title: Antimicrobial activity of Terminalia arjuna Wight & Arn.: an ethnomedicinal plant against pathogens causing ear infection.
abstract: Ear infection is one of the common diseases occurring throughout the world. Different etiological agents are responsible for ear infections.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the antimicrobial potential of Terminalia arjuna leaves and bark extracts against Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter sp., Proteus mirabilis, Escherchia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans, pathogens causing ear infections and their comparison with locally available ear drops.
  
  
  METHODS
  Methanol, ethanol, acetone, aqueous (hot and cold) extracts from the leaves and bark of T. arjuna were tested for their antimicrobial activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the three organic solvents evaluated, acetonic leaf extract was found to be best against S. aureus. Organic bark extract showed almost equal inhibition of all tested Gram negative bacteria except P. aeruginosa. However, aqueous extract of T. arjuna bark exhibited good activity against S. aureus. All the extracts were unable to exhibit any antifungal activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Organic extract obtained from the T. arjuna bark and leaves may be used to treat the bacterial ear pathogens especially S. aureus, which has shown greater inhibition zones than the herbal drops, however, we still need more detailed studies as in vivo testing and pharmacokinetics properties for their therapeutic utility in treating ear infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kurukshetra University, 136119 Kurukshetra, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Kamal Rai
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Aneja
authors.forename: Chetan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Radhika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Joshi
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010031:Otitis / Q000382:microbiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029766:Terminalia / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts