indian subcontinent. The neem tree is well-known for its many medicinal uses, including as an insecticide, pesticide, antidiabetic, antibacterial, and antiparasitic. The plant's leaves are frequently employed in "kwath" and "churna," two Ayurvedic preparations. It is crucial to standardise and record the quality criteria of the plant leaves because of their great medicinal potential and to evaluate the scientific research on Azadirachta indica's utilisation. Aqueous extracts of the plant's dried leaves and bark were tested for antimicrobial activity against gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria. Using a solvent system of toluene: ethyl acetate: formic acid 5:4:0.2, the ethanolic extract of dried powdered leaves and bark was assessed by HPTLC fingerprinting, which shows the identities of the chemicals included in the extracts. By measuring the width of the zone of inhibition against the bacteria using the agar well diffusion technique, the antimicrobial activity of the concentrated extracts was assessed. In both aqueous extracts, the bark and leaves of A. indica showed antibacterial action against E. coli. The different zones of inhibition with concentration changes demonstrated that the antibacterial activity of A. indica extracts was concentration-dependent. According to the study's findings, Azadirachta indica leaves can be used as an alternative medical system to treat a variety of microbial illnesses.