Phytochemical analysis and antibacterial activity of methanolic extract of Bergenia purpurascens against common respiratory infection causing bacterial species in vitro and in neonatal rats

Abstract Respiratory bacterial infections are responsible for significant mortality across the world and with emergence of drug resistant bacterial strains there is urgent need to look for new treatment options. In this study we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of methanolic extract of Bergenia purpurasceus in vitro and in neonatal rats. The results of the present study revealed that the methanolic extract exhibits antimicrobial activity against all the bacterial species with MIC ranging from 75 to 150 μg/ml. The antibacterial activity of the Bergenia purpurasceus extract was also determined in the neonatal rat models wherein it was observed that administration of 50 and 100 mg/kg doses of Bergenia purpurasceus extract improved the survival of the neonatal rats infected with S. aureus. Furthermore, the extract showed considerable antioxidant activity which was positively associated with the phenolics and flavonoids content. Finally the constituents responsible for the bioactivity of the extract were identified and found to be bergenin, catechin, naringenin, myricetin and gallic acid. Takentogether, these results indicate that Bergenia purpurasceus extract could prove useful for the treatment of bacterial respiratory infections.