Antibacterial activity of organic extracts from Zinnia peruviana (L.) against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria

Latin American countries have a long tradition in the use of plants that can produce varied therapeutic effects. Zinnia peruviana (L.) (Asteraceae) is a native plant used in folk medicine for the treatment of malaria, for stomach pain, as hepatoprotective and antiparasitic, antifungal and antibacterial agents. The antibacterial activity in vitro of extracts of Z. peruviana was evaluated against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Listeria monocytogenes CLIP 74910, Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus. Different extracts were prepared using ethyl acetate and mixtures of n-hexane and ethyl acetate of increasing polarity on flash chromatography. Z. peruviana extracts showed antibacterial effects against all gram-positive and gram-negative pathogenic bacteria tested, with significant antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus, L. monocytogenes and B. cereus. The results open a path for future studies in the search for new molecules of natural origin with antibiotic activity.