Medicinal plants are important components of traditional medicine and sources
of novel antimicrobial compounds against drug resistance pathogen strains.
This study tested the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts
of medicinally used Neotropical tree ferns Cyathea microdonta and Alsophila
cuspidata against gram positive bacteria and gram negative bacteria using
the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Highest antimicrobial activity was
observed in ethanolic extracts, and extracts were more active against gram
positive bacteria than gram negative bacteria. No difference was observed
in antimicrobial activity between species or between extracts made from the
leaves, stipe, or caudex. These results suggest that the traditional use of tree
fern mucilage as a topical agent for cuts and leishmaniasis lesions may reduce
risk of secondary infection with skin bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus,
and that Neotropical Cyatheaceae are a potential source of novel antimicrobial
compounds.
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