Antibacterial activity of Helichrysum pedunculatum callus cultures

Helichrysum pedunculatum (Asteraceae) is used by the Xhosas of the Transkei in South Africa to dress wounds after circumcision. As a verification of i ts folkloric use. the plant extract from this herb was earlier investigated for its antibacterial activity. A callus culture of this species was estab lished in half strength Murashige and Skoog medium enriched with naphthalen e acetic acid and kinetin. The homogenised dichloromethane extract of the c allus was evaluated for its antibacterial activity by direct bioautography on TLC. The extract inhibited the growth of the Gram-positive bacteria, Bac illus cereus, B. pumilus, B. subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus as well as the Gram-negative bacterium, Serratia marcescens.