ISSN 0975-6299 Vol.1/Issue-3/Jul-Sep.2010 www.ijpbs.net Natural chemistry 1 International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY AND PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF CYNOMETRA IRIPA KOSTEL.      Department of Botany, Shivaji University,Kolhapur 416004. (MS) India. *Corresponding Author mndesai2306@gmail.com  Antimicrobial activity of aerial parts of Cynometra iripa Kostel was evaluated against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aerunginosa, and Salmonella typhimurium. Ethanolic and methanolic extracts of plant parts were screened for antibacterial activity. Methanolic extracts of leaf, stem, young seed, mature seed and seed coat showed a high antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aerunginosa as compared to ethanolic extracts products. Preliminary tests for different chemical groups showed the presence of polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids and saponins.   Cynometra iripa, Antibacterial activity, Saponins, Tannins, Flavonoids, Polyphenols.  Natural products are preferred for biologically screening based on ethno medical use of plants, because many infectious diseases are known to have been treated with herbal remedies throughout the history of mankind. Antimicrobial properties of medicinal plants are being increasingly reported from different parts of the world[1,2,3]. Drug resistance to pathogenic microorganisms has been reported in literature[4, 5] therefore antimicrobials may have a significant clinical value in treatment of resistant microbial strains[6]. Mangrove and mangrove associates contain biologically active antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal compounds and they provide a rich source of saponins, tannins, flavonoids, and polyphenols[7]. Therefore, it was thought worthwhile to screen mangrove species for the presence of antibacterial potential to combat the pathogenic bacteria. Cynometra a Linnaean genus of approximately 75 species is widely distributed through out the tropics[8]. Cynometra iripa Kostel is critically endangered species of mangroves a member of Fabaceae and occurring along the West Coast of Maharashtra. There are much more variations in the heights of Cynometra trees which are recorded from 1.5m to tall as 9m[9]. Cynometra iripa is characterized by distally curved sepals, bent style and fruits with a prominent lateral beak. The tree gets its common name from its hard, wrinkly seed pods as ‘wrinkle pod mangrove’.    The fresh leaves, stem, young seeds, mature seeds of C. iripa Kostel were collected from estuaries of Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. The collected samples were washed with distilled water properly for removing adhered soil and other particles and initially air dried under shade, then in oven and