Antibacterial activity of Helichrysum pedunculatum callus cultures

Helichrysum pedunculatum (Asteraceae) is used by the Xhosas of the Transkei in South Africa to dress wounds after circumcision. As a verification of its folkloric use, the plant extract from this herb was earlier investigated for its antibacterial activity. A callus culture of this species was established in half strength Murashige and Skoog medium enriched with naphthalene acetic acid and kinetin. The homogenised dichloromethane extract of the callus was evaluated for its antibacterial activity by direct bioautography on TLC. The extract inhibited the growth of the Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus cereus, B. pumilus, B. subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus as well as the Gram-negative bacterium, Serratia marcescens