Biofilm inhibition activity of traditional medicinal plants from Northwestern Argentina against native pathogen and environmental microorganisms

ROMERO CINTIA MARIANA; VIVAQUA CRISTIAN GERMAN; ABDULHAMID MARIA BELEN; BAIGORI MARIO D; SLANIS ALBERTO; GAUDIOSO DE ALLORI CRISTINA; TERESCHUK, MARÍA LAURA

REVISTA DA SOCIEDADE BRASILEIRA DE MEDICINA TROPICAL

SOC BRASILEIRA MEDICINA TROPICAL

Lugar: BRASIL; Año: 2016 vol. 49

0037-8682

Introduction: Plants have been commonly used in popular medicine of most cultures for the treatment of disease. The in vitroantimicrobial activity of certain Argentine plants used in traditional medicine has been reported. The aim of this study was toinvestigate the antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, and anti-cell adherence activities of native plants (Larrea divaricata, Tagetes minuta,Tessaria absinthioides, Lycium chilense, and Schinus fasciculatus) collected in northwestern Argentina. Methods: The activitiesof the five plant species were evaluated in Bacillus strains and clinical strains of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolated fromnorthwestern Argentina and identified by 16S rDNA. Result: Lycium chilense and Schinus fasciculatus were the most effectiveantimicrobial plant extracts (15.62µg/ml and 62.50µg/ml for Staphylococcus sp. Mcr1 and Bacillus sp. Mcn4, respectively).The highest (66%) anti-biofilm activity against Bacillus sp. Mcn4 was observed with T. absinthioides and L. divaricate extracts.The highest (68%) anti-biofilm activity against Staphylococcus sp. Mcr1 was observed with L. chilense extract. T. minuta, T.absinthioides, and L. divaricata showed percentages of anti-biofilm activity of between 55% and 62%. The anti-adherence effectsof T. minuta and L. chilense observed in Bacillus sp. Mcn4 reflected a difference of only 22% and 10%, respectively, betweenanti-adherence and biofilm inhibition. Thus, the inhibition of biofilm could be related to cell adherence. In Staphylococcus sp.Mcr1, all plant extracts produced low anti-adherence percentages. Conclusion: These five species may represent a source ofalternative drugs derived from plant extracts, based on ethnobotanical knowledge from northwest Argentina.