ANTIBACTERIAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF SennaoccidentalisCRUDE EXTRACTS AGAINST SELECTED BACTERIA SPECIES

Abstract

The development of drug resistance as well as side effects of certain antibiotics has led to the search for new antibacterial agents from plant extracts. The antibacterial and phytochemical screening of Senna occidentalis crude leaves and seed extracts against selected bacteria species were investigated. The phytochemical screening was carried out using qualitative standard methods. The antibacterial activity was also carried out using agar well diffusion method. The preliminary phytochemical screening of leaves extracts revealed the presence of anthraquinones, glycosides, steroids, saponins, tannins, while the seed extracts indicated the presence of anthraquinones, glycosides, steroids, saponins, terpenoids and tannins. The bacterial isolates used include Escherichiacoli, Klebsiellapneumoniae, Pseudomonasaeruginosa and Staphylococcusaureus. Sennaoccidentalis crude leaves extracts showed appreciable inhibitory effect on all tested isolates at 2.5-10.0 mg/mL concentration, while the seed extracts inhibited all tested bacteria species at 5.0-10.0mg/mL concentration. The ciprofloxacin (positive control) had zones of inhibition ranged between (3.00mm-5.00mm) and (8.00mm-12.00mm) at 5.0mg/mL and 10mg/mL concentration respectively. This study showed that the acetone, aqueous and methanolic crude extracts of Senna occidentalis leaves and seeds possesses antibacterial activity on the selected bacteria species at 5.0-10.0mg/mL concentration. Thus, confirm the efficacy of Senna occidentalis in the treatment of infections caused by these bacteria species.