title: Evaluation of the flora of northern Mexico for in vitro antimicrobial and antituberculosis activity.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential antimicrobial activity of 14 plants used in northeast México for the treatment of respiratory diseases, against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae type b and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Forty-eight organic and aqueous extracts were tested against these bacterial strains using a broth microdilution test. No aqueous extracts showed antimicrobial activity, whereas most of the organic extracts presented antimicrobial activity against at least one of the drug-resistant microorganisms tested. Methanol-based extracts from the roots and leaves of Leucophyllum frutescens and ethyl ether extract from the roots of Chrysanctinia mexicana showed the greatest antimicrobial activity against the drug-resistant strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis; the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) were 62.5, 125 and 62.5 microg/mL, respectively; methanol-based extract from the leaves of Cordia boissieri showed the best antimicrobial activity against the drug-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 250 microg/mL); the hexane-based extract from the fruits of Schinus molle showed considerable antimicrobial activity against the drug-resistant strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae (MIC 62.5 microg/mL). This study supports that selecting plants by ethnobotanical criteria enhances the possibility of finding species with activity against resistant microorganisms.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Química Analítica, Facultad de Medicina, U.A.N.L. P.O. Box 2316, Sucursal Tecnológico, 64841 Monterrey, N.L., México.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Molina-Salinas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pérez-López
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Becerril-Montes
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salazar-Aranda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Said-Fernández
authors.forename: N Waksman
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: de Torres
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008800:Mexico; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts