Abstract

This is the first to report the antimicrobial effects of extracts of seven endemic medicinal plants. Flower extracts of Onopordum jordanicolum exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Proteus mirabillis. Ethanol extract displayed significant antibacterial activity against S. aureus with the best MIC and MMC values. Onopordum blancheanum flower extracts produced antibacterial activity against S. aureus, Escherichia coli, K. pneumonia, and P. mirabillis. Ethanol extract of Aethionema carneum leaves exhibited antibacterial activity against all test bacteria except MRSA and produced significant antibacterial activity against E. coli with the best MIC and MMC values. Methanol and acetone extracts of Delphinium ithaburense leaves showed significant antibacterial activity against K. pneumonia. Aqueous extract of Lathyrus hirticarpus leaves revealed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. Aqueous and acetone extracts of Orchis sancta flowers showed significant antibacterial activity against MRSA and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. Aqueous and methanol extracts from Papaver umbonatum flowers exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes with the best MIC and MMC values. For antifungal activity, it was found that Aspergillus brasiliensis and Candida albicans were inhibited by aqueous extracts of A. carneum and P. umbonatum, acetone extract of D. ithaburense, ethanol extract of L. hirticarpus, methanol extracts of O. blancheanum and O. sancta. Interestingly, acetone extract of O. jordanicolum displayed significant antifungal activities against A. brasiliensis and C. albicans with the best MIC and MMC values. Phytochemical screening of promising extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, and/or tannins which might be responsible for their antimicrobial activity.

Key words: Antimicrobial, phytochemical, carneum, ithaburense, hirticarpus, Onopordum, sancta, umbonatum.