Antibacterial activity of Helleborus bocconei Ten. subsp. siculus root extracts.
OBJECTIVE
Roots of Helleborus bocconei Ten. subsp. siculus (Schiffner) Merxm. & Podl. are widely used in veterinary folk medicine in Sicily (Italy) to diagnose and cure lower respiratory tract infections in cattle. This study intended to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of the methanolic root extract of Helleborus bocconei Ten. subsp. siculus, and of the bufadienolide and ecdysteroid fractions extracted from its roots, against strains belonging to species commonly associated with respiratory tract infections.


METHODS
The phytochemical screening of the previously prepared plant extracts was carried out by chemical, thin-layer chromatography and spectroscopic methods. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the extracts against seven different standard bacterial strains was evaluated by broth microdilution.


RESULTS
According to the present study, Helleborus bocconei Ten. subsp. siculus roots contain bufadienolides and ecdysteroids, and the extracts containing these compounds, as well as the crude methanolic root extract, show antibacterial activity against microorganisms responsible for respiratory infections. In particular, the bufadienolide extract has the highest inhibitory activity against all the tested organisms, and, as the other extracts, shows the lowest MIC values (100mug/ml) against Moraxella catarrhalis and Streptococcus pneumoniae.


CONCLUSIONS
Since the roots of Helleborus bocconei Ten. subsp. siculus contain substances with antibacterial activity, the traditional use of this plant may also derive from its antibacterial properties.
Puglisi
S
S
Department of Microbiological and Gynaecological Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, I-95124 Catania, Italy. salvopuglisi73@yahoo.it
Speciale
A
A
Acquaviva
R
R
Ferlito
G
G
Ragusa
S
S
De Pasquale
R
R
Iauk
L
L
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D039322:Helleborus / Q000737:chemistry*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts