African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 6 (15), pp. 1774-1778, 6 August 2007   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2007 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Antimicrobial activity of some endemic plant species from Turkey

Mehlika Benli¹* Kerim Güney², Ümit Bingöl¹, Fatmagül Geven¹ and Nazife Yiğit³

¹Ankara University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ankara, Turkey.

² Kastamonu University, Faculty of Forestry, Kastamonu, Turkey.

³Kirikkale University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, Kirikkale, Turkey.

*Corresponding author. E- mail: mehlikabenli_76@hotmail.com. Phone: +90 312 212 67 20 – 1505. Fax: +90 312 223 23 95.

Accepted 2 July, 2007

Six plant extracts obtained from different parts such as the leaves, flowers and seeds of four species of the endemic plants in Turkey were tested on a total of 14 microorganisms, 10 of which were bacterial strains and 4 yeast strains. Verbascum eriocarpum (flower) extract was found to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus; Stachys cretica subsp. anatolica (leaf and flower) and Heracleum paphlago-nicum (seed) extracts were found to be effective against Bacillus subtilis; and Alcea apterocarpa (seed and sepal) extract was found to be effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. No antimicrobial activity was observed in Heracleum paphlagonicum (leaf) and Alcea apterocarpa (leaf) plant extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentration­ (MIC) values of the plant extracts were calculated to be between ≥ 0.859 mg/ml and ≥ 110.5 mg/ml and the minimum bacteriocidal concentration (MBC) values were calculated to be between ≥ 3.44 mg/ml and ≥ 132 mg/ml.

Key words: Antimicrobial activity, endemic plants, plant extract.