The Antibacterial Effect of Phytosterols Isolated from Echinops heterophyllus in Comparison with MEBO® and Standard Antimicrobial Agents.

This study investigated the types of phytosterols that exists in the aerial and root parts of Echinops heterophyllus and explored the antibacterial effect of these phytosterols against some pathogenic bacteria in comparison with Moist Exposed Wound Ointment (MEBO®) and gentamicin.Plant was extracted and phytosterols were isolated and purified from the crude extract of Echinops heterophyllus by using chemical method. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) detected the presence of steroids in the aerial and roots part and gas chromatographymass spectrophotometer GC/MS analysis was used to identify some of these compounds and among them were beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol. Standard dilutions of the phytosterols isolated from Echinops heterophyllus were made from 10-100%; its antibacterial effect had been examined by seeded agar method against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.The effect of these phytosetrols against Staphylococcus aureus was more potent than against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was seventy mg/ml and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was eighty five mg/ml. This study illustrates that sitosterol isolated from Echinops heterophyllus has a greater inhibitory effect on the test bacteria than gentamicine and closer results to MEBO®. It can be concluded in this study is a good step to show the types of phytosterols isolated from Echinops heterophyllus and the antibacterial effectof these phytosterols in vitro against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.