In-vitro antimicrobial activity and phytochemical screening of Cassia obtusifolia

Abstract

Cassia obtusifolia is an annual or perennial plant which is used in several traditional medicines to cure various diseases. C. obtusifolia is a spiny herb that grows all over in India in shade as well as under open condition. Generally found up to an altitude of 1,000 m in Himalaya and wild throughout the plains on waste lands or in the coastal areas. It is also found in deltaic region of western, eastern and southern India. The crude was extract by ethanol using a maceration method. The ethanolic extract of C. obtusifolia seeds were tested against three standard bacterial species: one Gram-positive bacteria viz., Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), two Gram-negative bacterial strains Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), using the disc diffusion method and phytochemical screening. The study was aimed to investigate antimicrobial activity and phytochemical screening of C. obtusifolia ethanolic crude extract. The results of phytochemical screening showed the presence of Flavonoids, Saponins, Alkaloid, Tannins, Phenols, Triterpene, Glycosides, Resins, Steroids and Carboxylic acid. The extract of C. obtusifolia dissolved in methanol (1:10) showed low activity (17 and zero mm) against Gram negative bacteria (P. aeruginosa and E. coli) and (zero mm) against (S. aureus). This study give rise to antioxidant property of studied plant, and showed interesting correlation with the phytochemical constituents and biological activities.

Keywords: Cassia obtusifolia, antimicrobial activity, phytochemical, sickle pod.