摘要
There are numerous reports regarding the antimicrobial effects of herbal extracts on bacteria and fungi. We have prepared water extracts of Wild Leek （A. ampeloprasum var. porrum）, Kurrat （A. ampeloprasum var. kurrat） and Elephant Garlic （A. ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum） by rotary vacuum distillation. As a result, the extraction was carried out in 40 ℃ thus omitting any risk of loss of anti-bacterial activity due to high temperatures reported in prior similar studies [ 1]. The five bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus were tested against the extracts. While some extent of inhibition was observed when the bacteria were cultured in presence of the leek and kurrat extracts, elephant garlic was determined to possess an extreme inhibitory quality against all the aforementioned bacteria, completely inhibiting the growth of the bacteria after 24 hrs of culture in exposure to the extract. We propose that elephant garlic extract could be an effective alternative to chemical antibiotic treatments and disinfectants in hospital and other settings in which infections are common.
