Phytochemical Evaluation, Antibacterial Activity and Bioactive Determination

Objective: To find the antibacterial efficacy of the partially purified crude methanolic extract of Cassia alata and to characterize the active compounds responsible for the activity. Method: Using methanol as solvent, the crude extract was further subjected to qualitative, quantitative and spectral studies using GC-MS, FT- IR and UV-VIS. Findings: Active principle compounds and antibacterial efficacy of the flower extracts of Cassia alata have been examined against five bacterial strains of both positive and negative. The partially purified crude methanolic extracts show a significant response against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi but inactive against other strains such as P. aeruginosa, E. coli, P. vulgaris. The partially purified crude flower extracts of Cassia alata, shows a remarkable minimum inhibitory concentration of 40mg/ml against S. typhi and S.aureus. However, the plant extract observed to be bacteriostatic at a very low concentration with a minimum bactericidal concentration against the Gram positive organisms tested. The partially purified extracts shows lightly above the minimum inhibitory concentration nearly potent as standard antibiotic rifampicin and the inhibition ranges from 10 to 25 mm. The spectral unveiling phytoconstituents such as fatty acid methyl esters, flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids, phenolics, aldehydes, aromatic compounds and alcohols can be postulated for its antibacterial efficacy of the partially purified extracts taken for this study.