Phytochemical and antimicrobial activity of Cascabela thevetia seed oil L. LIPPOLD (Yellow Oleander)

Abstract

This study analysed the phytochemicals and antimicrobial activity of oil extracted from seeds of Cascabela thevetia. Six phytochemicals were analysed. This includes Alkaloids, Flavonoids, Glycosides, Phytates, Saponins and Tannins. With Alkaloids and Glycosides to be slightly present. Flavonoids are moderately present while Phytates, Saponins and Tannins to be highly present. The quantitative results show 0.062 ± 0.001; 3.123 ± 0.005; 0.163 ± 0.010; 4.530 ± 0.01; 2.920 ± 0.010 and 3.140 ± 0.014 mg/g for Alkaloids, Flavonoids, Glycosides, Phytates, Saponins and Tannins respectively. C. thevetia oil showed a good degree of antimicrobial activities using the agar well diffusion method for gram-negative, gram-positive and fungi. Staphylococcus aureus a gram-positive bacterial, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli gram-negative bacterial shows zones of inhibition of 15.33, 12.00, 16.67 and 16.00 mm respectively. The fungi showed zone of inhibition of 22 mm for both Rhizopus stolonifer and Candida albicans. The MIC value for bacterial was obtained at 12.5 mg/ml while for the fungi the MIC was 6.25 mg/ml. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli MBC value was obtained at 50 mg/ml. Staphylococcus aureus have MBC value of 25 mg/ml and MFC value of 25 mg/ml was obtained for Rhizopus stolonifer and Candida albican.