STUDY ON THE INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF GEL CONTAINING VINE SPINACH (Basella alba L.) AND FISH-MINT (Houttuynia cordata Thunb) EXTRACTS ON Propionibacterium acnes

Abstract

Acne vulgaris is a common chronic disorder of the pilosebaceous unit and P. acnesis is the main cause of acnes on the skin. Two main problems of conventional acne vulgaris treatments are antibiotic resistance and side effects on the skin. So that, botanical products with antimicrobial activity could be a good choice for acne vulgaris treatment. Vine spinach (Basella alba L.) and fish-mint (Houttuynia cordata Thunb) are commonly used in traditional herbal medicine to treat boils and skin infections. However, the inhibitory effects of these plant extracts on P. acnes are still remains elusive. The present study investigated the antibacterial effects of Basella alba L. and Houttuynia cordata Thunb extract gels against P. acnes. The MIC (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration) value of Basella alba L. extract and Houttuynia cordata Thunb extract on P. acnes was 125 and 62,5 mg/mL, respectively. Our results showed that the gel containing combined Basella alba L. and Houttuynia cordata Thunb extract inhibited P. acnes with average zone of inhibition diameter was 15,3 ± 0,58 mm.