Naira Sahakyan
Yerevan State University, Armenia
Title: ALKANNA ORIENTALIS (L.) BOISS. plant callus cultures as novel source with antibacterial activity
Biography
Biography: Naira Sahakyan
Abstract
The ever-increasing demand for herbal medicine requires searching for new sources of biologically active compounds. Alkanna orientalis (L.) Boiss. is known as a plant with high biological activity. A. orientalis plant callus culture was isolated, antimicrobial activity of its aqueous extracts was studied against a number of Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium), Gram-positive (Bacillus mycoides, B. mesentericus, B.megaterium, B.subtilis, Brevibacterium flavum, Enterococcus hirae, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, St. citreus WT, St. roseus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. rhamnosus) bacteria and yeasts (Debaryomyces hansenii, Pichia guilliermondii) by the method of diffusion in the agar. A minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for callus extracts was determined against E. hirae. The extracts with different concentrations (500 μg/ml, 250 μg/ml, 125 μg/ml, 62.5 μg/ml, 31.25 μg/ml and 15.625 μg/ml) had been used. As a positive control, shikonin was used with the same concentrations, as those of the extract. According to our studies, callus extracts possessed marked bacteriostatic activity against Gram-positive bacteria and bactericidal activity - against lacto acid bacteria. MIC was corresponding to 250 μg/ml dry weight of extract in comparison with purified shikonin, which MIC was 31.25 μg/ml. Hence, A. orientalis callus tissues extracts have the rather high antimicrobial activity, which will be useful for development of new medicinal preparations as well as for food industry.
