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From ethnopharmacology to green chemistry

Clove decoction and superheated water extracts

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Nutrafoods

Abstract

Antibiotic-resistant strains remain an impor tant public health problem in developing countries, but industri alised countries are not fully protected from this problem either. Recent research has used combinations of traditional ethnopharmacology and modern technologies to find more effective treatments. Green chemical processes are one of these important combinations with herbal medicine. A superheated water extract and a decoction were prepared from clove buds (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry) and evaluated for their antibacterial activity. The obtained extracts were tested against multi-resistant clinical isolates. The superheated extract showed strong antibacterial activity with bactericidal effect against most tested strains, whereas the decoction showed low activity with bacteriostatic effect. Both extracts have a similar global chemical composition; however, the powerful bactericidal activity of the superheated extract is due to greater concentration of polyphenolics. This study reveals the promising potential of clove extracts obtained by a green process using water, heat and pressure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Chimie Faculté des Sciences, Université de M’sila, M’sila, 28000, Algeria

    Naïrouz Benzeggouta

  2. Laboratoire de Bactériologie, C.H.U. de Constantine, Constantine, Algeria

    Zahia Semra

Authors
  1. Naïrouz Benzeggouta
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  2. Zahia Semra
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Correspondence to Naïrouz Benzeggouta.

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Benzeggouta, N., Semra, Z. From ethnopharmacology to green chemistry. Nutrafoods 12, 23–27 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13749-012-0065-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13749-012-0065-4

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