Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Anti-Streptococcus pyogenes Activity of Selected Medicinal Plant Extracts Used in Thai Traditional Medicine

Surasak Limsuwan¹, Supayang P Voravuthikunchai²

¹Faculty of Traditional Thai Medicine and Natural Products Research Center of Excellence; ²Department of Microbiology and Natural Products Research Center of Excellence, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.

For correspondence:- Supayang Voravuthikunchai Email: supayang.v@psu.ac.th Tel:+6674 446661

Received: 5 December 2012 Accepted: 25 June 2013 Published: 23 August 2013

Citation: Limsuwan S, Voravuthikunchai SP. Anti-Streptococcus pyogenes Activity of Selected Medicinal Plant Extracts Used in Thai Traditional Medicine. Trop J Pharm Res 2013; 12(4):535-540 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v12i4.14

© 2013 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the anti-Streptococcus pyogenes activity of selected medicinal plants used in Thai traditional medicine.

Methods: Sixty-nine extracts of 51 selected Thai medicinal plant species were tested for anti-S. pyogenes activity by paper disc agar diffusion and broth microdilution methods.

Results: Ten plants including Boesenbergia pandurata (Roxb.) Schltr., Cinnamomum bejolghota (Buch.-Ham.) Sweet, Cinnamomum porrectum (Roxb) Kosterm, Eleutherine americana Merr., Gymnopetalum cochinchinensis (Lour.) Kurz, Piper betle L., Quercus infectoria G. Olivier, Quisqualis indica L, Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Aiton) Hassk., and Walsura robusta Roxb. demonstrated good antibacterial activity against S. pyogenes NPRC 101. These plants were selected and further evaluated for their anti-S. pyogenes activity against 11 isolates of S. pyogenes from patients with upper respiratory tract infections. Three plants including Boesenbergia pandurata, Eleutherine americana, and Rhodomyrtus tomentosa exhibited good antibacterial activity against all S. pyogenes isolates and produced similar activities against different tested isolates. Boesenbergia pandurata and Rhodomyrtus tomentosa demonstrated antibacterial activity with the same minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) range of 3.91 - 31.25 µg/ml whereas Eleutherine americana displayed MIC and MBC values of 250 and 250-500 µg/ml against all S. pyogenes isolates.

Conclusion: Boesenbergia pandurata, Eleutherine americana, and Rhodomyrtus tomentosa have great antibacterial potentials against S. pyogenes.

Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Boesenbergia pandurata, Eleutherine americana, Rhodomyrtus tomentosa, Streptococcus pyogenes, Thai medicinal plant, Upper resp