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WHO monographs on medicinal plants commonly used in the Newly Independent States (NIS)
tate aminotransferase in the serum, and reduced the malondialdehyde
level in the liver (74).
Antimicrobial activity
The antimicrobial activity of a chloroform extract of the dried leaves was
tested in vitro. The extract was active against Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium
phlei and Candida albicans, at minimum inhibitory concentrations
(MICs) of 4.6, 2.3 and > 9.2 g/l/agar plate (grams of dry leaves per
litre of culture medium), respectively. The methanol extract of dried
leaves also demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae,
Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium phlei and Candida albicans
with MIC values > 18.9 g/l/agar plate (75). An aqueous extract of the
leaves exhibited activity against Escherichia coli (MIC = 1.3 mg/100 ml/
agar plate), Enterococcus faecalis (MIC = 10 mg/ml), and Bacillus subtilis
(MIC = 7.7 mg/ml) (76). The antifungal activity of the ethanol-aqueous
extract (1:1) of dried leaves of S. officinalis was tested in vitro. At a concentration
of 500 mg/ml (dose expressed as dry weight of the plant), the
extract was weakly active against Penicillium digitatum (77).
Antiprotozoal, anthelminthic and insecticidal activity
At a concentration of 10 µg/ml, a methanol extract of the leaves demonstrated
nematocidal activity in a cell culture against Toxocara canis (78).
Acetone, carbon tetrachloride and methanol extracts of dried leaves, at a
concentration of 100 mg/l, demonstrated insecticidal activity against
Spodoptera littoralis (79).
Anti-inflammatory activity
In a model of ear inflammation, induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-
13-acetate, the ethyl acetate and hexane extracts of S. officinalis leaves
demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity when applied externally to mice
at a concentration of 20 µl/animal (80). In addition, antioedema activity
was observed when a methanol extract of S. officinalis leaves was applied
externally to mouse ears at a concentration of 2 mg/ear. The methanol
extract had an inhibition ratio of 24 in a 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-
acetate-induced ear inflammation model (81). The n-hexane and the chloroform
extracts of the leaves dose-dependently inhibited croton oilinduced
ear oedema in mice. The chloroform extracts were the most
active. By contrast, the methanol extracts had a very small effect and the
essential oil was inactive. The main active principle was identified as ursolic
acid, which had a median inhibitory dose of 0.14 µM/cm 2 and was twice
as potent as indomethacin (median inhibitory dose, 0.26 µM/cm2 ) (82).
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