Antibacterial Activity of Ethanolic Extracts of Aglaonema commutatum Schott and its Cultivars against Enterococcus faecalis Strains

Abstract

The application of plants coming from tropical and subtropical regions in the management of bacterial infections can be considered a positive occurrence in most traditional medicine practices. Consequently, plants having antimicrobial activity against various pathogens can be considered great assets. Moreover, increased problems associated with side effects and bacterial resistance to chemical drugs have prompted us to focus on the antibacterial potentials of some plants belonging to the Aglaonema genus. The purpose of the current study was to examine the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts derived from Aglaonema commutatum Schott and its cultivars (Malay Beauty, Silver Queen, and Silver King) against two Enterococcus faecalis strains, i.e. Enterococcus faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz 51299™ (resistant to vancomycin; sensitive to teicoplanin) and Enterococcus faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz 29212™. These plants were cultivated under glasshouse conditions at M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden, National Academy of Science of Ukraine. The testing of the antibacterial activity of the plant extracts was carried out in vitro by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. Results of this study revealed that the extracts derived from leaves of A. commutatum and cv. Silver Queen exhibited higher inhibitory activity against the growth of E. faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz 51299™ than the extracts from cv. Melay Beauty and Silver King. Maximum in vitro inhibition was scored by cultivar Silver Queen, followed by A. commutatum, cv. Malay Beauty and Silver King. On the other hand, extracts derived from leaves of A. commutatum cv. Melay Beauty and Silver Queen exhibited higher inhibitory activity against the growth of E. faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz 29212™ than the extracts derived from the cv. Silver King and A. commutatum. Maximum in vitro inhibition was scored by cv. Malay Beauty, followed by cv. Silver Queen and Silver King, and A. commutatum. Therefore, this plant can be used to treat various diseases caused by E. faecalis strains. There is a lot of potentials for this plant to treat infections caused by these bacteria. Therefore, these plants may be helpful in the management of infections caused by E. faecalis, especially in traditional medicine practices. However, further research is required to understand the mechanisms involved in antimicrobial activity.