Antibacterial Property Evaluation of Ethanolic Extract of Plantago major L. and Its Fractions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30595/jrst.v10i1.26388Keywords:
Plantago major L., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, phytochemical extract, antibacterial activityAbstract
The escalating global health crisis of antibiotic resistance necessitates the search for novel antibacterial agents from natural sources. This study investigated the potential of Plantago major L., a plant used in traditional medicine, as a source of antibacterial compounds. It aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of its ethanol extract and its polarity-based fractions against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Dried P. major L. leaves were extracted with ethanol using maceration. The crude extract was then fractionated using a sequential liquid-liquid extraction with hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The antibacterial activity of the extract and all fractions was tested against S. aureus (ATCC 25923) and E. coli (ATCC 25922) using the broth microdilution method to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). Results revealed distinct antibacterial profiles based on fraction polarity. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the strongest activity against S. aureus with an MIC of 0.104 mg/mL, indicating the presence of potent semi-polar compounds like flavonoids effective against gram-positive bacteria. Conversely, the n-butanol fraction was most effective against E. coli with an MIC of 3.3 mg/mL, suggesting the role of hydrophilic compounds such as saponins in disrupting the more complex gram-negative membrane. The crude ethanol extract showed lower activity, confirming the critical role of fractionation in concentrating the bioactive compounds. Plantago major L. possesses significant antibacterial potential, with its active compounds concentrated in specific polarity-based fractions. These findings validate its traditional use and support its further development as an alternative therapy in the face of growing antibiotic resistance.
References
Adom, M. B., Taher, M., Mutalabisin, M. F., Amri, M. S., Abdul Kudos, M. B., Wan Sulaiman, M. W. A., … Susanti, D. (2017). Chemical constituents and medical benefits of Plantago major. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & Pharmacotherapie, 96, 348–360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2017.09.152
Bajpai, V., Kang, S., & Lee, S. (2016). Antibacterial effects of flavonoids on gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Journal of Medicinal Food. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2015.08.011
Balouiri, M., Sadiki, M., & Saad, I. (2015). Methods for in vitro evaluating antimicrobial activity: A review. Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, 6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpha.2015.11.005
Budzianowska, A., Kikowska, M., & Budzianowski, J. (2022). Adventitious root culture of Plantago ovata Forssk. As a source of phenylethanoid glycosides. Industrial Crops and Products, 180, 114773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.114773
Chevallier, A. (1996). The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley Ltd.
Gunawan, I., & Prismawan, E. (2023). Antibacterial activity of Plantago major L. extracts against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Pharmaceuticals, 16(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16081092
Hilty, J. (2021). Plantago major, Broadleaf Plantain. Illinois Wildflowers.
Hirani, A., Patel, V., & Trivedi, S. (2020). Impact of saponins and polysaccharides on bacterial cell walls. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.9b06204
Kagan, L., Friedman, H., & Shapiro, A. (2018). The efficacy of Plantago major L. extracts against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Journal of Antibiotics. Retrieved from https://www.journalofantibiotics.com/articles/kagan2018.pdf
Monjd, B., Abd Razik, B., Hasan, H., & Murtadha, M. (2019). The Study of Antibacterial Activity of Plantago Major and Ceratonia Siliqua. 11, 130–135.
Ozkan, K., Uslu, H., & Yildirim, M. (2019). Mechanisms of action of plant-derived antimicrobial compounds. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6509175/
Razik, R., Zain, M., & Bakar, A. (2017). Flavonoids and phenolics as antibacterial agents. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315285429_Flavonoids_and_phenolics_as_antibacterial_agents
Sahakyan, N., Sargsyan, H., & Grigoryan, R. (2020). Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants. Journal of Natural Products. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnatu.2019.08.030
Sahakyan, N. Z., Ginovyan, M. M., Petrosyan, M. T., & Trchounian, A. H. (2019). Antibacterial and Anti-Phage Activity of Plantago major L. Raw Material. Proceedings of the YSU B: Chemical and Biological Sciences, 53(1 (248)), 59–64. https://doi.org/10.46991/PYSU:B/2019.53.1.059
Samuelsen, A. B. (2000). The traditional uses, chemical constituents and biological activities of Plantago major L. A review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 71(1–2), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0378-8741(00)00212-9
USDA. (2020). Plantago major L. broadleaf plantain. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Zhakipbekov, K., Turgumbayeva, A., Issayeva, R., Kipchakbayeva, A., Kadyrbayeva, G., Tleubayeva, M., … Tileuberdi, Y. (2023). Antimicrobial and Other Biomedical Properties of Extracts from Plantago major, Plantaginaceae. Pharmaceuticals, 16(8), 1092. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16081092
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Deka Prismawan, Michael, Gwyneth Yovela Gunawan, Pretty Falena Atmanda Kambira
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access)
JRST (Jurnal Riset Sains dan Teknologi) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
