Screening of crude extracts of selected Chinese herbs for anti-microbial activity

• Main Author: Lacson, Marie Eugenie M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1996
• Subjects: Extracts; Medicinal plants; Herbs > Therapeutic use; Plants; Useful; Microbial sensitivity tests
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/1598
• Institution: De La Salle University

Crude extracts from selected Chinese medicinal plants were screened for the presence of anti-bacterial properties using the modified Kirby Bauer Agar Disc Diffusion Method. The Chinese medicines tested were the following: Rheum palmatum, Arctium lappa, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Indigo pulverata, Forsythia suspensa, Euchresta japonica., Lonica japonica and Coptidis sp.. Extracts were prepared by boiling the plant in distilled water. The resultant decoction was used in screening antibacterial properties on the following isolates of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., and Proteus sp. Results showed that among the plant extracts tested, only 3 herbs namely, Coptidis sp., Lonica japonica and Forsythia suspensa exhibited inhibitory activity on some of the microorganisms. Extracts from Coptidis sp. inhibited the growth of the test microorganisms Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp.. Extracts from Lonica japonica, inhibited the growth of E. coli, and S. aureus. Forsythia suspensa on the other hand showed inhibitory activity against Proteus sp.