Planta Med 2007; 73 - P_139
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-986920

Screening of antimicrobial activity of Kaempferia galanga and Quercus infectoria against eight reference strain microorganisms

C Mekseepralard 1, S Boriboonkaset 1, N Kamkaen 2
  • 1Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Klongtoei, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
  • 2Faculty of Pharmacy, Srinakharinwirot University, Ongkharak, Nakhon-Nayok, 26120, Thailand

The rhizome of aromatic ginger, Kaempferia galanga, and the nutgall, Quercus infectoria, have been used as traditional Thai herbal medicines. Crude extracts of the herbs were screened for antibacterial activity against eight reference strain bacteria, both pathogens and normal flora. Seven bacteria associated with human infections in gastrointestinal tract were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pnuemoniae, Salmonella typhi, Serratia marcescens, Vibrio cholerae non 01, non 0139, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Enterococcus faecalis, and one opportunistic pathogen that could cause community or hospital acquired infections was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The test was carried out using modified agar dilution method [1,2] at various concentrations of the crude extracts. The MICs of Kaempferia galanga ranged from 1.625mg.ml-1 to >6.5 mgml-1 whereas the crude extract of Quercus infectoria showed higher antimicrobial activity with MIC values ranging from ≤0.4 mgml-1 to >6.5 mgml-1. The principal constituent of Quercus infectoria galls is gallotannic acid with galls containing 50 to 70 per cent [3]. These results provide evidence that Quercus infectoria extract may offer an alternative way for human treatment.

Gallotannic acid

Acknowledgements: National Research Council of Thailand, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmacy, Srinakharinwirot University.

References: [1] Forbes B. A., Sahm D. F., and Weissfeld A. S. (2002) S. Bailey & Scott's Diagnostic Microbiology, 11th ed. Andrew Allen, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, page: 229–250. [2] Methods for dilution antimicrobial susceptibility tests for bacteria that grow aerobically: Approved standard M7-A6, (2005), 6th ed. In Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing, Fifteenth Informational Supplement, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. [3] The British Pharmaceutical Codex. Galla B.P. (Accessed on Mar 30, 2007, at http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/bpc1911/quercus_gall.html)