Actividad antibacteriana de Diphysa minutifolia Rose

phytochemical and antibacterial action analyses of the alcoholic extract from the wood of diphysa minitifolia rose (leguminaceae), collected in tierra caliente region, guerrero state in mexico, were carried out. the qualitative chemical study of the extract suggested the presence of reducing compounds, flavonoids, phenols and tanins. with the objective of determining the possible antibacterial effect, the extract was used in 33 bacterial strains from atcc collection and from other origins by radial one-layer diffusion in agar, with round microwells. the maximum extract concentration was 100 mg/ml. it was determined that the evaluated alcoholic extract has inhibitory action against 84.3 % of the tested bacterial strains, including gram positive and gram negative, and also bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect. for minimal inhibitory concentration values equal to 100 mg/ml, the extract showed low inhibitory activity upon 37 % of the tested strains; with concentration values from 25 to 50 mg/ml, it showed medium activity on 29.6 % of strains whereas for minimal inhibitory concentration values under 12.5 mg/ml, its action was high on 33.3 % of the strains. the extract exhibited bactericidal effect on 66.6 % of inhibited bacterial strains (54.4 % of total tested strains). further studies are required to clarify the nature of the active principles of this plant wood, which are responsible for the antibacterial properties of the evaluated extract.