Evaluation of antibacterial activity, phenol and flavonoid contents of Thespesia populnea flower extracts.

Flavonoids which were reported as having many pharmacological activities, antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, chemoprevention activities and they possess strong antiproliferative effects related to inhibition of cell cycle progression and apoptosis induction. On the basis of this Thespesia populnea (L.) Sol. Ex Correa (Family-Malvaceae) was selected and it is having the major composition of flavonoids and the antibacterial activity of methanolic extract of Thespesia populnea flowers was investigated by agar well diffusion method. Furthermore our phytochemical studies indicated that methanolic extract of Thespesia populnea flowers contains flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins and anthroquinone glycosides. Moreover the individual components were identified by thin layer chromatography and Rf value was compared with standard flavonoid quercetin. The total phenolic and flavonoid content studies were also quantified. The bacteria used for antibacterial study were Shigella flexneri (NCIM 4924), Rhodococcus terrae (NCIM 5126), Escherichiae coli (ATCC 11775), Streptococcus faecalis (NCIB 2406), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 13883),Brevibacterium luteum (NCIM 2923), Micrococcus flavum (NCIM 2376), Proteus mirabilis (NCIB 8268), Bacillus licheniformis (NCIM 2468), Micrococcus luteus (ATCC 2984), Flavobacterium devorans (NCIM 2581), Shigella sonei(ATCC 29930), Shigella boydii (ATCC 8700) and Shigella dysentriae (ATCC 13313).According to our results in the lowest tested concentration of 62.5 microg/ml and 125mug/ml 7.2% of the plant extract were active, 5% active in the concentration of 250 microg/ml, 75.7% active in the concentration of 500 microg/ml and 92.8% active at the concentration of 1000 microg/ml in a dose dependent manner.