Antibacterial activity of some Epilobium L. species aerial parts extract

The emergence of new pathogens and the increase in the number of multidrug-resistant strains in well-established pathogens during the past decade represent a growing public health concern globally. Therefore, it is important to introduce and replace new sources of drug such as medicinal plants with antimicrobial properties. The aim of the present sturdy was to evaluate the antibacterial effects of areal parts extract of Epilobium species collected from Iran. The results revealed that extract of all species studied, except (E. roseum subsp. subsessile) could inhibit the growth of bacteria. Based on our results, gram positive test bacteria showed the most susceptibility to the extracts compared to gram negative ones. None of the extracts could affect the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis. We found that the willow herb extract inhibited the growth of bacteria in culture more effectively than related common antibiotics. Given that aerial parts of plant extract was utilized for this study, further investigation is recommended to determine which specific part of the plant (i.e., leaves, stem, and flowers) possess the antibacterial properties.