Evaluation of the anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activities of the medicinal plants Dodonaea viscosa, Rumex nervosus and Rumex abyssinicus

• Published in: Fitoterapia Vol. 74; no. 1; pp. 139 - 143
• Main Authors: Getie, M, Gebre-Mariam, T, Rietz, R, Höhne, C, Huschka, C, Schmidtke, M, Abate, A, Neubert, R.H.H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.02.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Infective Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-inflammatory activity; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-microbial activity; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line, Tumor - drug effects; Dodonaea viscosa; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; General pharmacology; Gram-Negative Bacteria - drug effects; Gram-Positive Bacteria - drug effects; HeLa Cells - drug effects; Humans; Macrophages - drug effects; Medical sciences; Mice; Mitosporic Fungi - drug effects; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Leaves; Plant Roots; Rumex; Rumex abyssinicus; Rumex nervosus; Sapindaceae; Anti-microbial activity; Dodonaea viscosa; Anti-inflammatory activity; Rumex nervosus; Rumex abyssinicus; Root; Polygonaceae; Pharmacognosy; Antiinflammatory agent; Rumex; Plant leaf; In vitro; Biological activity; Medicinal plant; Antifungal agent; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Plant origin; Antiviral; Spermatophyta; Antibacterial agent
• ISSN: 0367-326X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0367-326X(02)00315-5

The crude extracts of the leaves of Dodonaea viscosa and Rumex nervosus as well as of the root of Rumex abyssinicus were tested for anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activities. It was observed that the three plants possess antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus and strong activity against Coxsackie virus B3 and influenza A virus. In contrast, none of them exhibited anti-fungal activity. The anti-inflammatory activity test results verified that only R. abyssinicus inhibited the synthesis of prostaglandin (PG) E 2.