Antibiotic screening of medicinal plants of the British Columbian native peoples

J Ethnopharmacol. 1992 Oct;37(3):213-23. doi: 10.1016/0378-8741(92)90036-q.

Abstract

One hundred methanolic plant extracts, 96 of which had documented medicinal uses by British Columbian native peoples, were screened for antibiotic activity against 11 bacterial strains. Eighty-five percent were found to have significant antibiotic activity against at least two of the bacteria tested. Ninety-five percent of the plants categorized as potential antibiotics based on their ethnobotanical usage were found to exhibit significant antibiotic activity. Seventy-five were found to be active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 46 were active against an antibiotic supersusceptible strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 18 of these were also active against a wild type strain. The extracts with the broadest spectra of activity were prepared from: Alnus rubra bark and catkins, Fragaria chiloensis leaves, Moneses uniflora aerial parts, and Rhus glabra branches.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacteria / drug effects*
  • British Columbia
  • Humans
  • Medicine, Traditional
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plants, Medicinal*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Plant Extracts