The Study of Antibacterial Activity of Plantago Major and Ceratonia Siliqua

Abstract

ABSTRACT:BACKGROUND:Antibiotics are generally beneficial in treating susceptible microbial infections but such beneficialeffects are counter balanced by rampant irrational use. In fact, the misuse of antibiotics leads to theemergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. On the other hand, the consumption of foodscontaminated with some pathogenic microorganisms represents a serious health risk to humans.OBJECTIVE:Therefore the present study describes the comparison of antibacterial activity between two plantswhich are known traditionally by their biological activities and used in Iraqi folk medicine asantidiarrheal.METHODS:Agar – well diffusion method tested antibacterial activities of methanolic crud extracts withdifferent concentrations of the two plants on six types of bacteria strains which are:-:-Lactobacillus sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus sp. , Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli,and Enterococcus sp.RESULTS:Two plants extract had antibacterial activity ,methanolic extract of Plantago major was moreactive than methanolic extract of Ceratonia siliqua against the same tested bacteria. The biologicalactivity was determined by measuring the inhibition zone in millimeters, results were expressed asmeans ± standard deviation of triplicate experiments.CONCLUSION:These results suggest that extract of two plants possesses antimicrobial and properties, andtherefore they can be used as a potential source of active ingredients for food, pharmaceuticalindustry or preservatives.