Antibacterial activity of medicinal herb extracts against Salmonella.
The therapeutic potentials of twenty-two medicinal herb species traditionally used in Korea to treat gastrointestinal infections were evaluated for the treatment of salmonellosis. Candidates were primarily screened using the disk-agar method for antibacterial activity against three different Salmonella serotypes. Of the herbs tested, the aqueous and methanolic extracts of Schizandrae Fructus exhibited antibacterial activity against all three Salmonella. The extracts of this herb were further tested against 13 additional Salmonella strains of 6 different serotypes. All of these strains were also affected by these extracts, though the methanolic extract had slightly higher activity. The MIC values of this extract against the 16 Salmonella strains varied from 15.6 to 125 microg/ml. Nine of the 16 strains tested had MIC values of <31.3 microg/ml for the methanolic extract of Schizandrae Fructus. The in vivo antibacterial activity of Schizandrae Fructus extract was examined in a S. Typhimurium infection mouse model. Mice were initially infected with S. Typhimurium, and then administered with Schizandrae Fructus extract. The extract was found to have major effects on mortality and on the numbers of viable S. Typhimurium recovered from feces. Clinical signs and histological damages were rarely observed in the treated mice, whereas the untreated controls showed clinical signs, e.g., lethargy, and histological damage in the kidney, liver, intestine, and spleen. We conclude that Schizandrae Fructus has the potential to provide an effective treatment for salmonellosis.
Lee
Mi-Hyang
MH
College of Veterinary Medicine and Bio-Safety Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Chonju, 561-756, Republic of Korea.
Kwon
Hyun Ae
HA
Kwon
Dong-Yeul
DY
Park
Hyun
H
Sohn
Dong-Hwan
DH
Kim
Youn-Chul
YC
Eo
Seong-Kug
SK
Kang
Ho-Young
HY
Kim
Sam-Woong
SW
Lee
John Hwa
JH
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001681:Biological Assay; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D012475:Salmonella / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D012478:Salmonella Food Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts