Traditional medicine has a key role in health care worldwide. Obtaining scientific information about the efficacy and safety of the plants is one of the researcher's goals. In this research, the flowering aerial parts of Rhynchocorys elephas (L.) Griseb (Scrophulariaceae) were collected from Siah Bisheh (Mazandaran, Iran) in May 2009. Extract was tested for its antibacterial activity using 3 Gram-positive bacteria strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus cereus)

more »

... d 2 Gramnegative bacterial strains (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi) by cup plate method. Its mutagenic activity was also investigated using Ames test on Salmonella typhi murium TA100. Here we report for the first time the activity of R. elephas against S. aureus (MIC =31.25 mg/ml), S. epidermidis (MIC = 31.25 mg/ml), B. cereus (Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 62.5 mg/ml), E. coli (MIC = 62.5 mg/ml) and S. typhi (MIC = 62.5 mg/ml). Furthermore the mutagenic potential of R. elephas using Ames test studied and no mutagenic effects was detected. The results of preliminary phytochemical study showed the presence of saponins, flavonoids and tannins in the methanolic extract of flowering aerial parts of this plant.