Phytochemical and Chromatographic Studies of the Polar Extracts of the Leaves of Cassia alata Linn.

The dried leaves of cassia alata Linn were pulverized and extracted successively with hexane, ethylacetate, methanol and water in that order. Phytochemical screening of the methanol extract and water extract (polar extracts) showed that both extracts contained anthraquinones, flavonoids and saponins. Methanol extract, however, contained terpenes in addition to those mentioned above. Thin layer chromatography gave three fractions for each of the extracts. The Rf values for methanol extract fractions Me1, Me2, Me3 and water extract fractions We1, We2, We3 were 0.402, 0.646, 0.744and 0.333, 0.583, 0.833 respectively.  Crude extracts as well as the purified fractions were tested on five bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus pneumonia, Yesinia enterocolitica and Shiggela sonnei) and two fungi pathogens (Microsporum audouinii and Trichophyton mentagrophyte). Methanol fraction Me3, accounted for the antifungal activity while water fractions We2 and We3 accounted for the antibacterial activity. Key Words: Cassia alata, antibacterial activity, anthraquinone, purgative