Antibacterial activity from Limonium brasiliense (Boiss.) Kuntze. (Plumbaginaceae)

RODRIGUEZ, SILVANA; SUEIRO, R.A.; ANA PAULA MURRAY; LEIRO J.M.

Fortaleza

Congreso; XX¡ã Italo-Latinamerican Congress of Ethnomedicine; 2011

Sociedad Italolatinoamericana de Etnomedicina

Continuing our investigation of bioactive natural products on medicinal plants from southern Argentina and its antibacterial activity against six bacteria species, we present the results obtained from the polar extract from roots of Limonium brasiliense (Boiss.) Kuntze (Plumbaginaceae), growing in Bahia Blanca, Argentina. Limonium brasiliense is a medicinal plant, known as "guaycuru", distributed in Argentina. Infusions from the roots are use in the treatment of hemorrhage, menstrual disorders, rheumatism and it is believed to have cardioprotective properties. According to the results, the methanolic extract was found to be active against all pathogenic bacteria, except P. aeruginosa. The strongest antibacterial activity was against B. cereus with a MIC value 35 microg/ml followed by S. aureus and E.coli with a MIC 50 microg/ml. While S. enteriditis, L. monocitogenesis and P. aeruginosa were lower activity MIC between 100-250 microg/mL. The best activity for aqueous sub-extract was against S. aureus and B. cereus with a MIC 25 microg/mL, the lowest activity was against P.aeruginosa MIC 125 microg/ml, while S. enteriditis, L. monocitogenesis, and E. coli have a range between 50 - 75 microg/mL. The antibacterial activities of methanol extract and aqueous sub-extract could be associated to the presence of flavonoids like taxifolin, myricetin, gallic acid and principally of apigenin, which are all reported to have antibacterial properties. This study shows that roots of L. brasiliense are a rich source of compounds with antibacterial activity. This may support the popular use of the infusion from these roots against resistant bacteria and could be important tools in antibacterial strategies.