title: Screening of anti-bacterial activity of medicinal plants from Belize (Central America).
abstract: Twenty-one extracts from seven herbal drugs, Aristolochia trilobata (Aristolochiaceae) leaves and bark, Bursera simaruba (Burseraceae) bark, Guazuma ulmifolia (Sterculiaceae) bark, Hamelia patens (Rubiaceae) leaves and Syngonium podophyllum (Araceae) leaves and bark, used in traditional medicine of Belize (Central America) as deep and superficial wound healers, were evaluated for their anti-bacterial properties. Activity was tested against standard strains of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. Almost all the extracts were able to inhibit the growth of one or more of the bacterial strains, except that of Enterococcus faecalis. For the first time an anti-microbial activity is reported for Aristolochia trilobata as well as for Syngonium podophyllum. The hexane extracts of Aristolochia trilobata leaves and bark were the most active extracts against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC=0.31 and 0.625mg/ml, respectively).
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology and Antibiotic Therapy Unit, S. Maria degli Angeli General Hospital, Via Montereale 24, 33170, Pordenone, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camporese
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Balick
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arvigo
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morsellino
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Simone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tubaro
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D030022:Aristolochia / Q000737:chemistry*; D001531:Belize; D031233:Bursera / Q000737:chemistry*; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D032063:Hamelia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D019660:Malvaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts