Identification of Kaempferol from the Leaves of Diospyros kaki and its Antimicrobial Activity againstStreptococcus mutans

Abstract

This paper describes the isolation and identification of an antimicrobial compound againstStreptococcus mutansfrom the leaves ofDiospyros kaki. After repeated chromatography of the weakly acidic fraction of acetone extracts, an antimicrobial compound againstS.mutanswas isolated. The chemical structure of the active compound was elucidated by spectroscopic methods, and identified as kaempferol. Kaempferol is an aglycone of astragalin (kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside) which has been isolated from the leaves ofD.kaki. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of kaempferol againstStreptococcus mutans, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, andStaphylococcus aureuswere estimated.