Back to Contents

Pak. J. Bot., 44(4): 1203-1208, 2012.

FREE FULL TEXT PDF

MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE MEDICINAL PLANTS IN PESHAWAR CITY, PAKISTAN

KHANZADI FATIMA KHATTAK

Abstract: Medicinal plants naturally harbor a variety of microorganisms. Besides, representing a direct health hazard to the consumer, these contaminated materials can cause the spoilage of pharmaceuticals and traditional preparations to which they are added. Assessment of microbiological loads of plants to assure safety and quality is therefore worth investigation. In the present study, 45 commercially available medicinal plants were evaluated for aerobic bacteria, fungi, coliforms, E. coli and Salmonella. All investigations were carried out in triplicate using standard methods. The results of the study revealed very high microbial loads and the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the plant samples. The aerobic bacterial count ranged from1.3 x 10² to 5.6 x 10⁹ cfu/g. The highest load was detected in the rhizomes of Curcuma longa. The coliform counts varied from 1.5 x 10² to 1.6 x 10⁴ cfu/g. Among the selected herbs, 23 showed the presence of E. coli, while Salmonella spp. was detected in 13 samples. The fungal counts were above the international permissible level in the tested samples. It was concluded that commercially available plants may be high-risk substances and therefore quality of the plants may be regularly checked to ensure safety and make them fit for human consumption.

Food Science Division, Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture, P. O. Box 446, Peshawar, Pakistan

Corresponding author e-mail: khattakkf@yahoo.com