In vitro antibacterial activities of some medicinal plants used to treat urinary tract infections

Abstract

Screening of ethnobotanical plants is a pre-requisite to evaluate their therapeutic potential, and it can lead to the isolation of new bioactive compounds. The crude extracts of four medicinal important plants (Vaccinium macrocarpon, Tribulus terrestris, Chichorium intybus and Fumaria indica) were tested against gram-negative (Shigella sonnei, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella) and gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) using the agar disc diffusion method. Our results demonstrate that the ethanol extract of V. macrocarpon displayed antimicrobial activity against S. aureus (+), B. subtilis (+), E. coli (-), P. aureginosa (-). T. terrestris was highly active against S. aureus (+), B. subtilis (+) and P. aeriginosa. C. intybus was highly active against P. aureginosa (-), B. subtilis (+). F. indica was highly active against B. subtilis (+). The ethanolic extract of V. macrocarpon, T. terrestris, C. intybus and F. indica are suitable candidates for the development of novel antibacterial compounds.

Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Vaccinium macrocarpon, Tribulus terrestris, Chichorium intybus, Fumaria indica.