Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Effects of Moringa oleifera (Moringa) and Azadirachta indica (Neem) Methanolic Extracts against Strains of Enterococcus faecalis

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate antibacterial and cytotoxic effect of 2 methanolic extracts of Azadirachta indica and Moringa oleifera against strains of Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212) in vitro.

Methods

The methanolic extracts of Azadirachta indica and Moringa oleifera were prepared in vitro. The antibacterial effect of the extracts against Enterococcus faecalis was evaluated using the agar diffusion technique. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using the microdilution method and the cytotoxicity using the cellular line MDCK.

Results

The methanolic extract with the most antibacterial effect during the first 24 and 48 hours against Enterococcus faecalis was Moringa oleifera, evidencing a growth inhibition zone of 35.5 ± 1.05 and 44.83 ± 0.98, respectively. The MIC for both extracts was 75  µg/ml. The bactericidal effect of the Azadirachta indica extract was found at a concentration of 25  µg/ml and a concentration of 75  µg/ml for Moringa extract.

Conclusions

In conclusion, we demonstrated that the methanolic extract of Azadirachta indica and Moringa oleifera both have an antibacterial effect against Enterococcus faecalis strains during the first 24 and 48 hours. None of the extracts exhibited toxicity against the cell lines under low concentrations.