Analysis of Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemical Potential of Cassia Absus Linn., C. Auriculata Linn. and C. Fistula linn.

Dried seeds of Cassia auriculata, C.absus and C.fistula were collected from the forest of Javaathu hills, Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu, India for the comparative analysis of antimicrobial activity and phyto-chemical potential. The active bio-compounds from the seeds of above plants were extracted with ethyl acetate, hexane and methanol and found methanol as a suitable solvent, hence used for further analysis. The phytochemical screening of the seeds showed the presence of alkaloids, phenolics and flavanoids in all species; glycosides in C.absus; reducing sugars in C.auriculata and C.fistula; non-reducing sugars in C.absus and C.fistula and Saponins in C.absus and C.auriculata from trace to higher amounts. The quantitative determination of phenol and flavanoids of methanolic seed extracts from C. auriculata, C.absus and C. fistula revealed total phenolic content as 0.18, 0.15, 0.11 and flavonoids 0.08, 0.092, 0.087% respectively. The antibacterial activity of methanolic seed extract was tested using agar well diffusion method and broth dilution method for the inhibitory effect. In the test for antimicrobial activity, methanol extracts show inhibition against almost all tested pathogens. C.absus showed higher zone of inhibition (ZOI) as 21 mm against Micrococcus luteus and as 17 cm against Klepsella pnuemoniae at 1000 μg concentration. But C.auriculata and C.fistula had moderate inhibitory effect on all the bacterial spceies from 500 μg to 1000 μg concentrations. The antifungal activity of C. absus, C.auriculata and C. fistula seed extracts were tested by agar well diffusion method and found to have inhibitory effect against all the tested fungi viz. Candida albicans, C.parapsilosis and C.tropicalis from 11 mm to 21 mm ZOI. Our study provides the scientific validation for their traditional use in medicinal applications.