Antibacterial and antifungal effects of acetone extracts from fifty spice and herb plants

Introduction: Chemical industry is obligatory to improve new chemically effective components. Spices are potential new antimicrobials. Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal activity of fifty aromatic spices and medicinal herbs obtained from Turkey. Material and methods: In vitro antibacterial activities of a total of fifty acetone extracts from aromatic spices and medicinal herbs were studied by disc diffusion and agar diffusion method. The extracts were tested against three Gram-positive bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus), four Gram-negative bacteria (Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium) and two fungi (Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans). Results: The highest antimicrobial activity was observed in the extract of Alpinia officinarum against Salmonella typhimurium and Cassia angustifolia against Bacillus cereus. Many of the extracts showed minimum inhibition concentration at even lowest dose. Conclusion: The obtained results showed that aromatic spices and medicinal herbs may be used as natural antimicrobials against diseases.