Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF DRIED FALLEN PODS OF SARACA ASOCA

Gayatri R.*, Lavanya S. and Ashok Kumar H. G.

Abstract

Saraca asoca (Ashoka) is one of the most legendary and sacred trees of India belonging to the family Caesalpinaceae. It stands as one of the foremost plants utilized for its medicinal value since the ancient time. As this species contain medicinally important constituents, this has led to the over exploitation of the species. This plant is categorized as ‘vulnerable’ by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Hence in this study, secondary metabolites of dried fallen pods (considered as waste) of S. asoca were determined and its antibacterial activity was evaluated. Two different solvents (ethanol and methanol) were used for extraction using soxhlet apparatus. Qualitative analysis and disc diffusion technique was performed with ethanolic and methanolic extracts to evaluate its phytoconstituents and to detect its anti- bacterial activity respectively. From the qualitative analysis of ethanolic extract, the following phytoconstituents were obtained: quinones, steroids, alkaloids, phenols, glycosides, tannins, phlobatannins and saponins. Similar phytoconstituents were obtained from methanolic extract, except phlobatannins and tannins which were found to be absent. This study also revealed that both ethanolic and methanolic extracts showed anti-bacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. This work is an attempt to prevent the exploitation of S. asoca for bark and its other parts and it is also observed that dried pods can be a reliable source for antibacterial activity.

Keywords: Saraca asoca, dried fallen pods, phytochemical constituents, antibacterial activity.