Investigation of plants used in Jamaican folk medicine for anti-bacterial activity

We have started a systematic scientific study of folklore medicinal plants currently used as alternative medicine in Jamaican society. In this initial study, extracts of plants widely used by the islanders are studied for ant ibacterial activity against five common pathogens; Streptococcus group A, S taphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escheri chia coli. These studies revealed that 25% (approx.) of the plant extracts had antimic robial activity against at least one of the microbes used. Subsequent to th ese observations, extracts from Mikania micrantha were examined in detail. This led to the isolation of two sesquiterpenoids, mikanolide and dihydromi kanolide, with activity against S, aureus and C, albicans. The results suggest that traditional folk medicine could be used as a guide in our continuing search for new natural products with potential medicinal properties.