Evaluation of antileishmanial, antibacterial and brine shrimp cytotoxic potential of crude methanolic extract of Herb Ocimum basilicum (Lamiacea).

OBJECTIVE: To collect and screen for ethnopharmacological properties (antileishmanial, antibacterial and brine lethality assays) of medicinal plan Ocimum basilicum from Peshawar region (34.008 latitude and 71.57 altitudes). METHODS: In the present study a general antileishmanial activity against Leishmania tropica strair was carried out. The antibacterial potential of the plant was performed against 06 gram positiv and 06 gram negative bacteria. Brine shrimp cyto- toxicity assay at different concentrations were investigated. RESULTS: The anti-promastigotes profile of the plant showed good antileishmanial activity exhibited LC50 value 21.67 µg/mL. The result for gram positive antibacterial activity revealed that the O. basilicum leaves extract possesses significant inhibitory activity at highest two concentrations ranging from 20.66 ± 0.31 to 31.86 ± 0.80 for Clostridium perfringens type C and Bacillus subtitilis, respectively, as compared to the gentamycin (27.36 ± 0.55 and 21.80 ± 0.72, respectively). For gram negative bacteria good activity was observed. A highest zone of inhibition was recorded for Pseudomonas aeroginosa (28.83 ± 0.28) at the highest concentration (10 mg/ mL). The LC50 value obtained for brine shrimp lethality assay was 91.56 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: The herb basil possesses effective cidal activities which make this plant a good candidate for the isolation of antiprotozoal and antibacterial compounds which may lead to the development of novel drug.

Antibacterial activity of honey in north-west Pakistan against select human pathogens.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antimicrobial activity of commercially available honey and raw honey samples in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, against pathogenic bacterial strains. METHODS: Well diffusion assays were performed to screen pure and diluted honey samples for antibacterial activity against six Gram-negative and six Gram-positive bacterial strains. Zones of inhibition were measured and compared with 10 mg Gentamycin. RESULTS: When honey samples were diluted to 20%-70%, the honey samples showed no activity to mild antibacterial activity. The highest antibacterial activity was recorded when 90% and pure undiluted honey samples were tested and compared with a control Gentamycin disc (10 mg). CONCLUSION: Commercially processed honey and raw honey samples from north-west of Pakistan possess good antimicrobial potential.

Synergistic antibacterial effect of honey and Herba Ocimi Basilici against some bacterial pathogens.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antibacterial activity of the combination of different honey brands and methanolic fraction of Herba Ocimi Basilici using agar well diffusion assay. METHODS: The antibacterial activity was determined against thirteen pathogenic bacterial clinical isolates including six gram negative (Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimirium, Xanthomonas campestris) and six gram positive strains (Enterococcus faecalis faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens type C, Clostridium perfringens type D, Clostridium chauvoei). Agar well diffusion method was used while zones of inhibition were measured with vernier scale. RESULTS: At higher concentration, all the honey brands showed good to significant activity. The highest activity was observed for Hamdard brand honey (27.60 +/- 0.40) against Enterococcus faecalis. CONCLUSION: These results revealed that combinations of plant extracts of Herba Ocimi Basilici with honey can be used for the development of potent and novel antibacterial agents.