Anti-Bacillus Activity Of Some Plants Used In Traditional Medicine Of Iran

Abstract

Based on collected information about traditional use of plants, anti-bacillus activity of methanol extracts of 180 plant species belonging to 72 families were investigated by in vitro bioassays using agar diffusion-method against standard strains of Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus and B. pumilis at 20 mg/ml. Seventy eight species (43.3%) belonging to 42 families (58.3%) showed antibacillus activities. The activity was highest against B. cereus, followed by B. subtilis, and B. pumilis respectively. Apiaceae (9), Compositae (8) and Labiatae (7) had the highest number of active plant species respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the extracts were determined using two fold serial dilutions. The plants most active against all test Bacilli were Myrtus communis L, Dianthus caryophyllus, Trachyspermum copticum Link, Cinnamomum zeylanicum BL, Rheum ribes L, Ephedra intermedia Schrenk. ex C.A.Mey, Terminalia chebula (Gaertner) Retz, Rhus coriaria L and Zingiber officinale Roscoe.

Key words: Antibacterial activity, Iranian Medicinal Plants, Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus, B. pumilis

Nig. J. Nat. Prod. and Med. Vol.8 2004: 34-39