Biocidal Activity Of Six Medicinal Plants In The Municipality Of Tacaná, San Marcos, Guatemala

Abstract

In the municipality of Tacaná, San Marcos, Cardona began a thesis in 2001, collecting ethnobotanical information from the Mam community. The results of this work were proposed as a recommendation for the scientific validation of the therapeutic action attributed to plants, especially those for which there is little or no bibliographic information. Six species were selected and obtained: Bocconia arborea, Hypericum idiginosum, Prionosciadium lhapsoides, Salvia lavanduloides, Salvia microphylla, and Selaginella silvestris. The 95% ethanol-related components of each were extracted by repercolation. The ethanolic extracts were tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, filamentous fungi, protozoa, insect larvae, and the nauplius Anemia salina (Salt Anemia), to determine their biocidal activity. In the antibacterial and antiyeast assay, H. idiginosum activity was demonstrated at a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.25 mg/mL for Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Mycobacterium smegmatis and Cryptococcus neoformans, and at an MIC of 1 mg/mL for Trichophyton rubrum', S. microphvlla had activity at an MIC of 0.25 mg/mL for C. neoformans, 0.5 mg/mL for S. atireus, B. subtilis, M. smegmatis, and 1 mg/mL for I rubrum', of B. arbórea an MIC of 0.5 mg/mL sc found activity against S. aureus and M. smegmatis; of P. lhapsoides at an MIC of 0.5 mg/mL for M. smegmatis and T. rubrum at an MIC of 1 mg/mL; 5', lavanduloides for 5. aureus, B. subtilis, M. smegmatis, C. neoformans at an MIC of 1 mg/mL. No activity was found in S. silvestris. In the activity against protozoa, a biocidal effect was found in B. arbórea, inhibiting 90% of the protozoa at the following concentrations: 0.38 mg/mL for Trypanosoma cruzi, 0.46 mg/mL for Leishmania braziliensis and 0.82 mg/mL for Leishmania mexicana. The ethanolic extract of P. lhapsoides seeds inhibited the Leishmania genus at a concentration of 0.66 mg/mL and 0.79 mg/mL for L. braziliensis and L. mexicana, respectively. Neither extract showed cytotoxic activity against A. salina, nor insecticidal activity against Aedes nfgypft and Anopheles albimanus larvae in any of their four larval stages.