THE SCREENING ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF MENTHA SPICATA VAR. VIRIDIS AND MENTHA SMITHIANA EXTRACTS

Progress in the medical field is often shadowed by variability in microbial genetics, the capacity to adapt quickly and the resistance that microorganisms acquire to latest creations of the chemistry synthesis. In this context, the researchers' attention is drawn to obtaining the compounds that may have utility for medical, food or other fields of human interest, and which are obtained from medicinal and aromatic plants. The area of interest of the present study was the effects of alcoholic extracts obtained from the aerial parts and roots of some species of mint. Alcohol was used as control sample. The effect of the extract was reported at antibiotics microbial reaction. The antibiotics used were: ampicillin and cefotaxime for assessing antibacterial activity and nystatin for yeast activity. The microbial species tested were as follows: Staphylococcus aureusATCC 25923, Enterococcus faecalisATCC 29212 and Candida albicans. Based on the results, it can be stated that the antimicrobial activity of the aerial parts of two species of mint is more pronounced. Thus, in the case of species M smithiana, the extracts obtained from leaves and flowers exhibited a higher bacteriostatic effect. On the other hand, extracts from the leaves of M spicata var. viridis had a stronger inhibition effect on the microbial cultures tested.