Antimicrobial Properties of Silene multifida (Adams) Rohrb. Plant Extracts

Abstract

Specimens of Silene multifida (Adams) Rohrb. were collected in the vicinity of Yomra, Trabzon, Turkey. The fresh plants were air-dried and chopped. This material was extracted with cold chloroform (CHCl3). The chloroform extract was dissolved in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), and, following column chromatography, 6 fractions were obtained. The serial dilutions (0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 10 mg/ml) of these fractions were prepared in 5% Tween 20. The fractions were tested for antimicrobial activity using the agar diffusion technique against 6 bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Esherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae and Proteus vulgaris, and 1 fungus, Candida albicans. Fractions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the extract of S. multifida showed activity against all tested bacteria. Fractions 1 and 5 showed higher antifungal activity than fractions 2 and 4. On the other hand, fractions 3 and 6 did not show any antifungal activity.