Berberine from Argemone mexicana L exhibits a broadspectrum antibacterial activity.

The Argemone mexicana L, commonly found on desolate land in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra state, India, has been used for treating oral cavity infections. We sought to investigate the antimicrobial potential of A. mexicana L. In this study, cold aqueous and methanolic extracts were prepared from the A. mexicana L leaves. These extracts were tested for their antibacterial activities against selected bacterial isolates. The antibacterial activity and MICs were tested using the agar well diffusion method and broth dilution method, respectively. The cold aqueous and methanolic extracts of A. mexicana L leaves inhibited growth of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.The antibacterial potentiality of A. mexicana L extracts was compared with Streptomycin - the reference antibiotic used in this study. The active ingredient of antibacterial potentiality within the A. mexicana L extract was purified and characterized by TLC, HPLC and NMR analysis. Structural elucidation of Berberine and its bioactivity both, from the A. mexicana L and commercial preparation, is investigated.