Abstract

EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF BUTEA MONOSPERMA

T. Mohammad Munawar*, K. Aruna and R. Srinu Venkat Rao

Abstract

Today plant drugs are very important and play a crucial role in the modern medicine. It is generally usually used for treatment of some diseases that cannot be treated by conventional medicine. Plant drugs are easily available with low cost, safe, efficient and rarely have side effects. The main objective of this study was to evaluate antibacterial and antioxidant activity of ethanolic extracts of flowers and stem of Butea monosperma. Antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts was also evaluated and MIC values were calculated by broth dilution method. Extracts prevented the growth of gram positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and gram negative bacteria such as E.coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the MIC values of ethanolic extract of the flower were higher than those of the stem extract. Antioxidant activity was assayed by the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) and ferric reducing power (FRAP). In all the assays, stem extract exhibited stronger antioxidant activity than that of flowers. The present results showed antibacterial and antioxidant activity of the extracts was found to be positively associated with the total phenolic and flavonoid content of the extracts.

Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Antioxidant activity, Butea monosperma, Natural drugs, 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing power (FRAP).