Abstract

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF DOCYNIA INDICA FRUIT EXTRACTS

Hien Chau and Tu Nguyen*

ABSTRACT

Docynia indica (D. indica) is a tree species that is widely distributed and traditionally used as a source of natural preservatives and a medicinal supplement in some Asian countries. In this study, the extract of D. indica dried fruit was obtained using 40% methanol as an extraction solvent. The extracts of the D. indica fruits were obtained using two different extraction methods: steam distillation method and decoction method. The antimicrobial activity of the extract was evaluated based on the measurement of inhibition zone diameters. 3 Gram-positive bacterial strains being Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341 and Bacillus cereus ATCC 6633 and 3 Gram-negative bacterial strains being Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802 were selected as the testmicroorganisms. As a result, the D. indica fruit extracts were evaluated to have significant antimicrobial ability. The extracts obtained by decoction method illustrated the superior effectiveness in inhibiting the growth of bacteria compared to the extracts obtained by steam distillation method. The superiority was clearly demonstrated through fighting against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The ability to inhibit bacterial growth indicated that the D. indica fruit extracts contain several bioactive compounds, and the extracts were considered to be an effective antimicrobial agent. Therefore, the extracts of the D. indica fruits have the potential in development of food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

Keywords: Docynia indica; antimicrobial; Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923; Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341; Bacillus cereus ATCC 6633; Escherichia coli ATCC 25922; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853; Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802.