Antibacterial activities of Teucrium kotschyanum from Turkey

Teucrium is the important genus of the Lamiaceae family with 260 species known worldwide [1]. There are 34 species of Teucrium in Turkey, 16 of them are endemic [1]. Members of this genus are commonly known as 'hemorrhoid plant' due to treatment of hemorrhoid disease. They have been used as a folk medicine for treatment of various diseases for more than 2000 years, mainly as diuretic, digestive, analgesic and antispasmodic agent and they also possess antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, antihelmintic, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activity [2]. Teucrium species are rich sources of diterpenoids and also contain monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes, iridoids, flavonoids and essential oil [3].

In this study, the aerial parts and also root of Teucrium kotschyanum collected from Izmir (Odemiş) were extracted with different solvents such as petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, methanol and infusion of plant was also prepared. All extracts were studied against standard Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Candida albicans and also Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus, Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Methicillin-resistant coagulase negative Staphylococcus sp. Besides, the extracts were also tested against clinically isolated strain of Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter baumanii using microbroth dilution method. The extracts showed strong to moderate inhibitory effects. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were also ranged from 9.7 µg/mL to 5000 µg/mL for all the tested microorganisms. Among tested extracts, petroleum ether extract from the root of T. kotschyanum showed strongest activity against Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus with a MIC value of 9.7 µg/mL.

[1] Ozcan T, Dirmenci T, Coskun F, Akcicek E, Guner, O. Turk J Bot 2015;39:310 – 317.

[2] Baytop T. Therapy with Medicinal Plants in Turkey, Pastand Present, 2nd edition. Istanbul: Nobel Medical Publishing; 1999.

[3] Piozzi F, Bruno M, Rosselli S, Maggio A.Heterocycl 2005; 65: 1221 – 1234.