Antimicrobial activity of 22 plants used in urolithiasis medicine in western Algeria

Abstract

Objective: O ur investigation is about the determination of the antibacterial efficiency of 22 medicinal plants on the four most frequent bacteria in urinary infections. T hese infections are responsible for more than 15 % of urinary stones formation. Methods: W e have initiated an extraction liquid/solid. I n this respect, we have used water extractions according to the standard methods utilized by the local populati on, i.e: ( i ) the d é coction, ( ii ) the infusion, ( iii ) the mac é ration and ( iiii ) the percolation. T he microorganisms used are Staphylooccus aureus , Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . T he strains were isolated from patients having urinary infections. T he antibiotic disks K anamicin, C olistin, A moxicillin, G entamicin, A mpicillin were applied to the reference bacteria at concentrations of 30 毺 g, 50 毺 g, 25 毺 g, 10 毺 g et 10 毺 g respectively. Results: T hese stu dies showed that decoction ( d ) had the higher effect with 43 . 3 % followed by percolation ( p ) ( 28 . 3 % ) and maceration ( m ) ( 16 . 7 % ) . I nfusion ( i ) had a limited effect ( 11 . 7 % ) . Escherichia coli (E.coli) , Proteus mirabilis , Staphylococcus aureus showed an aver age sensitivity of 28 % in each case. H owever, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a highly pathogenic and resistant bacteria showed up to 17 . 5 % of sensitivity. 16 . 3 % of the plant extracts showed a high antimicrobial activity. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was highly resi stant to K anamycin, A moxicillin and A mpicillin and at a lower extent to C olistin and G entamicin. H owever, it was sensitive to some plant extracts such as Allium sativum, Artemesia compestris(p,m), Citrus aurantium(p), Cotula cinerea(p), Lavandula officinalis (d) , Globularia alypum (d) , Juniperus phoeniceae (m) , Olea europaea (p), Pistacia lentiscus (m) , Trachyspermum ammi (m), Zygophyllum album (p) and Zingiber officinalis (d). Conclusion: T he present work shows that most of the studied plants are potentially a good source of antimicrobial agents and it proves the importance of such plants in urolithiasis medicine and alternative healthcare.