A New Potential Source of Anti-pathogenic Bacterial Substances from Zamioculcas zamiifolia (Lodd.) Engl. Extracts

The increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a problem for global health that needs to find new antibiotic drugs. The plant is the potential source of antibiotic substances that important to solve the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Zamioculcas zamiifolia stem extracts against nine human pathogenic bacteria.

Z. zamiifolia stems were extracted with five extraction solvents. The screening of antibacterial activity of stem extract was measured using agar disc diffusion assay. The Minimal Inhibition Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) values of extracts were determined using the broth microdilution assay and colorimetric assay.

The results indicated that the lowest MIC value of 0.09 mg mL-1 against Staphylococcus aureus TISTR 1466 was obtained from hexane extraction. The lowest MBCs value of 1.56 mg mL-1 against Bacillus cereus TISTR 2373, Listeria spp. and Escherichia coli TISTR 527 were obtained from ethanol and methanol extractions.

The ethanolic and methanolic stem extracts of Z. zamiifolia demonstrated the highest anti-human pathogenic bacterial activity. This is the first report to demonstrate the high potential of antibacterial substance from Z. zamiifolia stem extracts, which can be developed further as a natural drug for treating bacterial infectious diseases.