A review of the antimicrobial potential of herbal drugs used in popular Italian medicine (1850s–1950s) to treat bacterial skin diseases

ConclusionThe antibacterial activity of the extracts and pure compounds as reported in the reviewed literature is mostly based on in vitro assays and generally does not encourage follow up studies. The effectiveness of the reported recipes, which include fresh plant material and excipients can only be assessed through in vivo studies. Those remedies including herbal drugs with reported antimicrobial activity might have the potential as complementary therapies. The reviewed plant based antimicrobial recipes might serve as inspirations in the search for alternative topical antibacterial strategies and the search for their synergistic and potentiating ingredients.Graphical abstract
Source: Journal of Ethnopharmacology - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research