Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of Brassica juncea leaves against different strains of bacteria

A large number of plants possess medicinal properties due to which they are used as therapeutic agents or an active ingredient of a medicinal preparation. A sizeable fraction of the population throughout the world depends on traditional practices to fight against various infections and diseases and nearly all of it involves the use of plant extracts gathered from a vast diversity of plants which may include Herbs, Shrubs, Trees, Climbers or Creepers. In the present work, we have attempted to study different characteristics of Brassica juncea leaves in different solvents including ethanol, methanol and distilled water, to understand its antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Brassica juncea comes under the family Cruciferae and genus Brassica, is an important Rabi season oilseed crop. Various tests were carried out to estimate phytochemicals like tannins, flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, amino acids, steroids, anthroquinones, and saponins. Methanol extract of plant leaves were came out to be abundant in phenols and flavonoids. The antioxidant activity of B. juncea was determined by DPPH scavenging activity and it is revealed that methanol extract of this plant leaves possess maximum antioxidant activity. Antibacterial potential of plant leaves extracts were determined in vitro by the help of agar well diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia and Escherichia coli. Results were also compared with control (Piperacillin/Tazobactam). All the extracts of B. juncea leaves showed appreciable antibacterial activity.