Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF STEM AND BARK OF “Bauhinia blakeana“

K. Kokila*, S. Priyadharshini, P. Rithanya, A. Sandhiyasweety and M. Saranya

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Abstract

Certain bauhinia species are utilized as folk medicines worldwide including Africa, Asia, South America, and also Central America. In recent years, the traditional medicine of India shows great interest in plants because of the presence of biologically active compounds. The Bauhinia blakeana is also known as Hong Kong orchid tree, grown in Hong Kong botanical garden from a single ancestor. It has great horticultural value. It is sterile and considered a hybrid origin. The plant belongs to Fabaceae family having potent antibacterial activity against various bacteria. The various parts of Bauhinia blakeana tree are popular in various systems of medicine in India for the cure of various diseases. In the present study, the microbial investigation was carried out by the disc diffusion method on the Bark and stem of Bauhinia blakeana to find the antibacterial potency present in it. The quantitative investigation revealed that the stem and bark extract of Bauhinia blakeana was potent against the selected microbes. The antibacterial activity was tested against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The phytochemical analysis indicates the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and sterols. We concluded that the presence of secondary metabolites might be the cause of their antibacterial activity.

Keywords: Bauhinia blakeana, Disc diffusion, stem & bark, antibacterial, secondary metabolites.