Assessment of in vitro activity of crude extracts of berberis lycium against salmonella typhi

This Plant derived drugs have been important source of traditional health care in many parts of the world. There is increasing focus on medicinal plants as sources of new agents to combat microbial diseases. Berberis lycium is an important medicinal plant usually found in Azad Kashmir, Northern Khyber Pakhtunkhua, Baluchistan and hilly areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Since 1989, Salmonella typhi has developed resistance to conventional antibiotics of choice. The main objective of the study is to determine the in vitro activity of crude extracts of Berberis lycium against Salmonella typhi. Crude aqueous, methanol, chloroform and n-hexane extracts of root and stem bark were used in triplicates of each concentration to evaluate anti Salmonella typhi activity using Agar well diffusion method. Activities were performed against Salmonella typhi ATCC 6539, Salmonella typhi ATCC 19430, and Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028. Crude methanol extract (1000µg/ml) showed maximum zone of inhibition of 19.4±0.6mm, 19.7±0.8mm, and 18.5±0.7mm, respectively. Crude chloroform extract (1000µg/ml) showed zones of inhibition of 17.3±0.9mm, 19.4±1.2mm, and 14.7±1.3mm against three strains, respectively. Same concentration of cr. aqueous extract exhibited less activity. Zone of inhibition determined was 12±1.7mm, 13.1±0.9mm, and 16.2±1.3mm, respectively. Crude n-hexane extract exhibited no activity at all. MIC of all extracts against all strains was determined. MIC values exhibited that S. typhi and S. typhimurium strain are more susceptible to crude methanol extract than crude chloroform, aqueous or n-hexane extracts. Significant activity shown by extracts confirms the traditional use of Berberis lycium in typhoid fever.