In-vitro antilieshmanial and antibacterial potential of Pakistani traditional medical plants

Abstract

Background: The multi drug resistance to antibacterial drug has become an increasingly important and pressing global problem. Likewise, in the treatment of Lieshmania most of the drugs available are costly, require long treatment regimens, have toxicity issues and are becoming more and more ineffective, necessitating the discovery of new drugs. Plant based drugs represent a vast untapped source of medicines with enormous therapeutic source potential. The screening of plant extracts and plant products for antibacterial and antilieshmanial activity has shown that higher plants represent a potential source of novel antibiotic prototypes. Methods & Materials: A total of 10 different medicinal plant extract was in the current study based on their uasage in traditional medicinal practices in Pakistan. Four commonly available multidrug resistance bacteria were selected including two Gram + (Bacillus subtilus, Enterococcus aerogenes) and two gram- (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae). Agar well diffusion was used to check the bactericidal potentials. The maximum and minimum inhibition shown by each bacterium was calculated by measuring highest and lowest mean value zone of inhibition respectively. These inhibitions were presented against each plant by maximum inhibition followed by minimum along with their standard error value. Pre-established culture of Leishmania tropica were inoculated in M 199 medium and antilieshmanial activity was determined by using MTT cell viability assay. Amphotericin B was a used as a positive control. Results: All medicinal plants produced highly significant results against the Leishmania tropica which showed closed response to Amphotericin B (IC50 = 251 μg/mg) which was used as a standard drug. Geranium collinum (IC50 = 6.98 μg/mg) and Berberis lycium(IC50 = 8.46 μg/mg) were best among the all tested medicinal plants with higly significant results. In case of antibacterial potentials of test traditional medicinal plants against the common multidrug resistance bacteria, a variable pattern of zone of inhibition was achieved. These measurement were used for calculating minimal inhibitory concentration which was 2.5 mg/ml. Conclusion: The traditional medicinal plants tested in the current study displayed great potentials against the multi drug resistance bacterial and Lieshmania tropica strains used. These plants provides various prototype as a good alternative which would be safer, cost effective and least toxic