[Antituberculous in vitro activity of Helichrýsum arenárium extract]

Bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity of aqueous solution (50 mg/mL) of alcoholic extract of Helichrýsum arenárium (L.) dried flowers, prepared by a special technique so as to increase the yield of flavonoids, was studied in vitro with respect to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) strains possessing varying degrees of drug resistance, as characterized by replacements Ser R Leu (modification of b-subunit RNA-polymerase of MBT) and Ser R Thr (inactivation of MBT catalase-peroxidase enzyme). The mechanism of this drug action is clearly distinguished from that of the first-line drugs, since strains resistant to these reference drugs have proved susceptible to extract H. arenárium extract. This extract can be recommended for preclinical and clinical studies in the search for new antituberculous drugs and for studying new mechanisms of drug action on MBT. It may also be an effective drug for the treatment of multidrug-resistant MBT strains.