IN VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES EVALUATION OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF CAESALPINIA PULCHERRIMA FLOWERS

Abstract

The current study was conducted to prove ethno medicinal value of the plant, investigating anti-microbial, antioxidant, and total phenolic content of crude methanolic extract of flowers of Caesalpinia pulcherrima. The methanolic extract revealed narrow spectrum antimicrobial activity at the concentration of 400 mug/ disc. The results obtained were compared with standard ciprofloxacin of 5mug/ disc. The extract exhibited moderate amount of total phenolic compound (44.0 +/- 0.08 mg/g of gallic acid equivalent). In DPPH free radical scavenging test, IC50 value of the crude extract was found fairly significant (41.59 +/- 0.05 mug/ml) while compared to that of the reference standards butylated hydroxyl toluene (21.90 +/- 0.05 mug/ml). Since, the plant, Caesalpinia pulcherrima got cabalistic antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities, other phytochemical and pharmacological studies can be carried out to justify its traditional uses, as the plant is available and being used traditionally in the rural areas of Bangladesh. {©} 2013 IRJP.