Antibacterial and phytochemical analysis of Cassia occidentalis L. seeds against respiratory tract pathogens

Medicinal properties of plants make them potent to prevent or cure diseases. In present study, antibacterial activity of various extracts of Cassia occidentalis L. seeds was evaluated against three respiratory tract pathogens i.e. Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 1144,  Streptococcus pneumoniae MTCC 655 and  Streptococcus pyogenes MTCC 442. The shade dried seeds of  C. occidentalis were crushed and extracted in petroleum ether (PET), acetone (ACE), methanol (MeOH) and aqueous (H 2 O) by using Soxhlet apparatus. The antibacterial activity was examined by agar well diffusion method. Chromatographic separation was carried out on the active extract and efficacy of the resulting fractions was tested against the selected microorganisms. Amoxicillin was used as positive control to determine the sensitivity of the strains. The results showed that MeOH extract was more active than other extracts in its antibacterial activity. The zone of inhibition exhibited by MeOH extract against tested microorganisms ranged between 20.9±0.21 to 23.1±0.15 mm, respectively. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, phenols, tannins, amino acids, saponins, glycosides, terpenoids and steroids. The investigation corroborates the traditional uses of  C. occidentalis in the treatment of respiratory tract diseases.