The results showed that the extracts from Sanguisorba officinalis, Tussilago farfara (aerial part; rhizome), Chelidonium majus (root), Tribulus terrestris (aerial part) and Schisandra chinensis (leaves) possessed antimicrobial activity.
Although the plants differ significantly in their activities against the micro-organisms tested, more of the extracts showed antimicrobial activity against B. cereus and S. aureus than against E. coli, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans.
According to the liquid dilution screening method for antimicrobial activity of higher plants, a prominent antibacterial effect, worthy of further investigation, is obtained if not only the 1/2, but also the 1/8 and 1/32 dilutions show inhibitory activities. An inhibition shown for the 1/2 dilution only is less promising for further investigation.
From this study we can conclude that the plants C. majus, S. officinalis, and T. farfara possessed the highest antimicrobial activity. All these species are perennial herbs widely used as medicines and described in the Chinese Materia Medica Antiviral activities of extracts isolated from S. officinalis were previously reported (K