Antimicrobial and Wound Healing Activities of Three Cassia Species
Cassia alata, Cassia fistula and Cassia auriculata are largely used in traditional medicine for centuries, to improve health and well being of human civilizations in rural areas of developing countries worldwide. The objective of this study is to investigate the antimicrobial and wound healing ac...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
2004
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/6530/1/FPSK%28M%29_2004_7.pdf http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/6530/ |
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| Summary: | Cassia alata, Cassia fistula and Cassia auriculata are largely used in traditional
medicine for centuries, to improve health and well being of human civilizations in
rural areas of developing countries worldwide. The objective of this study is to
investigate the antimicrobial and wound healing activities of all three Cassia species.
The first two experiments were conducted to investigate the antibacterial and
antifungal activities of three Cassia species using disc diffusion methods. Ethanol
and aqueous extract of all three Cassia species were tested in vitro against the
bacteria Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus
subtilis, and the fungi, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Microsporum canis
and Aspergillus fumigatus. All three Cassia species were effective against
Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis in a dose dependent manner, and were
not effective against Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis. The results were
compared with commercial antibiotics chloramphenicol (30 mg/ml), ampicilin (10
mg/ml), penicillin G (10 mg/ml), erythromycin (15 mg/ml), tetracycline (30 mg/ml) and enrofloxacin (5 mg/ml). All three plants were only effective against the Grampositive
bacteria. The ethanol leaf extract of the plants at concentration 80 mg/ml can
be compared to the commercial antibiotic, penicillin against Bacillus subtilis. Only
Cassia alata and Cassia auriculata has exhibited antifungal activity. Cassia fistula
has no effect against all tested fungi. The ethanol and aqueous bark extracts from
Cassia alata was only effective against Candida albicans, whereas the ethanol leaf
and bark extract from Cassia auriculata was only effective against Microsporum
canis. When comparing the two plants against each other, we found that the plant
extracts was selective and has a very narrow spectrum against the tested fungi. The
ethanol leaves extracts from all Cassia species were chosen for the third test, which
was the wound healing activity in mice. Topical application over an incised wound
showed progressive infiltration of inflammatory cells, increased blood vessel
formation, and enhanced proliferation of cells because of treatment with Cassia
fistula extract and acriflavine. Wound contraction in specimens from the groups
treated, respectively, with Cassia fistula, acriflavine and control, showed significant
structural improvement when compared to Cassia alata and Cassia auriculata, in
which there were no signs of healing at the end of the experiment. It can be
concluded that, ethanol extracts of the leaf and bark of Cassia alata, Cassia fistula
and Cassia auriculata showed antibacterial and antifungal activity which may be
attributed to the presence of chemical constituent such as flavonoids, chrysophanol
antharaquinones, and chrysarobin. This study also showed the promising wound
healing activity of Cassia fistula in mice and warrants detailed experimental and
clinical studies. It also provides a rationale for the use of Cassia fistula in
preparations of traditional medicine to promote wound healing. |
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