VALIDATION OF ANTI-BACTERIAL EFFECT OF AMALTAS (Cassia fistula, METHANOLIC EXTRACT) AGAINST SELECTED BACTERIAL STRAINS

Abstract

Increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance necessitates the development of more potent natural product that has no adverse effects on human health. Purpose of this study is to verify the medicinal efficacy of selected plant extract (Cassia fistula) against selected bacterial strains. For this purpose the methanolic extract of Cassia fistula (Amaltas) was employed at different concentration, temperature and pH conditions to study its antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus. Results revealed that Cassia fistula showed maximum zone of inhibition (2.6mm±1.1) at 250mg/ml against Bacillus subtilis, while minimum zone (0.6mm±0.00) was observed against Staphylococcus aureus at 150mg/ml. The results for varying pH conditions reveled that Cassia fistula exhibits maximum inhibition (1.5mm±0.2) of Bacillus subtilis at pH-9 (concentration: 150mg/ml). In comparison, at 250mg/ml the observed zone measurement was maximum against Staphylococcus aureus at pH-9. The results at different temperature ranges depict that Cassia fistula effectively controls the growth of Bacillus subtilis at 120 o C (250mg/ml, zone of inhibition: 1.7mm±0.2). All the zones of inhibition were found significant according to the One way ANOVA. This results of current study strengthens the fact regarding antibacterial potential of plant extracts and proves that increasing incidence of antibiotic resistance can be reduced by introducing more natural antibacterial agents other than chemicals.