Abstract

TORIBIO, M.S. et al. Antibacterial activity and acute and subacute toxicity assays of Polygonum hidropiperoides. InVet [online]. 2012, vol.14, n.1, pp.79-85. ISSN 1668-3498.

The presence of toxicity was evaluated and the minimum inhibitory concentration of extracts from Polygonum hidropiperoides in bacterial strains collection of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC 12228) and Streptococcus equi, Proteus spp and Escherichia coli field strains was determined. To study the antimicrobial activity by the agar dilution method, the methanol extract was used. Acute and subacute toxicity assays were carried out in mice using a single dose of 5000 mg/kg and a daily dose for 14 days of 1250 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extract, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration of methanol extract of Polygonum hidropiperoides was 0.18 mg/ ml for Streptococcus equi, Proteus spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and 0.37 mg/ ml for Escherichia coli. Toxicity assays showed no functional or organic changes in experimental animals. The results obtained give support to the investigation of the antimicrobial activity in vivo to determine the phytotherapeutic value of the species.

Keywords : Vegetable extracts; Minimum inhibitory concentration; Toxicity.