Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Senna tora Roxb

Methanol and aqueous extract of the dried aerial part of Senna tora Roxb. were subjected to the potential antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The antioxidant potential of the extract was determined on the basis of their scavenging activity of the stable 1,1-dipheny1-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. IC sub(50) of the methanol extract of Senna tora was 109.65 mu g mL super(-1) which indicated the strong antioxidant activity of the plant extract. Methanol extract of Senna tora possess strong antioxidant activity. However the aqueous extract showed mild antioxidant activity. In case of antibacterial activities test, the extract was subjected for its effectiveness against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in agar diffusion method. The zones of inhibition produced by the crude methanol and aqueous extract against few sensitive strains was measured and compared with those of standard antibiotic Gentamycin. It is evident that both extracts are active against the bacteria at low concentrations. The obtained results provide a support for the use of this plant in traditional medicine and suggest its further investigation.