ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF THREE ENDEMIC HYPERICUM SPECIES USED IN FOLKLORIC MEDICINE AGAINST METHICILIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Aqueous and ethanolic extracts obtained from three endemic Hypericum species (H. rupestre, H. vacciniifolium and H. imbricatum) used as traditional medicine in Turkey have been investigated for their ability to inhibit 35 hospital isolates of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the plants were effective on MRSA. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of the ethanolic extract with the greatest antibacterial activity were those of Hypericum imbricatum (MIC 0.1-0.4 mg/mL and MBC 0.4-1.6 mg/mL).