Pharmacopoeia analysis of certain herbal tinctures and assessment of antimicrobial activity

Tinctures as herbal drug preparates have been used for thousands of years in pharmacy and phytotherapy. Tinctures with both traditional and evidence based well defined effects remain in widespread usage to date. In this study, European centaury-Centaurium erythraea L. (Gentianaceae), Myrrh- Commiphora myrrha (Nees) Engler (Burseraceae), St. John's-wort-Hypericum perforatum (Hypericaceae), Eyebright-Euphrasia officinalis (Orobanchaceae), herb- Robert - Geranium robertianum (Geraniaceae), Sage - Salvia officinalis (Lamiaceae) and common nettle - Urtica dioica (Urticaceae) tinctures proportionate to monographs of various pharmacopoeia were analyzed for physicochemical and TLC compatibility with European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur, 2019). Additionally, using human pathogen microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli H157, Bacteriodes fragilis, Yersinia enterocolitica, Clostridium difficile, Campylobacter jejuni, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus mutans, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus sanguinis and Fusobacterium nucleatum tinctures were assessed for antimicrobial effectiveness with in vitro microdilution technique. Additionally, for all tested organisms, E. officinalis tincture of highest tested concentration was not found antimicrobially effective. Furthermore, H. perforatum tincture's minimum inhibitory concentration was found to be lower than tested concentrations against C. jejuni.