Cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale Linn)

In India medicinal plants are used as therapeutic source for treating various diseases. Cashew (Anacardium occidentale Linn.) belongs to the family Anacardiaceae originates from South and Central America. The presence of secondary metabolites and complex structure compounds provide medicinal and therapeutic properties. The antioxidant compounds from plant extracts have been extensively developed for utilization in foods in industrial applications and in animal organisms. Agar well diffusion method was carried out to determine antibacterial activities of leaf bark nutshell and testa extracts in different solvents against E.coli Bacillus cereus Salmonella typhi Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia. Antifungal activities of leaf bark nutshell and testa extracts and in different solvents against Aspergillus niger Aspergillus flavus Aspergillus fumigatus Penicillium chrysogenum and Candida albicans using agar well diffusion method. The antioxidant activity of plant extracts were assessed by DPPH (11-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) method.