Antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants of the island Soqotra

J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Jan 4;96(1-2):177-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.09.006.

Abstract

Twenty-five selected plants belonging to 19 families were collected from different localities of the island Soqotra, dried and extracted with the solvents chloroform, methanol and hot water to yield 80 extracts. The extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activity against several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and against one yeast species using agar diffusion method. Antibacterial activity was demonstrated especially against Gram-positive bacteria including multiresistant Staphylococcus strains. The greatest activity was exhibited by the methanolic extracts of Boswellia elongata, Boswellia ameero, Buxus hildebrandtii, Commiphora parvifolia, Jatropha unicostata, Kalanchoe farinacea, Pulicaria stephanocarpa, Punica protopunica, Withania adunensis and Withania riebeckii. Only the methanolic extract of Buxus hildebrandtii displayed significant antifungal activity.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / isolation & purification
  • Antifungal Agents / chemistry*
  • Antifungal Agents / isolation & purification
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / drug effects
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Plants, Medicinal*
  • Yeasts / drug effects
  • Yemen

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antifungal Agents
  • Plant Extracts