Antibacterial Effect of the Ethanolic Extract of Gnaphalium vira vira (wira wira) In Vitro

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants is a therapeutic alternative for low-income populations and the animals that are their source of income. The study of the antimicrobial activity of Gnaphalium vira vira (wira wira) was carried out in the Pharmacology Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science at the National University of the Altiplano, with samples brought from the Camacani community, in the city of Puno. The objectives were: to verify the antibacterial activity of the ethanolic extract in its aqueous and ethanolic preparations, distinguishing flowers, leaves, stem, and the whole plant; using the microbial diffusion method on plates. For the statistical analysis, a completely randomized design under a 2 x 2 x 4 factorial arrangement was used. The results were: there was antimicrobial action against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. A significant difference (p<0.05) was found among preparations, microorganisms, and parts of the plant. The antibacterial activity was evidenced by the halo size of the preparations against microorganisms extracted from cattle with respiratory processes. For the ethanolic and aqueous preparations, the halo size was 15.6418 ± 3.127 mm and 14.7145 ± 2.569 mm in diameter, respectively; for the microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, the halo size was 15.8050 ± 2.403 mm and 14.5513 ± 3.2 mm in diameter, respectively; for the plant parts—flowers, whole plant, leaf, and stem—the halo size was 17.7145 ± 0.933 mm, 16.462 ± 0.953 mm, 15.373 ± 1.912 mm, and 11.1630 ± 1.890 mm in diameter, respectively. It is concluded that Gnaphalium vira vira has antibacterial effects, being most effective against Staphylococcus aureus, especially in the flowers and in its ethanolic preparation.