ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF PAULOWNIA FORTUNEI FLOWERS

Abstract

This study was undertaken to assess the antibacterial activity of essential oil of Paulownia fortunei flowers. The flowers were collected from P. fortunei plants introduced from China few years back and cultivated in University of the Punjab Lahore, Pakistan. Essential oil was extracted using microwave assisted method. It gave 0.020% oil yield. Activity of the essential oil was assessed against four bacterial species namely Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. There was a significant difference (P≤0.01) among the bacterial species with respect to their response to the oil. K. pneumoniae was the most sensitive bacterial species followed by S. aureus and E. coli with 12.5 mm, 11.5 mm and 10.5 mm zones of inhibition.  P. aeruginosa was the most resistant bacterial species showing 9 mm zone of inhibition. This study concludes that essential oil of P. fortunei flowers had variable antibacterial activity against different bacterial species.