AKAPULKO

Researches on Akapulkos
Antifungal activity

Antifungal Activity of Aqueous and

Ethanolic Leaf Extracts of Cassia
alata Linn. by Timothy SY, Wazis CH,
Adati RG and Maspalma ID, 2012.

In vitro Antifungal Activity of Senna

alata Linn. by W.F. Sule,I.O. Okonko,T.A.
Joseph,M.O. Ojezele,J.C. Nwanze,J.A.
Alli,O.G. AdewaleandO.J. Ojezele, 2010.

 Antifungal

activity from leaf extracts of

Cassia alata L., Cassia fistula L. and Cassia
tora L. by Souwalak Phongpaichit, Nongyao
Pujenjob, Vatcharin Rukachaisirikul, and Metta
Ongsakul, 2004.

In

vitro Antimycotic Activity of Four

Medicinal Plants Versus Clotrimazole in the
treatment of Otomycosis: A Preliminary
Study by Joebert Villanueva, Marida Arend
Arugay and Rachel Zita Ramos, 2008.

Research on Akapulkos
Laxative activity
Randomized

Controlled Trial of
Cassia alata Linn for Constipation
by Thamlikitkul V,Bunyapraphatsara
N,Dechatiwongse T,Theerapong
S,Chantrakul C,Thanaveerasuwan
T,Nimitnon S,Boonroj P,Punkrut
W,Gingsungneon V, 1990.

Research on Akapulkos
Antimicrobial activity
Antibacterial

Activity of Leaf
Extract of Cassia alata Separated
by Soxhlet Extraction Method by B.
K. Nayak , V. Mukilarasi and Anima
Nanda, 2015.

Phytochemical study on
Akapulko:
Phytochemical

screening and
Antibacterial evaluation of the leaf
and root extracts of Cassia alata
Linn by El-Mahmood, A.M. and
Doughari, JH, 2008.

Evidences on the Approved

Uses/Indications of Akapulko

 In

a study of Sy et al., 2012 entitled, Antifungal

Activity of Aqueous and Ethanolic Leaf Extracts of
Cassia Alata Linn, akapulko has been found to
exhibit a great antifungal activity against some
human pathogenic fungi that had justified the
traditional use of this plant in managing fungal
diseases.

 The

extracts were used for evaluating antifungal

activity against five clinical isolates of pathogenic
fungi namely Candida albicans, Microsporum
canis, Trichophyton mentagrophyte, Penicillium
notatum and Aspergillus niger

The

extracts inhibited the growth of Candida

albicans, Microsporum canis and Trichophyton
mentagrophyte better than the ketoconazole 200
mg used as a positive control.

 The

minimum inhibitory concentration of the

water leaf extract of Cassia alata for Candida
albicans, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium notatum,
Microsporium canis and Trichophyton
mentagrophytes were 26.90 mg, 32.40 mg, 29.50
mg, 30.30 mg and 27.80 mg respectively

While

that of ethanol leaf extract of Cassia alata

for Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger,
Penicillium notatum, Microsporium canis and
Trichophyton mentagrophytes were 5.60 mg, 3.50
mg, 4.90 mg, 12.60 mg and 9.80 mg respectively.

 Another

study by Sule et al., 2010 entitled In

vitroAntifungal Activity ofSenna alataLinn.
Crude Leaf Extract, found that extracts
ofSenna alataL. leaf crude extract have high
potential as antimicrobial agent.

It

showed varying degrees of activities against all

the tested dermatophytes with better antifungal
activity againstMicrosporum canis,Trichophyton
verrucosum,Trichophyton
mentagrophytesandEpidermophyton jloccosum.

 The

phytochemical analysis revealed the

presence of important secondary metabolite
(alkaloids, saponins, tannins, steroid and
anthraquinones), thus indicating the therapeutic
potentials ofSenna alataL. leaf.

 In

a study by Villanueva et al., 2008 entitled In

vitro Antimycotic Activity of Four Medicinal Plants
Versus Clotrimazole in the treatment of
Otomycosis: A Preliminary Study, in which
Kalachuchi, Atsuete, Akapulko and Neem leaves
were compared with Clotrimazole, only kalachuchi
bark extract exhibited antifungal activity against
Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger using
methylethylketone as solvent when compared to
the standard clotrimazole.

 In

the study done by Phongpaichit et al

(2004), comparing the antifungal
activity of 3 species of Cassia,
dermatophytes such as T. rubrum, M.
gypseum and P. marneffei are
susceptible to all these Cassia species
and this finding confirm the traditional
therapeutic claims for these herbs to
treat ringworm and skin diseases.

Other uses of Akapulko being studied are its

potential laxative and antimicrobial effects.

A study done by Thamlikitkul et al., 1990,

entitled, Randomized controlled trial of
Cassia alata Linn for constipation, have
shown that the plant has been found to
contain anthraquinones, presumed to be the
active ingredient causing the laxative effect.

In this study differences observed between

placebo and Cassia alata Linn. were
statistically highly significant.

 In

regards with its antibiotic use a study

conducted by Nayak et al., 2015, entitled,
Antibacterial activity of leaf extract of Cassia
alata separated by soxhlet extraction method,
aimed to estimate the antibacterial activity of the
of leaf extract of Cassia alata produced by soxhlet
extraction method.

The

study showed that the plant extract

comparatively work better than the standard
drug, Amoxyclav in order to control the
pathogenic bacteria.

Phytochemical screening of the leaves and roots of

C. alata in the study of El- Mahmood et al in 2008
revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates,
tannins, saponins, phenols, flavonoids,
anthraquinones and cardiac glycosides.

These bioactive compounds found in the plant

inhibited the growth of S. aureus, S. typhi, E. coli, B.
subtilis, Shigella spp, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella
pneumoniae (El- Mahmood et al 2008).

Anthraquinone present in this plant was shown to

have antifungal property (Palanichamy and
Nagarajan, 1990)..

 According

to Ibrahim and Osman (1995)

chrysophanic acid and chrysophanol in the leaves
of C. alata were claimed to have antifungal
properties.

These

antifungal substances, according to

Phongpaichit et al (2004) have a mechanism that
could be related to the fluid leaks in the cell