Abstract
Background and Objective: Tamarindusindica (T. indica) fruit is used as traditional medicine for the treatment of bacterial and parasitic infections in many tropical countries. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is a problematic bacterium that causes nosocomial/opportunistic infections. Planktonic, as well as biofilm forms of this bacterium, are resistant to a wide range of antibiotics. Hence, this study aimed to determine the antimicrobial potential of T. indica against P. aeruginosa forming bacteria from different clinical specimens. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive case study conducted to determine the antimicrobial activity of different concentrations of methanolic extract of T. indica seeds on biofilm-forming P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. Sixty P. aeruginosa from urine, wounds, blood, eye swabs, ear swabs and sputum were tested against the methanolic extract of T. indica seeds (50,100,150 and 200 mu g mL(-1)) through the microtiter plate method. Results: The highest anti-pseudomonal activity of T. indica methanolic extract was among P. aeruginosa biofllm-forming isolates from blood as the 4 concentrations were significantly effective,followed by urine and wounds were 3 (100,150 and 200 mu g mL(-1)) concentrations were highly effective (p = 0.00) and the lowest effects were among eye swabs, ear swabs and sputum with insignificant statistical correlation (p>0.05). Conclusion: Methanolic extract of T. indica seeds exhibited antimicrobial activity and inhibited the biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa isolates at various concentrations. Tamarind could be a potential source for antimicrobial substances against biofilm-forming P. aeruginosa isolates.