The Antibacterial Activity of Medicinal Plants

Antibiotics have been over-prescribed for minor infections for the last few decades. The result is drug-resistant bacteria, fungi and viruses. Researchers have turned to medicinal plants for answers in the fight against disease-causing bacteria. Plants have been used as a source of relief from illness for thousands of years, according to written documents of early civilization in China, India and the Near East.

Pneumonia, Flu and Upper Respiratory Bacteria

• Thyme is an herb that is popular in herb gardens.

  The essential oils of the following plants have been found to inhibit the growth of bacteria that causes pneumonia, flu and bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses: lemon balm, thyme, cinnamon bark and lemon grass. Peppermint and eucalyptus oils have a lesser ability as bacterial inhibitors.

Staphylococcus Aureus

• Papaya plants produce a milky sap that is beneficial as an antimicrobial.

  Staph is a well-known bacteria that plaques hospitals. Purple prairie clover has properties considered to be excellent in inhibiting the Staph bacteria, according to the Clinical Microbiology Reviews: Alkaloids and Mixtures. The papaya plant has a milky sap that is active against the growth of Staph. Geranium, thyme and oregano oils inhibit the growth of the Staph bacteria.

Helicobacter Pylori or H. Pylori

• Oregano oil used as an antibacterial is not the common oregano herb grown in America.

  H. pylori bacteria colonizes inside the stomach, causing gastritis and ulcers. Cinnamon, tree tree oil, clove oil and oregano oil are effective against this bacteria. Black pepper, long believed to aggravate stomach ulcers, has antimicrobial properties that inhibit the growth of bacteria in the stomach.

Other Bacteria

• Hundreds of plants have been tested as antibacterial remedies. Scientist are constantly seeking new answers in germ warfare, realizing that antibiotics do have a shelf-life. Dozens of plants are showing antibacterial properties, including basil, sage, rosemary, garlic, buttercup, myrrh oil, ginger and nutmeg.