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872P Antimicrobial Activity of Some Medicinal Plants Against Some Gram
872P Antimicrobial Activity of Some Medicinal Plants Against Some Gram
By
Sanaa O. Yagoub 1; Shami El Haj Al Safi 1 ; Braaha Ahmed 1 and Asha Z. El Magbol 2
Abstract
The petroleum ether , methanol and aqueous extracts of the seeds of Helianthus
annuus (Asteraceae) , leaves of Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae), bulbs of Allium cepa
(liliaceae) and that of the seeds of Portulaca oleracea (Portulacaceae) were screened for
their anti-microbial activity using the Cup plate agar diffusion method . They were tested
against six bacteria; two Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus
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aureus) and four Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas
aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi) and against two fungi (Aspergillus niger and Candida
albicans).
Introduction
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et al., 2000). Also, it contains alkaloids, cyanogenic glycosides, saponins, cardiac
glycosides, tannins, fixed oils and simple phenolic (Alghazali et al.,1998) . It also
contains polysaccharides complex and rarely tocopherol or vitamin E- anti oxidant
(Dorrell, 1981) and (Elshami and Zen El-din 1991).
The Seeds are used medicinally as diuretic, expectorant and are used for cough,
throat and lung ailments. It is also used as antiseptic, aphrodisiac, deobstruent, emollient
and as anti-malaria. It is a folk remedy for blindness, bronchitis, carbuncles, catarrh,
colic, diarrhea, dysentery, dysuria, eyes, fever, inflammation, laryngitis, menorrhagia,
pleuritis, rheumatism, scorpion stings, snakebite, splenitis, urogenital ailments, whitlow
and wounds (Duki and Wain,1981). It is also used as anticancer (Hartwell., 1971).
Allium cepa L.Family name: Liliaceae ,Vernacular name: Basal. The onion is
Distributed World wide. The onion bulbs contains numerous organic sulfur compounds,
including trans-S-(1- propenyl) cysteine sulfoxide, S–methyl–cysteine sulfoxide, S–
propylcysteine sulfoxide and cycloalliin; flavonoids; phenolic acids; sterols including
cholesterol, stigma sterol, b-sitosterol; saponins; sugars and a trace of volatile oil
composed mainly of sulfur compounds, including dipropyl disulfide (Kapoor, 1990;
Leung and Foster, 1996). A fresh onion bulb contains fructans with a low degree of
polymerization, and sulfur-containing compounds (Bruneton, 1995).
Onion was used for decrease cancer tumor initiated, promote healing of stomach
ulcers, inhibit the proliferation of cultured ovarian, breast and colon cancer cells; reduce
the cholesterol, blood pressure and symptoms associated with diabetes mellitus, inhibit
platelets aggregation (involved in thrombosis) and prevent inflammatory processes
associated with asthma (Dorsch and Wanger, 1991; Augusit, 1996). Onion was used as
antiseptic, antiheleminthic, antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, cholagogge, diaphoretic
and expectorant. It was used also for coughs, the flu, parasites, wound, burns, dog bites,
bee stings, earaches, athletes' foot, warts, baldness, toothaches, intestinal infections,
kidney infections, contaminated blood and heart failure. Raw onion can completely
sterilize your mouth and throat (Mehrabian et al., 2005).
Portulaca oleracea Family name: Portulacaceae Vernacular name: (Rigla) Distributed
World wide. Portulaca oleracea contains many biologically active compounds and is a
source of many nutrients. Some of the biologically active include free oxalic acids, alkaloids,
Omega-3 fatty acids, coumarins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides and anthraquinone
glycosides. It has high contents of Omega-3 fatty acids and proteins. Some of the compounds
in Portulaca oleracea are alanine, caffeic acid, calcium oxalate, catechol, beta-cyanine,
digalactosyldiacyl glycerol, docosahexaenoic acid, dope, eicosapentaenoic acid, HCN,
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histidine, L-noradrenalin, linoleic acid, alpha-linoleic acid, lysine, menthionine, saponins, nor
epinephrine, oleic acid, oxalates, phytin-p, sinapic acid, tannin, beta-sitosterol, valine,
threonine, tryptophan and vitamins A & C (Ezekwe et al., 1999).Portulaca oleracea was
used as antidiarrhoeal, antihelminthic, antiphlogistic and bactericide in bacillary dysentery,
hemorrhoids, enterorrhagia, antidiabetic, externally used as cataplasm of fresh leaves for
maturing of abscesses, seeds used as calmative and Salk thirst, diuretic, refreshing agent,
antiscrbutic, emollient and vermifuge (Boulos,1983).It was used as wound healing and as
anti-inflammatory (Leung and Foster, 1996).
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The average number of viable ,Bacillus subtilis (NCTC 8236), Escherichia coli
(ATCC 25922), Proteus vulgaris (ATCC 6380), Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( ATCC
27853), Salmonella typhi (ATCC 0650), Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 25953 organisms
per ml of the stock suspensions was determined by means of the surface viable counting
technique (Miles and Misra, 1938). About (108-109) colony-forming units per ml was
used. Each time, a fresh stock suspension was prepared; the experimental conditions were
maintained constant so that suspensions with very close viable counts would be obtained.
