ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE ETHANOLIC AND AQUEOUS FRUIT EXTRACTS OF VACHELLIA (VACHELLIA NILOTICA) ON SOME BACTERIAL ISOLATED

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic microorganisms has led to a growing interest in medicinal plants as alternative antimicrobial agents. This study investigated the antimicrobial activity of the aqueous fruit extract of Vachellia nilotica against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using the agar well diffusion method. The extract was prepared at varying concentrations (6.26m/s, 12.5m/s, 25m/s, 50m/s, and 100m/s) and tested for its inhibitory effect. The results revealed a concentration-dependent antimicrobial activity, with the highest zone of inhibition (120 mm) observed against S. aureus at 25m/s concentration, while E. coli showed maximum inhibition of 110 mm at 100m/s concentration. Overall, V. nilotica extract demonstrated stronger activity against S. aureus compared to E. coli. The relatively lower susceptibility of E. coli may be attributed to the protective outer membrane characteristic of Gram-negative bacteria, which limits penetration of bioactive compounds. These findings suggest that V. nilotica fruit extract possesses promising antibacterial potential, especially against Gram-positive bacteria, and could be considered as a natural alternative or complement to conventional antibiotics