Antibacterial Activity of Leaf Extracts from Blumea balsamifera, Morus alba and Limnocharis flava Against Skin Pathogenic Bacteria

Unchisa Wongarmart, Kingkarn Reungbun, Buntita Tanampai, Pattamaporn Nateesirikul, Rattana Parathang, Ekkwit Chaichamnong, Rujirek Boongapim and Surachai Rattanasuk

Background and Objective: Blumea balsamifera, Morus alba and Limnocharis flava are rich in bioactive compounds. However, reports on their antibacterial activity against antibiotic-resistant bacteria remain limited, prompting this study to evaluate the efficacy of their leaf extracts against skin infection-causing bacteria, including multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Bacillus subtilis 101 and two reference strains: Staphylococcus epidermidis TISTR518 and Klebsiella pneumoniae TISTR1383. Materials and Methods: Plant samples were extracted using solvents of varying polarity. The preliminary assessment of antibacterial activity was done using the disc diffusion assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were established using the broth microdilution assay. The diameters of the inhibition zones (mm) were statistically analyzed using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) implemented in SPSS software. Results: The B. balsamifera leaf extracts, utilizing ethanol and ethyl acetate, exhibited the largest inhibition zone of 20 mm against B. subtilis 101. The lowest MIC value, 0.098 mg/mL, was observed in B. balsamifera leaf extracts with ethanol and ethyl acetate against B. subtilis 101. Additionally, the lowest MBC value, 0.78 mg/mL, was obtained from B. balsamifera leaf extracts with ethyl acetate against A. baumannii. Conclusion: This study is the first to report the potential of B. balsamifera extracts against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii. These findings suggest that B. balsamifera extracts could be developed as natural antibacterial agents to combat antibiotic-resistant infections.

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