PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF SESBANIA SESBAN (L.) MERR.

Abstract

Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr. is an erect, branched small tree up to 6 m tall with soft wood and paripinnate leaves. Flowers are yellow with brown streaks on the corolla. Fruits are sub cylindrical and shortly beaked. Seeds are green or brown and usually mottled. The plant is used as astringent, anti-inflammatory, carminative, demulcent, anthelmintic and antimicrobial. The phytochemical analysis of the methanol and ethanol extracts of both stem and root of Sesbania sesban revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, proteins, phytosterol, phenol, flavonoids, fixed oil and gum. The leaf extract showed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, protein, phytosterol, flavonoids and fixed oil. In vitro biological screening effects of the methanol stem extract was tested against ten bacterial species and five fungal species. Highly significant activity was observed against the bacteria Erwinia amylovora followed by Escherichia coli. In the case of fungi Curvularia lunata and Fusarium oxysporum were inhibited completely.