Ethnobotanical survey and antimicrobial activity screening of selected medicinal plants utilized by Ayta communities in Dinalupihan, Bataan, Philippines

Abstract

This study investigated the medicinal plants used by the Ayta communities in Dinalupihan, Bataan, Philippines. Using structured interviews, medicinal plants used by the Ayta in three barangays in Dinalupihan, Bataan were surveyed, identified to the species level and their uses determined. Results showed a total of 158 species belonging to 50 families with the Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Asteraceae families most represented. The Use Value of the plants was computed and Psidium guajava and Lunasia amara were found as the most important medicinal plants in the three barangays with a Use Value of 0.814. Vitex parviflora and Cyanthillium cinereum were chosen to be tested for antimicrobial properties because (1) the two plants were in the top 10 most useful plants based on Use Value and (2) there were yet to be published studies concerning the antimicrobial properties of the two plants. The methanol crude extracts of the two plants were screened for antimicrobial activity against four microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Overall, the antibacterial activity of the tested samples was effective against the growth of S. aureus.