Abstract
Background: Plants have been among us for millions of years and about 70% of the world’s population utilizes plants for healing purposes. Artostaphylos uva-ursi is one of the most commonly used plant in the treatment of urinary tracts infections as it possesses great antimicrobial properties,
Material and Methods: Herbal extract and homeopathic mother tincture of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi was investigated for its antimicrobial activity against selected microorganisms (Aspergillus Species, Candida albicans and Escherichia coli). These microorganisms are among the most pathogenic microorganisms on earth, they can cause diseases in immunocompromised patients. The method used was the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion susceptibility test method.
Results: The herbal extract and the homeopathic mother tincture of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi showed antimicrobial activity against both Candida albicans and Escherichia coli but it did not show any activity against the selected Aspergillus Species (A. flavus, A. fumigatus and A. niger).
Conclusion: The herbal extract showed greater antimicrobial property than the homeopathic mother tincture. The result is not conclusive because we did not determine and isolate the active ingredients in starting material, therefore further research should be done in that regard.