Phytochemical analysis of Cassia fistula and its in vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities

Abstract

Three solvent (methanol, aqueous and petroleum ether) extracts of Cassia fistula were used to analyze phytochemicals and evaluated for different in vitro biological activity. The methanol extracts of Cassia fistula yielded 10 different phytochemicals and TPC at higher concentration. The methanol extract has shown dominance in inhibition of all bacteria tested and except Cercospora carthami, Fusarium solani and F. oxysporum were not inhibited whereas all other fungi tested were inhibited strongly by methanol extract. The antioxidant activity in 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric ion Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay was performed for all the three extracts, the methanol was showed high activity of free radical inhibition of 69 and 714.86 followed by aqueous (60,448.14) and petroleum ether (25,387.51). The methanol extract inhibited the heat induced albumin denaturation and red blood cell membrane stabilization with 88.61 and 79.33 g/ml. Proteinase activity was significantly inhibited by the methanol (83.88) extract followed by aqueous (66.21) and petroleum ether (48.61) was compared with standard Aspirin 92.87 g/ml. The methanol extract was inhibited the xanthine oxidase (44.83) and acetylcholinesterase (18.98) followed by aqueous and petroleum ether extracts. The highest antilipoxygenase activity was noticed from methanol extract (62.16) followed by aqueous (56.43) and petroleum ether extract (38.32). From all the results, we found that that phytochemicals (alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, anthraquinone and phenolic compounds) present in C. fistula extract may be responsible for the antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

Keywords: Cassia fistula, phytochemicals, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory.