Ethnobotanical Leaflets 12: 1221-26. 2008. Study on The Pharmacognostic
Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of the Medicinal Plant Cassia obtusa L. Jeyabal K.P.1,Viji M.2, Vikneshwaran
3, Murugan, P.4 and Raja Laksmi K.5 Periyar Institute of Distance Education1,3, Issued Abstract The species, Cassia obtusa L., consists of small herbs found in tropical and subtropical regions and have wide application in herbal formulations. Leaf, stem, and fruit are used to cure various ailments in human beings. In fact, plants produce a diverse range of bioactive molecules making them a rich source of different types of medicines researches in bioactive substances might lead to the discovery of new compounds that could be used to formulate new and most potent antimicrobial drugs to over come the problem of resistant to the currently available antibiotics. The main objective of the present investigations is to analyze the fluorescence characters and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of crude extract of leaf, stem and fruit against selected gram positive and gram negative bacteria. The leaf, stem and fruit powder of the plants showed varying degree of antibacterial activity against all the tested bacteria. Introduction Medicinal plants played an important role in the discovery of novel and useful drugs used in modern medicine. Today we have a number of drugs useful and life saving and also drugs which can provide immediate therapeutic benefit (Dubey, et al., 2004). Over 2000 plant species are found to have medicinal value and are used for medicinal purpose in different forms. Many common plants seen in the Kitchen gardens or in the compound or in the forests are used by the tribal as medicines. (Rushulo Kemp, 2003). Our country is bestowed with rich and diverse resources of plant wealth including an enormously large number of medicinal plants. They are extensively used as antitumor, immunomodulators, antidiabetics, Purgatives hepatoprotectives, antiinflammatory, antioxidants and antidotes. The objectives of the present investigation are to record the traditional uses of the medicinal plant, Cassia obtusa. Materials and MethodsThe aim of present investigation was to evaluate the
preliminary phytochemical characters such as
determination of pharmacognostic and fluorescence
characters, and in vitro
antibacterial activity of the important medicinal plant Cassia obtusa L. Family : Caesalpinaceae Tamil : Mulaipal Virai Ayurveda : Chakshushya (Venakulatha) Shidha : Kaatukollu (Idikollu) Glandular hairy herbs, leaf lets 2 pairs, flower yellow, interminal or leaf opposed racemes, pod slightly oblique, hairy; seed trapezoid ovoid. Uses: Seeds used in opthalmia and skin troubles, also used as a cathartic; leaves used in cough, constipation and wounds. Collection
of Plant Material
Fresh plants of Cassia obtusa
L. were collected from Saduragiri hills, Virudhunagar
district, Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy deals with identification of the source of the material forming dry, description of its morphology and anatomy investigation of its potency, purity and freedom from admixture. Determination of total ash value
Two grams of the drug powder was accurately weighed in a silica crucible which was previously ignited and weighed. The powdered drug was spread as a fine layer on the bottom of the crucible. The crucible was incinerated at a temperature not exceeding 4500C until free from carbon. The crucible was cooled and weighted. The procedure was repeated to get a constant weight. The percentage of the total ash in calculated with reference to the air dried drug. Determination
of acid insoluble ash
The ash obtained in
the determination of total ash was boiled for 5 minutes, with 25ml of HCL.
The insoluble matter was collected on an ash less filter paper and washed
with hot water. The insoluble ash was transferred to a pre weighed Silica
crucible and then ignited, cooled and weighed. The procedure was repeated to
get constant weight. Method for fluorescence
analysis
Many phyto drugs when suitably illuminated emit light of different wave length or colour from that which falls on them. The fluorescence analysis of drug extract helps to identify the drug with specific fluorescent colours and also to find out the fluorescent impurities. The study of fluorescence analysis can be used as a diagnostic tool for testing adulteration. Fluorescence studies were done previously in Boerhaavia diffusa (Murugan and Murugesan, 2006). Antibacterial Assay
Collection of microorganisms
Stock cultures
of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus,
Streptococcus lactis, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vibrio
cholerae were obtained from Research
laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Preparation of mediaThe growth media employed in the present study included Nutrient agar and Nutrient beef: Beef extract – 3.0 g Peptone - 5.0 g Agar - 15.0 g Distilled water - 1000ml Nutrient broth is composed of with out Agar. The medium was adjusted to pH 7.4 and sterilized by autoclaving at 15 lbs pressure (1210C) for 15 min. Preparation of inoculum Each organism was recovered for testing by sub culturing on fresh media. A loopful inoculum of each bacterium was suspended in 5ml of nutrient broth and incubated overnight at 370C. These overnight cultures were used as inoculum. Antimicrobial activity
Antimicrobial activity was
demonstrated by modification of the method described by Barry and Thornsberry (1985). Results and Discussion
Pharmacognostic Characters
The pharmacognostic
characters of the medicinal plants Cassia
obtusa are presented in Table 1.The pharmacognostic characters are helpful in evaluating the pharmacognostic value of the medicinal plants. The
moisture content of Cassia obtusa leaf (76.4%) and fruit (72.8%). Cassia obtusa fruit
was found to possess higher total ash content (6.01%). Table 1.
