IN VITRO INVESTIGATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTILEISHMANIAL ACTIVITIES OF GUM-RESIN OF BOSWELLIA SERRATA USING (0.5%) DMSO SOLUTION AS AN ALTERNATIVE SOLVENT FOR EXTRACTION

Boswellia serrata belongs to the family Burseraceae, is a plant that produces frankincense. The plant is native to India and extends to Pakistan. The tree yields oleo-gumresin which has been used for a variety of therapeutic purposes such as cancer, inflammation, arthritis, asthma, psoriasis, colitis, Crohn’s Disease, and hyperlipedimia, antibacterial and antifungal activities. The current study investigated the antibacterial (S. aureus and E. coli) and antileishmanial (L.tropica and L. donovani) activities of B. serrata aqueous crude extract using (0.5%) DMSO solvent for extraction. The phytochemical analysis of crude extract was positive for saponin only. The extract failed to inhibit bacterial growth on MullerHinton agar plate. Lower concentrations (5%, 2.5% and 1.25%) of extract showed antileishmanial activity against two species of Leishmania. The (10%) concentration lacked antileishmanial activity. The study concludes that B. serrate gumresin has a potential antileishmanial activity against two species of Leishmania using a safe concentration of (0.5%) DMSO as an alternative aqueous solvent for methanol extracting gumresins.