EXPLORING THE ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY OF ELAEOCARPUS GANITRUS EXTRACT AGAINST BURN WOUND INFECTION MICROORGANISMS

Abstract

In numerous countries, infections from burn wounds caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are recognized as significant and pervasive health threats. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are the primary pathogens responsible for burn infections.  The primary cases of infections worldwide are attributed to these bacterial pathogens. This data presents the utilization of natural plant leaf extracts as alternatives to combat multi-drug-resistant bacteria. The potential of the medicinal plant Elaeocarpus ganitrus for wound healing, traditionally employed for treating wounds and preventing bacterial infections, was assessed. Bacterial pathogens associated with fire burn wound infections were identified through conventional microbiological methods. The disc diffusion technique was employed for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, adhering to the Kirby-Bauer method. This study aimed to identify bioactive compounds in methanol extracts of E. ganitrus leaves through phytochemical screening and GC-MS methods. The methanolic extract of E. ganitrus revealed the presence of steroids, alkaloids, quinones, proteins, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, and phenols. The methanol extract derived from E. ganitrus demonstrated significantly greater antibacterial activity than conventional antibiotics across all tested species. The study's findings indicate that E. ganitrus possesses the capability to neutralize P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, which have been isolated from infected wounds.