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Urinary tract infection is one of the commonest encountered infections and there has been increase
in the incidence of resistant organisms causing urinary tract infection (uropathogens), thereby,
challenging the treatment of patients. This has lead to search for newer therapeutic modalities
including extracts obtained from medicinal plants. In this study, alcoholic leaf extract of medicinal
plant Cassia sophera was analyzed for antibacterial potential against various uropathogenic
bacteria by agar well diffusion method. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the alcoholic
extract were determined by broth microdilution method. The alcoholic leaf extract of C. sophera
effectively controlled the growth of most of the tested uropathogens. It showed maximum activity
against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with moderate
activity against Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Proteus mirabilis and Citrobacter freundii. MIC
values of the extract against tested uropathogens ranged from 3.05 to 49.0 μg/ml. The present study
shows that extracts of Cassia sophera contain good antibacterial activity, and hence, in future it
could be used to obtain novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment of patients suffering with
urinary tract infections, especially by organisms resistant to currently available drugs. This is the
first report of antibacterial activity of Cassia sophera extract against uropathogenic bacteria.
Keywords: Cassia sophera, antibacterial activity, uropathogens, agar well diffusion, MIC.