Antimicrobial effect of extract from root of Arctium tomentosum Mill. (woolly burdock) against several reference strains

Abstract

Microorganisms are one of the main reasons for infectious diseases, however conditionally pathogenic ones are members of the normal human microbiome. Certain circumstances make them become pathogenic to organism. Treatment of microbial diseases majorly is carried out by antibiotics, using of which may lead to antibiotic resistance. Moreover it causes deficiency of gut microflora, subsequent dysbiosis and weakening of immunity. Thus, replacement of antibiotics by naturally derived medicinal drugs will be an optimal way of fighting pathogenic microorganisms. Since plants are rich in various biologically active compounds, extracts from them will exert antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties and etc. In this investigation extract from Arctium tomentosum Mill. obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction was studied for antimicrobial effect. Four reference microbial strains, including gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus), gram negative (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli) and fungi (Candida albicans) were treated. Ampicillin, Chloramphenicol and Nystatin were used for positive control. Procedure of antimicrobial assay was carried out by the method of two-fold serial dilutions in corresponding nutrient medium. As a result minimum bactericide and fungicide concentrations of the extract from A. tomentosum Mill. were determined. Against S. aureus it was 10.4 mg/ml and 41.7 mg/ml against S. epidermidis, while against E. coli it was 20.8 mg/ml. Minimum fungicidal concentration was 5.2 mg/ml. Also ranges of concentration of the studied extract that stop reproduction and development of selected microorganisms were determined. Thus concentration range of bacteriostatic activity for S. aureus was 2.6 – 5.2, while for S. epidermidis was 2.6 – 20.8 mg/ml. Bacteriostatic activity of the studied extract against E.coli was not observed, however concentration range of fungistatic activity was 1.3 – 2.6 mg/ml. Obtained results show that extract from Arctium tomentosum Mill. has antimicrobial activity, so it can serve as a base for formation of phytopreparate for the treatment of diseases with microbial origin.