Methanolic fraction of Cassia fistula L. bark exhibits potential to combat oxidative stress and possess antiproliferative activity

Cassia fistula L. is well known for its traditional medicinal properties as an anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antifungal, antibacterial, antimutagenic, and wound healing agent. The aim of the present study was to determine antioxidant, genoprotective, and cytotoxic potential of different fractions of C. fistula bark including hexane (CaMH), chloroform (CaMC), ethyl acetate (CaME), and methanol (CaMM). Among all the fractions studied, CaMM exhibited maximal radical scavenging activity in antioxidant DPPH assay, Superoxide anion radical scavenging assay and nitric oxide radical scavenging assay displayed an IC₅₀ value of 18.95, 29.41, and 13.38 µg/ml, respectively. CaMM fraction possessed the highest phenolic (130.37 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight of extract) and flavonoid (36.96 mg rutin equivalent/g dry weight of fraction) content. Data demonstrated significant positive correlation between polyphenol levels and radical scavenging activity. Single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay) exhibited genoprotective potential of C. fistula bark fractions against DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in human lymphocytes. CaMM fraction displayed highest protective ability against H₂O₂ induced-toxicity as evidenced by significant decrease in % tail DNA content from 30 to 7% at highest concentration (200 µg/ml). CaMM was found to be rich in catechin, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and kaempferol. The phenolic content and antioxidant ability of the fractions was markedly negatively correlated with H₂O₂- induced DNA damage in human lymphocytes. Cytotoxic potential was evaluated against dermal epidermoid carcinoma (A431), pancreatic (MIA PaCa-2) and brain glioblastoma (LN-18) cancer cell lines using MTT assay. Results showed that C. fistula bark fractions possessed highest toxicity against the skin carcinoma cells. CaMM fraction reduced over 50% cell growth at the concentration of 76.72 µg/ml in A431 cells. These findings suggest that fractions of C. fistula bark exhibit potential to be considered as therapeutic agents in various carcinomas.

Antibacterial activity and subchronic toxicity of Cassia fistula L. barks in rats

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Extract and ethyl acetate fraction of Cassia fistula L. have potent antibacterial activity against resistant bacteria such as Salmonella typhosa.

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Extract and Ethyl acetate fraction of Cassia fistula L. barks revealed the most active in vivo antibacterial activity.

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At 1000 mg/kg dose of extract exposured for 90 days, histological damages were found either in liver or kidney, but after 30 days the abnormality fully were recovered.

Increasing incidence of antibiotic resistance necessitates the development of more potent antibiotics. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Cassia fistula L. barks as an alternative agent for resistant pathogenic bacteria. The C. fistula barks were extracted with ethanol, followed by partition of the extract to give n-hexane, ethyl acetate and water fractions. An in vitro antibacterial assay was conducted to evaluate inhibitory activity of the extract and fractions against Salmonella typhosa and Shigella dysenteriae. An in vivo antibacterial activity was examined using S. typhosa-infected mouse models, in which the colony number of S. typhosa were counted from the infected rats’ feces. Assesment on safety of the extract was conducted by a subchronic toxicity test which mainly examined alteration occured in biochemical parameters and hystopatological conditions of livers and kidneys. The results showed that the ethanol extract inhibited the growth of both S. typhosa and S. dysenteriae with the MIC of 0.3125% w/v, and the ethyl acetate fraction with the MIC of 0.625% b/v. In the in vivo antibacterial assay, the extract at three doses decreased the colony number of S. typhosa significantly, and after the fourth to sixth days, the precentage of decrease reached more than 90% by 1000 mg/kg dose. The subchronic toxicity test revealed that after the extract exposured for 90 days, a dose of 1000 mg/kg induced liver and kidney damages histologically, however, it returned to normal condition after 30 days of recovery. The results of this study indicated that the extract of C. fistula L. barks had potent in vivo antibacterial activity against S. typhosa as sample of resistant bacteria, and is safe to be used as a herbal medicine, preferably at a dose lower than 1000 mg/kg.

Topical application of Cassia fistula L. fruit gel in management of cutaneous lesions of pemphigus vulgaris: A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

Cassia fistula L. fruit extract has been traditionally used in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) lesions in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of C. fistula fruit gel on healing time of PV lesions in a clinical setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial that was performed in dermatology ward at Saadi hospital, affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Right- or left- sided lesions of PV patients on standard systemic treatment were randomized for treatment with either C. fistula fruit gel or placebo prescribed twice daily. The largest diameter of each lesion was measured at the baseline (day 0) and on days 10 and 20. Epithelialization Index (EI), as outcome measure was calculated and compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The present study comprised 20 patients, with overall 82 cutaneous lesions including 41 lesions in the C. fistula fruit gel group and 41 lesions in the placebo group. The EI in the C. fistula fruit gel group was significantly higher than that of the placebo group both on day 10 (65±28vs 30±34; p=0.001) and at the end of the study (91±22 vs 69±49; p=0.003).

CONCLUSION

Topical application of C. fistula fruit gel can be considered as an effective adjuvant therapy in treatment of PV.

Bioactive Amento flavone isolated from Cassia fistula L. leaves exhibits therapeutic efficacy

Novel natural compounds endowed with sound bioactivities are currently the utmost need as leads toward drug discovery. For the first time, here, we report the presence of Amentoflavone (biflavonoid) in the leaves of Cassia fistula L. Structural characterization was carried out using ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and thin-layer chromatography. The isolated compound was further evaluated for its bioactivity. The compound demonstrated moderate cytotoxicity in liver carcinoma (HepG2) cells, and the comparative analysis for the standard and normal compound has also been validated. Antioxidant potential was assessed by DPPH assay. Furthermore, efficacy of the compound in the aforesaid assays asserts its bioactivity and subsequently its importance as a potent therapeutic. Our study strongly suggests that Amentoflavone present in the leaf extracts of C. fistula L. definitely holds promise in the pharmaceutical industry.