Paper Details
Study of antimicrobial activity of Azadirachta indica (Neem) bark extract on bacteria found on Indian paper currency
Authors
Parul Gupta
Abstract
Microorganisms are found almost everywhere around us in our environment and are known to spread through contaminated water, food, air and vectors such as fleas, mites, rats, dogs and also through inanimate objects like clothes, utensils, furniture, hand railings or a door knob which we are generally unaware of. Paper currency notes are one of the most commonly exchanged objects and its potential to transmit pathogenic organisms has been well recognized (Khin etal.1989 ; Abrams, 1972 ; Goktas, 1992; Basavarajappa etal.2005) .Earlier studies in many countries have shown that circulating currency bills are most common fomite as it is handled by a large number of people under a variety of personal & environmental conditions (Uneke & Ogbu, 2007;El Dar 2005 ; Kalita etal.2013)
Currency bills are exchanged for goods & services by one & all and a few seconds of money transaction can bring along a whole lot of pathogens. Numerous studies have well documented that paper currency acts as a vehicle to spread bacteria and other microorganisms and can accommodate a variety of contaminants for long periods (Lamichhane etal 2009 ;Angelakis etal 2014 ; Wamae 2009).
The antimicrobial properties of the neem plant have been reported earlier by several workers been the primary source of medicine (Ketkar etal 2004; Biswas etal.2002). Neem, also referred to as Azadirachta indica is one such plant that has been so named because it provides freedom from all diseases, and used for thousands of years in Indian and African continents (Gupta,etal 2017). Neem (Azadirachta indica) belongs to family, Meliacea and has been known as the wonder tree for centuries in the Indian subcontinent with proven therapeutical & ethnomedicinal values for mankind well known for its antibacterial , antiviral, and antifungal properties (Sarmiento etal,2011) .Different parts of the plant including flowers, leaves, seeds and bark have been used to treat both acute and chronic human diseases.
Keywords
-
Citation
Study of antimicrobial activity of Azadirachta indica (Neem) bark extract on bacteria found on Indian paper currency. Parul Gupta. 2018. IJIRCT, Volume 4, Issue 2. Pages 12-18. https://www.ijirct.org/viewPaper.php?paperId=1802002