Pharmacognostic characters of leaf and
fruit of Cassia obtusa.
Fluorescence analysis of Cassia obtusa The powder and the crude extracts were examined under day light and Ultra violet light (365 nm). The results of the observation presented in Table 2. Table 2. Fluorescence analysis of leaf and fruit powder and their extract in
different solvents of Cassia obtuse.
Antimicrobial activity
Screening for bioactive compounds from plants and product for the antimicrobial activity has shown that plants reported a potential source of new antimicrobials (Hernandez et al., 1999: Srinivasan et al., 2001). In the present investigation an attempt is made to analyse their antimicrobial response and the crude drugs used as the ethnomedicine. The leaf and fruit extracts of Cassia obtusa was tested for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus lactis, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae, and the results are presented. Antibacterial activity of Cassia obtusa Hexane extracts of leaf powder showed maximum inhibitory activity
against Streptococcus lactis (3mm). Moderate inhibitory activity (2mm) was
observed in hexane extracts of Cassia obtusa leaf powder against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and V. cholerae.
Very less inhibitory action (1mm) was observed in hexane extracts of leaf
powder against E.coli. Maximum inhibitory activity was observed against E. coli (4mm) and B. subtilis (3mm) in hexane extracts of fruit powder.
Very less inhibition action (1mm) was observed in hexane extracts of fruit powders
against S. aureus
and V. cholerae. Benzene extracts of leaf powder showed maximum inhibitory activity against S. lactis (3mm) and P. aeruginosa (3mm) Benzene extracts of leaf showed moderate activity against B. subtilis (2mm) and E. coli (2mm). No antibacterial activity was observed against S. aureus and V. cholerae. Benzene extracts of fruit showed maximum inhibitory activity against E. coli (5mm) and V. cholerae (4mm) Moderate activity was observed against S. lactis (2mm) in benzene extracts of fruit powder. Very less antibacterial activity was observed against S. aureus (1mm). Methanol extracts of leaf exhibited maximum inhibitory activity
against P. aeruginosa (4mm),
S. aureus (3mm)
and V. cholerae
(3mm). Mild antibacterial activity was observed against E. coli (2mm). Very less inhibitory
activity was observed in methanol extracts of leaf powder against B. subtilis. Maximum
inhibitory action was observed in methanol extracts of fruit against V. cholerae (5mm).
Moderate inhibitory action was observed against S. lactis (2mm) and E.
coli (2mm). No inhibitory action was observed against B. subtilis. Antibacterial
activity was observed against S. aureus (2mm) in water extracts of leaf. Very less
inhibitory action (1mm) was observed against B. subtils, P. aeruginosa,
and V. cholerae. Aqueous extracts of fruit powder showed the antibacterial activity against B. subtilis (3mm). Moderate activity was observed against E. coli (2mm). Very less inhibitory action was observed against S. aureus (1mm). It was observed from the results that benzene and methanol extracts of fruit exhibited maximum inhibitory action against gram negative bacteria E. coli (5mm) and V. cholerae (5mm) when compared with other extracts. References 1. Akinpelu, D.A.
and Onakoya, T.M. 2006. Antimicrobial activities of
medicinal plants used in folklore remedies in South-Western part of 2. Alia, N.A.A., Julichb,
W.D., Kusnicke,
C. and Lindequist, U. 2001. Screening of Yemeni
medicinal plants for antibacterial and cytotoxic
activities. J. Ethnopharm.
74: 173-179. 3. Balasubramanian,
A.V.2000. Panel discussion. The Hindu socio. Indian health traditions.9-11. 4. Barron, A. and Ibrahim, R.K.
1996. Isoprenylated
flavonoids
– a survey. Phytochemistry.
43: 921–982. 5. Chattopadhyay.D.,
Arunachalam.G., Mandal.A.B.,
Sur.T.K., Mandal.S.C. and
Bhattacharya.S.K. 2002. Antimicrobial and
anti-inflammatory activity of folklore:Mallotus peltatus
leaf extract. J. Ethnopharm. 82: 229-237.
|