Antimicrobial activity of Curcuma longa L. on Escherichia coli

Abstract

Curcuma longa is a plant that has stood out in research evaluating antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiprotozoal, anticarcinogenic and antifungal activity. The discovery of new alternatives for the development of drugs originating from active principles of plants is necessary considering the high adaptive capacity of different microorganisms. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of extracts of oleoresin and powder suspension of rhizomes of Curcuma longa against the bacterium Escherichia coli. In this study, no antimicrobial activity was observed for the extracts of turmeric powder and oleoresin against Escherichia coli. There is a wide variety of results obtained in the literature in the face tests of C. longa on the different microorganisms, some positive, demonstrating antimicrobial action, and others negative. This divergence is justified by factors such as: different methodologies used, climate, soil types, fertilization, water availability of the plant’s cultivation, as well as the form of harvest and storage, which interfere in the components present and in their concentration in the plant. Although the results of this study were negative, it does not mean that the plant does not have antimicrobial activity, being indicated the continuity in the assays, aiming to identify the factors that generate disagreement between the studies already carried out.