TESTING THE BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF LYTHRI HERBA EXTRACT FOR APPLICATIONS IN MEDICAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES

"Nowadays we are witnessing an increased interest in phytotherapy and implicitly for herbal products that have lower side effects. One medicinal plant whose popularity has decreased significantly in recent years is Lythrum salicaria L., loosestrife, known in Romanian traditional medicine for its beneficial effects against gastrointestinal diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the biological activity of three different extracts (aqueous, alcoholic, acetonic) from the flower tips of Lythrum salicaria L. using the BSLA (Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay) test and the antimicrobial activity of the extracts on two reference bacterial strains which are important for the medical field (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) through the diffusimetric method. We demonstrated the fact that the Lythri herba plant product extracts (aqueous, alcoholic, and acetonic) lack acute toxicity, as well as the moderate antibacterial effect on the Gram-positive reference strain, Staphylococcus aureus, thus highlighting the possibility of using the plant in biomedical applications."