Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Cassia alata (L.) Roxb. Leaves

Cassia alata is a plant of Caesalpiniaceae family used for the treatment of management infectious diseases. This work aimed at evaluating antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of hydroethanolic extract of Cassia alata leaves. The extract was obtained by the maceration of crude leaf powder (hydroethanolic 30:70). The phytochemical screening was focused on the detection of major chemical groups. The total flavonoids contents were studied using the aluminum chloride colorimetry method. The antioxidant capacity was carried out by the phosphomolybdate reduction method and by FRAP method. The antimicrobial activity of the extract was carried out by the diffusion method and the micro dilution. The extract showed the presence of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and reducing compounds. The concentration of total flavonoids of Cassia alata leaves was 70.91± 5.66 mg RE/g. The antioxidant activity by the phosphomolybdate reduction method and by the FRAP method were respectively 69.57 ± 4.83 mg AAE/g and 225.5 ± 17.32 mg FSE/g. The extract of Cassia alata has bactericidal action on Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Staphylococcus aureus SARM, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Cutibacterium acnes ATCC 6919 and fungicidal action on Candida albicans ATCC 10231. This study shows that Cassia alata could be a source of a new antioxidant and antimicrobial agent.