In vitro antibacterial activity of Argentine folk medicinal plants against Salmonella typhi.

Boiling water extracts of 132 samples from 54 plant families, commonly used in Argentine folk medicine, were screened for antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi. The agar-well diffusion method was used. A reference concentration-response curve for ampicillin was used to estimate the apparent activity of the samples. Twenty four species showed antibacterial activity. Cassia occidentalis roots, Heimia salicifolia aerial parts, Punica granatum fruit pericarp and Rosa borboniana flowers produced some of the more active extracts. Taking into account the multiple resistance of Salmonella typhi, these findings could be useful in the search for new clinically useful antimicrobials.