Planta Med 2007; 73 - P_134
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-986915

Antimicrobial activity of some Yemeni medicinal plants

M Taleb 1, B Svobodova 1, I Langrova 2, L Kokoska 1
  • 1Department of Crop Science and Agroforestry, Institute of Tropics and Subtropics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
  • 2Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic

Herbal medicine represents one of the most important fields of traditional medicine in Yemen especially in rural areas. Despite this rich tradition in use of medicinal plants e.g. for the treatment of various infectious diseases, there are still only few reports on antimicrobial activity of Yemeni species [1,2,3]. Therefore, it is of great interest to carry out an antimicrobial screening of these plants in order to validate their ethnopharmacological use and to reveal their active constituents.

The ethanol extracts obtained by maceration of different plant parts from Catha edulis Forssk., Dracaena cinnabari Balf.f, Lawsonia inermis L., Mallotus philippinensis Müll.Arg., Nepeta densiflora Kar. & Kir, Salvadora persica L., and Ziziphus spina-christi Willd. were evaluated for potential antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, Bacteroides fragilis, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, and Streptococcus pyogenes using the broth microdilution method [4].

The results showed that all extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity against at least one of the microorganisms tested at concentrations of 8mg/ml or below. The extract from M. philippinensis showed the strongest activity inhibiting all microbial strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.125 to 0.250mg/ml. The extracts from C. edulis and L. inermis were significantly more active against Gram-positive (MICs ranging from 0.125 to 2mg/ml) than against Gram-negative bacteria (MICs ≥4mg/ml).

Acknowledgements: This research was supported by projects research project MSM 6046070901.

References: [1] Ali, N.A.A. et al. (2001) J Ethnopharmacol 74: 173–179. [2] Mothana, R.A.A., Lindequist, U. (2005) J Ethnopharmacol 96: 177–181. [3] Al-Fatimi, M. et al. (2006) Planta Med. 72: 1063–1063. [4] Jorgensen, J.H. et al. (1999). In: Murray P.R. (ed.) Manual of Clinical Microbiology. ASM Press. Washington, DC.