Bioautography assay of Caesalpinia coriaria (Jacq) wild, as antifungal agent.

Abstract

Bioautography identification of Caesalpinia coriaria as antifungal compounds on the TLC plates was studied. An important development of drug discovery process over the last several decades has been in the use of biological assay systems. Based on this the ethanolic extract of C.coriaria were subjected for bioautography assay. The fractions were tested for their antifungal activity against Mucor organism. Active compounds alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and cadiac glycosides from the fractions are transferred from stationary phase to the agar layer (which contains the microorganisms) by a different process. After incubation the plate is sprayed with a tetrazolium salt (eg. MTT) which is converted to a formazan dye by the microorganism. Inhibition zones are observed as clear spots against a purple background with this knowledge, it is clear that in the present study the active compound fractions 12 at Rf showed significant inhibition towards the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. It showed the presence of bioactive compounds responsible as antifungal properties of ethanolic partially purified extract. However, this finding provides an insight into the usage of this plant in traditional treatment of foot infections, subcutaneous parasitic infection, intestinal parasitism, venereal diseases and other diseases associated with bacterial and fungal infections.