Abstract
Antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of fifty one extracts of different parts of 14 plants were studied. Ethanol, methanol, aqueous, butanol, and n-hexane extracts were tested against three Gram negative, two Gram positive bacteria, and two fungi. Cytotoxicity and phytochemical screening were determined using MTT and TLC assays, respectively. Of the fifty one extracts, twenty two showed activities against different microorganisms with MICs ranging from 62.5 to 1000 µg/mL. The highest activity (100% inhibition) was for a butanol extract of Rosa damascena receptacles against Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus cereus (MIC of 62.5 and 250 µg/mL) respectively. Butanol extract of Narcissus tazetta aerial parts and aqueous extract of Rosa damascena receptacles were both active against Candida albicans (MIC of 125 µg/mL). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited by butanol, aqueous extracts of Rosa damascena receptacles and butanol extract of Inula viscosa flowers (MIC of 500, 500, and 250 µg/mL) respectively. Rosa damascena receptacles and Verbascum sinaiticum flowers ethanol extract showed lowest cytoxicity against Vero cell line (IC50 of 454.11and 367.11). Most toxic was the ethanol extract of Ononis hirta aerial parts (IC50 72.50 µg/mL). Flavonoids and terpenoids were present in all plants. Ononis hirta and Narcissus tazetta contained alkaloids. The results validate the use of these plants and report for the first time bioactivity of Rosa damascena receptacles and further justifies the use of such screening programs in the quest for new drugs.
Highlights
The discovery of antibiotics has decreased the spread and severity of a wide variety of diseases.and as a result of their uncontrolled use, the efficiency of many antibiotics is being threatened by the emergence of microbial resistance to existing chemotherapeutic agents [1]
Jordanian plants have received more attention in the last few years since they are widely used in traditional medicine [14] and are characterized by high diversity and endemism [13]
All tested plants in this study are traditionally used as medicinal plants in different localities of Jordan
Summary
The discovery of antibiotics has decreased the spread and severity of a wide variety of diseases.and as a result of their uncontrolled use, the efficiency of many antibiotics is being threatened by the emergence of microbial resistance to existing chemotherapeutic agents [1]. Bacteria and fungi are evolving numerous mechanisms to evade antimicrobial agents and the resistance to old and new antibiotics is rising in medical practice [2] Not to mention the fact that the use of some antibiotics is associated with side effects, including allergy, immune- suppression, and hypersensitivity [5] For all these reasons, there is a pressing need to identify new and novel antimicrobial agents that would help in alleviating the problems of emerging resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens. Plants are rich sources of many bioactive secondary metabolites that have the potential to treat different afflictions Examples of these compounds include flavonoids, phenols, phenolic glycosides, unsaturated lactones, sulphur compounds, saponins, cyanogenic glycosides and glucosinolates [8]
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