TITLE:
Antimicrobial Activity of Five Yemeni Medicinal Plants against Selected Human Pathogenic Bacteria and Fungi
AUTHORS:
Nagi Al-Haj, Alariqi Reem, Hassan Al-Shamahy, Khaled Al-Moyed, Saleh S. Bahaj, Ammar Jaber
KEYWORDS:
Antimicrobial Activity, Plant Extract, Multidrug Resistant, Yemen
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.10 No.10,
October
8,
2019
ABSTRACT: Background: The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance, as well as the
evolution of new strains of disease causing agents, are of great concern to the
global health community. Nowadays, reports have indicated that many of healthcare-associated,
antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are not only multidrug resistant pathogens but also broadly
drug-resistant and pandrug-resistant bacteria. Objective: This study is focused on exploring the antimicrobial
properties of five different plants that are commonly being used as traditional medicines in Yemen against Gram positive, Gram negative bacteria and fungi. Methods: The antimicrobial potential of five different plant extracts was
screened against selected human pathogenic
bacteria and fungi. Methanolic extracts of Dodonaea viscose, Plantago lanceolata, Withania samnifera, Pulicaria crispa, and Rumex nervosus were
subjected to a test of their antimicrobial properties by Modified Agar
Diffusion and Minimum
Inhibitory Concentration. Results: The results indicated that all the five plants extract showed antibacterial
activity against a selected microorganism at a concentration of 60 mg/ml. The highest potential was observed in the extract of W. somnifera against S. taphyloccocus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus miarbilis and Candida albicans with zone of inhibition of 23 mm, 20.7 mm, 20 mm and 25.3 mm, respectively. R. nervosus also showed the highest MIC against test organisms. Only two medicinal plant Pulicaria crispa, and Rumex nervosus extracts
showed non antifungal activity. Conclusion: The experiment confirmed the efficacy of some
selected plant extracts as natural antimicrobial and can be potential sources for the synthesis of antibacterial drugs.