Breaking the resistance of Escherichia coli: Antimicrobial activity of Berberis lycium Royle

• Published in: Microbial pathogenesis 2017-01, Vol.102, p.12-20
• Main Authors: Malik, Tauseef Ahmad, Kamili, Azra N., Chishti, M.Z., Ahad, Shazia, Tantry, Mudasir A., Hussain, P.R., Johri, R.K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Antimicrobial resistance; Berberine; Berberis; Berberis - chemistry; Berberis lycium; Candida albicans; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Drug Resistance, Bacterial - drug effects; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Fungi - drug effects; HPLC; Lycium; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Plant Extracts - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0882-4010; 1096-1208
• DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2016.11.011

The antimicrobial activity of root bark of Berberis lycium and its principal component berberine was tested against a panel of microbial strains using agar well diffusion test and further analyzed using micro-broth dilution method. Preliminary analysis, on the basis of zone of Inhibition (ZOI) showed that the methanolic extract of B. lycium was highly effective against Escherichia coli (ZOI 41 ± 1 mm). Among the bacterial strains E. coli was found to be most susceptible and among fungi Candida albicans was the most susceptible for berberine as well as the crude methanolic extract of the plant. Methanolic extract of the plant was more effective for E. coli (MIC 1.7 ± 1.18; MBC 2.4 ± 1.18) than berberine (MIC 3.5 ± 0.57) (p