title: Alkanna tinctoria leaves extracts: a prospective remedy against multidrug resistant human pathogenic bacteria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Plants are rich source of chemical compounds that are used to accomplish biological activity. Indigenously crude extracts of plants are widely used as herbal medicine for the treatment of infections by people of different ethnic groups. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the biological potential of Alkanna tinctoria leaves extract from district Charsadda, Pakistan against multidrug resistant human pathogenic bacteria including Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anti-multi-drug resistant bacterial activity of aqueous, chloroform, ethanol and hexane extracts of Alkanna tinctoria leaves were evaluated by well diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of different extracts were determined. Moreover qualitative phytochemicals screening of the studied extracts was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All four selected bacteria including A. baumannii, E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were categorized as multi-drug resistant (MDR) as they were found to be resistant to 13, 10, 19 and 22 antibiotics belonging to different groups respectively. All the four extract showed potential activity against S. aureus as compare to positive control antibiotic (Imipenem). Similarly among the four extracts of Alkanna tinctoria leaves, aqueous extract showed best activity against A. baumannii (10±03 mm), P. aeruginosa (12±0.5 mm), and S. aureus (14±0.5 mm) as compare to Imipenem. The MICs and MBCs results also showed quantitative concentration of plant extracts to inhibit or kill MDR bacteria. When phytochemicals analysis was performed it was observed that aqueous and ethanol extracts showed phytochemicals with large number as well as volume, especially Alkaloides, Flavonoides and Charbohydrates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The undertaken study demonstrated that all the four extracts of Alkanna tinctoria leaves exhibited considerable antibacterial activity against MDR isolates. Finding from the current study will be helpful for further elucidation of lead molecules from Alkanna tinctoria leaves for future therapeutic use against MDR pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan. usman.microbiologist@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Usman Ali
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan. hazirrahman@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Hazir
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan. qasim89@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qasim
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan. anwarhpu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Anwar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan. azizswabi@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Azizullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azizllah
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan. whdicp@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Waheed
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Murad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. zakirkhan300@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Zakir
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan. muhamadanees@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anees
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan. ghurzang@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adnan
mesh_terms: D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000187:drug effects; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D028082:Boraginaceae; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple / Q000187:drug effects*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010154:Pakistan; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts