title: Antimicrobial activity of Drosophyllum lusitanicum, an endemic Mediterranean insectivorous plant.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Drosophyllum lusitanicum leaf extract against various yeasts and bacteria species, including both standard and clinically isolated strains. The extract exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against all the tested yeast strains with inhibition zones ranging 23.67-42.23 mm and with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging 31-63 microg L(-1). All the Gram-positive bacteria studied were inhibited by the extract, showing inhibition zones ranging 17.67-43.00 mm and MIC values comprising between 15.6 and 250 microg L(-1). In contrast, the growth of the tested Gram-negative bacteria was not significantly affected by the extract. Among the microorganisms tested, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228 was the most sensitive, presenting the lowest MIC value (15.6 microg L(-1)), while Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 was the most tolerant (250 microg L(-1)). The extract of D. lusitanicum was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and the major constituent found was plumbagin.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre for Molecular and Structural Biomedicine, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Célia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quintas
authors.forename: Maria N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.forename: José M F
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Anabela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romano
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D009285:Naphthoquinones; D010936:Plant Extracts; C014758:plumbagin