Antimicrobial activity of plants used in traditional medicine of San Juan province, Argentine

Eighteen extracts from Acaena magellanica, Baccharis grisebachii, Ephedra b reana, Oxalis erythrorhiza, Pachylaena atriplicifolia and Satureja parvifol ia were assessed for antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi with the agar dilution method. The hexane (H) and dichloromethane (DCM) extract s of B. grisebachii and O. erythrorhiza showed the broadest spectrum of act ion against fungi, inhibiting all of the tested dermatophytes with MICs ran ging from less than or equal to 25 to less than or equal to 1000 mug/ml. Tr ichophyton rubrum was the most susceptible species and Cryptococcus neoform ans was inhibited only by the DCM extract of B. grisebachii with MIC of 600 mug/ml. Regarding the antibacterial activity, H and DCM extracts of B. gri sebachii as well as the DCM of O. erythrorhiza, were active on methicillin- resistant and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus with MIC from les s than or equal to 125 to less than or equal to 500 Ig/ml. The DCM extract of B. grisebacchii was more active against methicillin-resistant than methi cillin-sensitive strains. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Lt d.