ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Biotecnologica 2014 March;26(1):1-6

Copyright © 2014 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Plant extracts as a vital source to reduce waterborne bacterial infections

Ahmed T. ¹, Hassan M. ², Malik F. ² ✉

¹ Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Abbottabad, Pakistan; ² Drug Control and Traditional Medicine Division (DC&TMD), National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, Pakistan

Aim: With a view to reduce waterborne diseases and to disinfect water from pathogens by the use of medicinal plant extracts, antibacterial properties of Adhatoda vasica (20mg/ml), Lawsonia alba (15 mg/ml), Myrtus communis (20mg/ml) and Plantago lanceolata (24 mg/ml) against seven waterborne bacterial strains were investigated.
Methods: These waterborne bacterial strains were isolated and identified by API 20E method of identification. Lawsonia alba (15 mg/ml) showed the best results among the four tested plant extracts and was active against E. coli, Aeromonas hydrophila and Pseusomonas aerugonsa, Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens, and Cronobacter sakazakii. Adhatoda vasica (20 mg/ml). Myrtus communis (20 mg/ml), was active against Aeromonas hydrophila and Pseusomonas aerugonsa.
Results: Different aqueous concentrations of four plant extracts Adhatoda vasica (20 mg/ml), Lawsonia alba (15 mg/ml), Myrtus communis (20 mg/ml) and Plantago lanceolata (24 mg/ml) showed pH 5.97, 4.62, 5.27 and 5.62 respectively. All the tested four plant extracts showed activity against Pseusomonas aerugonsa. Lawsonia alba (15 mg/ml) showed the best results (10-20 mm zones of inhibition against all the tested strains except Klebsiella pneumonia) among the four tested plants.
Conclusion: Preliminary study show the use of Lawsonia alba and Adhatoda vasica against waterborne infectious diseases but there is a need to explore further for effective use of these plants against waterborne bacterial diseases.