Antibacterial Effect of Persicaria thunbergii on Staphylococcus aureus

With the discovery of various antibiotic resistant bacteria, evaluations of antimicrobial activities of natural compounds have been preceded on antibiotic susceptible and resistant microorganisms. Several types of natural compounds have been reported to have similar effects on target microorganisms as compared to the widely used antibiotics. Persicaria thunbergii (Polygonaceae) has been known to have anti-tumoral, anti-angiogenesis, anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation functions. In this study, aerial parts of P. thunbergii were extracted using methanol, chloroform, and ethyl acetate to identify possible anti-bacterial effects. Agar disk diffusion method and time-kill assay were done to evaluate the antibacterial effect of P. thunbergii extracts. Two extracts ethyl acetate (EAE), and chloroform (CFE) were tested against Staphylococcus aureus. As a result, the extract from CFE and EAE showed antibacterial effect against S. aureus. The extract EAE showed the strongest inhibition effect compared to CFE. These results demonstrate that the EAE extract which originated from P. thunbergii can probably play a role as an antibacterial agent