The petroleum ether and aqueous extract of seeds of Helianthus annuus , bulbs of
Allium cepa, Portulaca oleracea and leaves of Cassia senna were found to be inactive
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against all organisms tested. The methanol extract showed different antimicrobial activity
toward test organisms. The methanol extract of seeds of Helianthus annuus showed low
activity (14mm) against Bacillus subtilis, high activity (23mm) against Proteus vulgaris
and inactive against the rest of tested organisms. All extracts of Helianthus annuus were
inactive against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. The methanol extract of bulbs
of Allium cepa exhibited high activity against Bacillus subtilis (23mm), Proteus vulgaris
(20mm) , Pseudomonas aeruginosa (23mm) and inactive against Staphylococcus aureus,
Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans .
The methanol extract of the leaves of Azadirachta indica exhibited pronounced activity
(28mm) against Bacillus subtilis, high activity (18mm) against the Gram-positive
Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative organisms Proteus vulgaris, (20mm)
against Salmonella typhi , low activity (14mm) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
inactive against Escherichia coli . All extracts were inactive against Aspergillus niger.
Both petroleum ether and methanol extracts o f the leaves of Azadirachta indica showed
high activity (15-18mm) against Candida albicans, while its aqueous extract was
inactive. The methanol extract of Portulaca oleracea showed high activity against both
Gram-positive organisms, Bacillus subtilis (20mm) , Staphylococcus aureus (15mm) and
against one Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18mm) , low activity
against Candida albicans (14mm) and inactive against Escherichia coli , Proteus
vulgaris , Salmonella typhi and Aspergillus niger
The seeds methanol extract of Helianthus annuus was found to be as effective as
100µg/ml Gentamicin against Proteus vulgaris. The leaves methanol extract of
Azadirachta indica was found as effective as 100µg/ml Gentamicin against Bacillus
subtilis and 20µg/ml Tetracycline against both Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus
vulgaris and 10µg/ml Gentamycin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The bulbs methanol
extract of Allium cepa at 100mg/ml concentration was found to be effective similar to that
of 20µg/ml Tetracycline against Bacillus subtilis, 40µg/ml Gentamicin against Proteus
vulgaris and 100µg/ml Gentamicin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The methanol extract
of seeds of Portulaca oleracea at 100mg/ml concentration was effective as 20µg/ml ,
10µg/ml Gentamicin and 10µg/ml Tetracycline against Bacillus subtilis , 10µg/ml
Gentamicin against Staphylococcus aureus and 20µg/ml Gentamicin against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
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Table (1): Preliminary screening for antimicrobial activity of different plants against
standard organisms:
Micro Mean Diameter Inhibition Zone(mm)
organisms Helianthus anuusns Azadirachta indica Allum cepa Portulac
P. Methanol Water P. Methanol Water P. Methanol Water P. Met
ether ether ether ether
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Table (2): Screening of antibacterial activity of Gentamicin and Tetracycline against
standard organisms:
Conc. MDIZ(mm)
Drug
µg/ml B.s S.a E.coli Pr.v Ps.a Sa.t
100 30 20 25 22 25 -
40 30 18 24 20 20 -
Gentamicin
20 20 17 23 17 15 -
10 20 14 20 15 14 -
100 27 31 24 - - -
40 25 30 25 - - -
Tetracycline
20 24 26 23 - - -
10 20 22 20 - - -
50 17 28
Nystatin 25 14 26
12.5 - 23
Discussion
The methanolic extract of bulbs of Allium cepa showed pronounced activity (23mm)
against Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, high activity (20mm) against
Proteus vulgaris, while inactive against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and
Salmonella typhi. The onion bulbs contains numerous organic sulfur compounds,
including trans-S-(1- propenyl) cysteine sulfoxide, S–methyl–cysteine sulfoxide, S–
propylcysteine sulfoxide and cycloalliin; flavonoids; phenolic acids; sterols including
cholesterol, stigma sterol, b-sitosterol; saponins; sugars and a trace of volatile oil
composed mainly of sulfur compounds. The presence of these compounds may explain
the antimicrobial activity of these plants. These results were different from that produced
by Merih and Buket, 1997; who reported that the onion inhibited the growth of
Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli. Although our three extracts did not show any
activity against Staphylococcus aureus; the study done by Merih and Buket, 1997;
Elnima et al., 1983 and Noureddine et al., 2005 showed some sensitivity.
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Extracts of both bulbs of Allium cepa and Portulaca oleracea were inactive against
both Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. Noureddine et al., 2005 showed that
Aspergillus niger was significantly inhibited at high concentration of these two plants
extracts. Kabelik, 1970 found that Allium cepa was found to be active against Candida
albicans, although our extract showed same degree of antibacterial activity, but not
antifungal activity. Merih and Buket, 1997; Hughes and Lawson, 1991 and Augusit,
1996 reported that onion extracts have both antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Methanol extract of Portulaca oleracea showed high activity against both Gram-positive
organisms Bacillus subtilis (20mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (15mm) and only active
against one Gram-negative bacteria namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18mm) These
might refer to the presence of coumarins, flavonoids and saponins as chemical
components of these plant . Shahidi et al., 2005, determined similar results and found
that the methanol extract of Portulaca oleracea seeds (20mg/ml) was active against
Staphylococcus aureus, Bordetella bronchiseptica and Bacillus cereus.
All extracts of the seeds of Portulaca oleracea were inactive against Aspergillus
niger. The methanol extract of Portulaca oleracea exhibited low activity against Candida
albicans. Bongoh et al., 2000 showed that the extract of Portulaca oleracea showed
antifungal properties against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans.
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