Abstract
Effectiveness of botanical treatments has been recognized by many, but scientific validation on the beneficial use of plants is scarce. Nopalea pads are probably native to Mexico or Central America and are used for human consumption and for medicinal purposes. In this study, in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of fresh and dried Nopalea cochenillifera (NC) were investigated. MICs of fresh NC hexanic, chloroformic and ethanolic fractions against C. albicans were 250, 250 and 3.9 mg mL-1 respectively; MICs of fresh NC against Salmonella enterica var. thyphimurium were 15.6, 62.5 and 3.9 mg mL-1 respectively; and MICs of fresh NC against Escherichia coli were 500, NA (no activity) and 3.9 mg mL-1 respectively. In addition, MICs of dried NC hexanic, chloroformic and ethanolic fractions against C. albicans were 31.2, 31.2 and 3.9 mg mL-1 respectively; MICs of dried NC against Salmonella enterica var. thyphimurium were 15.6, NA and 3.9 mg mL-1 respectively; and MICs of dried NC against Escherichia coli were NA, 62.5 μg mL-1 and NA respectively. The relevance of using fresh versus dried Nopalea cochenillifera pad extracts against in vitro microbial growth is discussed.
Highlights
Nopalea tender young pads, known as "nopalitos verdes", are probably native to Mexico or Central America
Antimicrobial activity of fresh N. cochenillifera hexanic fraction: As observed in Fig. 1, Nopalea hexanic fraction did not alter C. albicans or E. coli growth; any observed inhibitory effect was due to the vehicle
This fraction caused 30 to 37 percent Salmonella enterica var. thyphimurium growth inhibition at the concentrations tested, but only the activity at concentrations 15.6, 31.2 and 62.5 μg mL 1 (32.4, 29.6 and 29.8 percent growth inhibition respectively) were attributed to the effect of the fraction (P < 0.05) when comparing the effect of the hexanic fraction versus the vehicle control (Fig. 1); any other inhibitory effect was due to the vehicle
Summary
Known as "nopalitos verdes", are probably native to Mexico or Central America They are a good source of fruits (“tunas”) and vegetables (nopalitos verdes) for human consumption, as well as fodder for cattle and other animals during the dry seasons. In the United States, Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm-Dyck clone 1308 is produced in the States of California and Texas, with an annual production of 5,000 tons[6,7] This species is for the most part free of spines and spine-hairs[8,9]. Nopalea cochenillifera was shown to inhibit herpes simplex virus type 1 infection[18] Despite these biological properties, validation of any antibiotic potential against bacterial and fungal species has not been reported yet. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of the methanolic, hexanic and ethanolic fractions of Nopalea cochenillifera pads on in vitro antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica var. thyphimurium and Candida albicans
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
