In vitro antimicrobial activity of plants used in traditional medicine in Gurage and Silti Zones, south central Ethiopia.
BACKGROUND
To overcome the escalating problems associated with infectious diseases and drug resistance, discovery of new antimicrobials is crucial. The present study aimed to carry out in vitro antimicrobial analysis of 15 medicinal plant species selected according to their traditional medicinal uses in Gurage and Silti Zones, south central Ethiopia.


METHODS
Ethanol extracts of various plant parts were investigated for their antimicrobial activity against 20 bacterial and one yeast strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by broth microdilution method.


RESULTS
Asparagus africanus, Guizotia schimperi, Lippia adoensis var. adoensis and Premna schimperi were active against Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus at a concentration of 512 μg/ml or lower. Strong antibacterial activity (MIC≥128 μg/ml) was observed for G. schimperi extract against 17 resistant and sensitive Staphylococcus strains, at a concentration comparable to standard antibiotics. Moreover, this extract showed higher antibacterial activity for the test against S. aureus ATCC 33591, ATCC 33592, SA3 and SA5 strains (128-256 μg/ml) than oxacillin (512 μg/ml).


CONCLUSIONS
The study revealed in vitro antibacterial activity of plants used in folk medicine in south central Ethiopia. The usefulness of these plants, in particular of G. schimperi, should be confirmed through further phytochemical and toxicity analyses.
Laboratory for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture and Ethnobotany, Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Bio-Science Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links, 653-9000, Ghent, Belgium. AlemtshayTeka.Sahile@UGent.be.|Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 3434, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. AlemtshayTeka.Sahile@UGent.be.
Alemtshay
A
Teka
Department of Crop Sciences and Agroforestry, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 21, Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic. rondevaldova@ftz.czu.cz.
Johana
J
Rondevaldova
Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 3434, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. zasfaw49@yahoo.com.
Zemede
Z
Asfaw
Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 3434, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. sebseb.demissew@gmail.com.
Sebsebe
S
Demissew
Laboratory for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture and Ethnobotany, Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Bio-Science Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links, 653-9000, Ghent, Belgium. Patrick.VanDamme@UGent.be.|Department of Crop Sciences and Agroforestry, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 21, Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic. Patrick.VanDamme@UGent.be.
Patrick
P
Van Damme
Department of Crop Sciences and Agroforestry, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 21, Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic. kokoska@ftz.czu.cz.
Ladislav
L
Kokoska
Laboratory for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture and Ethnobotany, Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Bio-Science Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links, 653-9000, Ghent, Belgium. wouter.vanhove@ugent.be.
Wouter
W
Vanhove
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D027761:Asparagus Plant; D019659:Asteraceae; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D005002:Ethiopia; D019686:Lamiaceae; D032411:Lippia; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts