Antibacterial activity of Brazilian Amazon plant extracts.
Infections caused by multiresistant bacteria are a widespread problem, especially in intensive care units. New antibiotics are necessary, and we need to search for alternatives, including natural products. Brazil is one of the hottest spots in the world in terms of biodiversity, but little is known about the chemical and pharmacological properties of most of the plants found in the Amazon rain forest and the Atlantic Forest. We screened 1,220 organic and aqueous extracts, obtained from Amazon and Atlantic rain forest plants, against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli. Seventeen organic and aqueous extracts obtained from 16 plants showed activity against both Gram-positive bacteria. None of the extracts showed relevant activity against the Gram-negative E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Suffredini
Ivana Barbosa
IB
Laboratório de Extração, Universidade Paulista, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. extractlab@unip.br
Paciencia
Mateus Luís Barradas
ML
Varella
Antonio Drauzio
AD
Younes
Riad Naim
RN
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001938:Brazil; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts