Emodin, an antibacterial anthraquinone from the roots of Cassia occidentalis

Abstract

The antibacterial activity of the ethanolic root extract of Cassia occidentalis was examined. A biologically active component was isolated and identified as emodin by spectroscopic analysis. The bioactive Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values of emodin were 7.8 × 10- 3 and 3.9 × 10- 3 mg ml- 1 against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. It was not active against two Gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli) at the highest concentration (5.0 × 10- 1 mg ml- 1) tested. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.