EVALUATION OF COLLECTION OF MEDICINAL HERBS ACCORDING TO PHYTONCIDIC ACTIVITY - Ecological Consequences of Increasing Crop Productivity - page 109

Suspensions of test microorganisms were prepared according to the standard of
turbidity (10 9 of cells per 1 ml). They were then introduced into nutrient mediums
melted and cooled down to 50°С (0.1 ml of suspension of test organism per 100 ml of
medium), which were then distributed in Petri dishes per 20 ml.
In the hardened agar medium, sowed by microorganism under test, holes were
made using a sterile drill. We introduced in the holes alcohol or acetone extracts in a
concentration 1:10 (0.1 ml). An alcohol/acetone solution in the concentration 1:10—
which concentration did not inhibit the growth of test microorganisms—was used as
control. Dishes with test microorganisms and extracts under study were kept in ther-
mostat under 25°С during 24 h. If microorganisms are sensitive to antibiotic sub-
stances, extracted by alcohol/acetone, then zones without growth appear around holes.
We evaluated antimicrobial activity of herb extracts according to the diameter of zone
of growth inhibition of the test microorganism [6].
Antibiotic activity relative to test microorganisms was found for alcohol extracts
of most of herbs (Table 12.1). All herb extracts under consideration did not show anti-
biotic activity relatively to Е. coli.

TABLE 12.1 Antibiotic activity of alcohol extracts of flowers and inflorescences of medicinal
herbs relatively to conditionally pathogenic microorganisms

Diameter of zone of growth inhibition of the test microor-
ganism, (х ± m х ) (mm)

Can-
dida
albi-
cans

Species of medicinal herb

Staphy-
lococcus
aureus

Staphylo-
coccus epi-
dermidis

Esch-
erich-
ia coli

Bacillus
mycoides

Potentilla erecta L. 0 13.0 ± 0.00* 0 11.0 ± 0.09* 0
Erungium planum L. 12.1 ± 0.13* 11.9 ± 0.08* 0 11.0 ± 0.02* 0
Prunella vulgaris L. 0 10.0 ± 0.00* 0 0 0
Origanum vulgare L. 0 11.0 ± 0.00* 0 9.9 ± 0.04* 0
Tanacetum vulgare L. 11.0 ± 0.05* 10.1 ± 0.02* 0 11.0 ± 0.00* 0
Agrimonia eupatoria L. 11.0 ± 0.02* 12.1 ± 0.10* 0 10.0 ± 0.00* 0
Nepeta cataria L. 0 7.0 ± 0.00* 0 0 0
Potentilla recta L. 11.2 ± 0.09* 17.1 ± 0.16* 0 9.0 ± 0.00* 14 ±
0,11 *
Leonurus cardiaca L. 0 10.1 ± 0.02* 0 10.0 ± 0.00* 0
Betonica officinalis L. 0 0 0 11.1 ± 0.03* 0
Cichorium intybus L. 0 11.0 ± 0,09* 0 0 0
Symphytum officinale L. 0 7.1*0.02* 0 0 0
Echinacea purpurea L. 0 6.0 ± 0.00* 0 0 0
Note : *— differences with control are significant with Р < 0.05; control is the alcohol solution
(dissolved 1:10) in which zone of growth inhibition of test organism was absent.