Phytochemical and Antibacterial Screening of Medicinal Plant: Eight Members of family Fabaceae

Abstract

Medicinal plants pose utmost importance in rural localities of low income countries like Pakistan due to their affordability, accessibility, and cultural acceptance. Members of the Fabaceae family from Balochistan, Pakistan are widely recognized for their pharmacological potential, including their antimicrobial activity. The study aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity and phytochemical composition of eight members of Fabaceae family including Acacia nilotica, Acacia modesta, Senna alexandrina, Cassia absus, Alhagi maurorum, Senna tora, Glycyrrhiza glabra, and Acacia catechu. Qualitative phytochemical analyses were performed using four solvents ethanol, methanol, chloroform, and distilled water to identify the bio-active compounds. Herein, we studied the antibacterial potential of methanolic extracts against S. aureus, and K. pneumoniae, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa by disc and agar well diffusion methods. Our findings showed maximum extractability and qualitative abundance of phytochemicals in methanol, ethanol, and aqueous solvents whereas chloroform yield was found lowest. Comparative antibacterial evaluation revealed that the disc diffusion method was more effective inhibiting ~45% of bacterial growth in comparison to 20% zone inhibition by agar well diffusion method. Among the eight species studied, G. glabra showed the strongest antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli (15 mm inhibition zone), while Senna tora exhibited notable inhibition against K. pneumoniae (10 mm) and P. aeruginosa (8 mm). Alhagi maurorum also showed comparable Senna tora in its inhibition activity against K. pneumoniae (10 mm). We conclude  that Fabaceae family members possess antibacterial and phytochemical potential, specifically when extracted with polar solvents. G. glabra, S. tora, and A. maurorum emerged as promising candidates for the development of natural antibacterial agents.

Keywords:  Balochistan flora, Fabaceae, Phytochemical analysis, antibacterial activity