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EVALUATION OF NEEM EXTRACTS AS ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS AGAINST BACILLUS SUBTILIS IN MULBERRY FARM SOIL

  Shirisha K S
Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Garden City University, Bengaluru,

 Sheeja MS
Registrar & Professor, Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Garden City University, Bengaluru,

 *Dr. Shruti Awasthi
Professor, Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Garden City University, Bengaluru, India; Email: shruti.awasthi@gcu.edu.in

ABSTRACT

This study examined the antimicrobial properties of powdered Azadirachta indica leaf extracts made with acetone and water as solvents against pathogenic microorganisms found in soil samples taken from mulberry growing fields. These soil-borne microorganisms are known to cause serious illnesses in silkworms (Bombyx mori), like flacherie, which have a negative effect on the health of the insects and lower the amount of cocoons produced in sericulture. In traditional Indian agriculture, neem is a well-established medicinal plant that contains a variety of bioactive compounds, such as salannin, nimbin, and azadirachtin. Neem is a promising option for natural disease control methods because of these compounds, which also give it potent antimicrobial, antifungal qualities. The current study used the turbidimetric method to evaluate the antibacterial activity of fermented neem leaf powder extracts with a 540 nm absorbance measurement. By using this technique, bacterial growth can be quantitatively assessed using variations in solution turbidity. After testing both aqueous and acetone-based extracts, it was found that the acetone extract significantly reduced turbidity, suggesting that it inhibited microbial activity more effectively. This result is in line with earlier research showing that organic solvents can extract more active compounds than Water. These findings demonstrate that acetone-extracted neem leaf powder has the potential to be a sustainable, economical, and environmentally beneficial substitute for synthetic disinfectants or antibiotics in the management of soil-borne infections in mulberry fields. This method can lower the amount of chemicals used in sericulture procedures while improving the productivity and health of silkworms.

KEYWORDS

Neem extract, Bacillus subtilis, mulberry farm soil, flacherie, sericulture, antibacterial activity, turbidimetry, well diffusion

Citation: Shirisha, K. S., MS, S., & Awasthi, S. (2025). Evaluation of neem extracts as antibacterial agents against bacillus subtilis in mulberry farm soil. Evaluation of Neem Extracts as Antibacterial Agents Against Bacillus Subtilis in Mulberry Farm Soil, 1(2), 24–31. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17334373

 

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VLEARNY Journal of Biological Sciences
1 (2) 2025, 24-31, https://vlearny.com/vjbs/
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