Abstract Detail

Economic Botany Section

Zaidi, Mudassir [1], Tareen, Rasool [1], Mansoor, Arsala [1].

Ethnobotanical studies and screening of medicinal plants of Quetta, Pakistan.

Medicinal plants are extensively used in the developed and underdeveloped world as a remedy for many diseases. In Quetta (Pakistan), people are using around 262 species of different plants as traditional folk medicine. In this study, ethnobotanical information about the uses of these herbs by the local people is given. Some of these plants are known to have immense medicinal value which has not been scientifically established, although they have the potential to be efficacious drugs. Two, pharmacologically active medicinal plants, Berberis balochistanica Karel (Berberidaceae) and Teucrium stocksianum Boiss. (Labiatae were selected for biological screening. Methanolic extracts of these plants were fractionated into hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform, butanol and water, which were used for determination of antifungal, antibacterial and cytotoxic effect. The antifungal and antibacterial activities of these extracts were determined against 12 fungal and 12 bacterial strains by Agar Well diffusion and disk diffusion assays while cytotoxicity was determined through brine shrimp lethality and flow cytometry. The extracts of B. balochistanica was found to be highly effective against 5 bacteria and 2 fungi tested, it showed very low toxicity at highest concentration while T. stocksianumwas effective against 3 bacterial and 1 fungal strain and was non toxic. The plant extracts are potential and safe source for antibacterial and antifungal compounds.

Related Links:
EthnoPharmacology

1 - University of Balochistan, Department of Botany, C-9 University Colony, Quetta, 83700, Pakistan

Keywords:
antibacterial
antifungal
cytotoxicity
Pakistan
ethnobotany.

Presentation Type: Paper
Session: 21-4
Location: Maybird (Cliff Lodge)
Date: Monday, August 2nd, 2004
Time: 2:45 PM
Abstract ID:834