Antimicrobial Activity of Cassia occidentalis L (Leaf) against various Human Pathogenic Microbes

Different organic and aqueous extracts of leaves of Cassia occidentalis L (Caesalpiniaceae) were screened for their antimicrobial activity against seven human pathogenic bacterial and two fungal strains by disk diffusion assay. The pattern of inhibition varied with the solvent used for extraction and the microorganism tested. Among these extracts, methanol and aqueous extracts showed significant antimicrobial activity against most of the tested microbes. The most susceptible microorganism was P. aeruginosa (18 mm zone of inhibition in aqueous extract) followed by P. mirabilis (15 mm zone of inhibition in methanol extract) and Candida albicans (8 mm zone of inhibition in methanol extract). Preliminary phytochemical analysis of different extracts revealed the presence of anthraquinones, carbohydrates, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, steroids, flavanoids, saponins, phytosterols, gums and mucilages while alkaloids were absent in all the tested extracts.