title: Screening of some plants used in the Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases.
abstract: Extracts of 13 Brazilian medicinal plants were screened for their antimicrobial activity against bacteria and yeasts. Of these, 10 plant extracts showed varied levels of antibacterial activity. Piper regnellii presented a good activity against Staphylococus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, a moderate activity on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and a weak activity against Escherichia coli. Punica granatum showed good activity on S. aureus and was inactive against the other standard strains. Eugenia uniflora presented moderate activity on both S. aureus and E. coli. Psidium guajava,Tanacetum vulgare, Arctium lappa, Mikania glomerata, Sambucus canadensis, Plantago major and Erythrina speciosa presented some degree of antibacterial activity. Spilanthes acmella, Lippia alba, and Achillea millefolium were considered inactive. Five of the plant extracts presented compounds with Rf values similar to the antibacterial compounds visible on bioautogram. Of these, three plants belong to the Asteraceae family. This may mean that the same compounds are responsible for the antibacterial activity in these plants. Anticandidal activity was detected in nine plant extracts (P. guajava, E. uniflora, P. granatum, A. lappa, T. vulgare, M. glomerata, L. alba, P. regnellii, and P. major). The results might explain the ethnobotanical use of the studied species for the treatment of various infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fabíola Barbiéri
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Holetz
authors.forename: Greisiele Lorena
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Pessini
authors.forename: Neviton Rogério
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Sanches
authors.forename: Diógenes Aparício Garcia
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cortez
authors.forename: Celso Vataru
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Benedito Prado Dias
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Filho
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001938:Brazil; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts