Anti-bacterial activity of some Brazilian medicinal plants.
Extracts from various organs of 25 plants of Brazilian traditional medicine were assayed with respect to their anti-bacterial activities against Escherichia coli, a susceptible strain of Staphylococcus aureus and two resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus harbouring the efflux pumps NorA and MsrA. Amongst the 49 extracts studied, 14 presented anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, including the ethanolic extracts from the rhizome of Jatropha elliptica, from the stem barks of Schinus terebinthifolius and Erythrina mulungu, from the stems and leaves of Caesalpinia pyramidalis and Serjania lethalis, and from the stem bark and leaves of Lafoensia pacari. The classes of compounds present in the active extracts were determined as a preliminary step towards their bioactivity-guided separation. No extracts were active against Escherichia coli.
de Lima
Maria Raquel Ferreira
MR
Departamento de Química-CCEN, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Cidade Universitária 57.072-970, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil.
de Souza Luna
Josiane
J
dos Santos
Aldenir Feitosa
AF
de Andrade
Maria Cristina Caño
MC
Sant'Ana
Antônio Euzébio Goulart
AE
Genet
Jean-Pierre
JP
Marquez
Béatrice
B
Neuville
Luc
L
Moreau
Nicole
N
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents