The antimicrobial screening of four South African asteraceae species and the preliminary structural investigation of an antipseudomonal compound from Arctotts auriculata

Abstract

Infectious diseases represent one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, like South Africa. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics has also resulted in the emergence of a number of resistant bacterial strains. Four plants belonging to the Asteraceae (Daisy) Family, which forms part of the Fynbos Biome, were screened for their phytochemical composition and mantimicrobial activity. The plants investigated were: Helichrysum crispum, Felicia erigeroides, Eriocephalus africanzs and Arctotis auriculata. The plants were selected on the basis of their ethnobotanical use in various infectious diseases.