The effect of air pollution on antimicrobial properties of Lavandula

Lavandulais is a medicinal plant which belongs to laminacea species. Nowadays, it is planted as an ornamental plant in cities. Considering the tendency of people in using medicinal plants, it appears essential to investigate the extent to which the plants grown in cities have the same characteristics of the natural plants or some of their properties change due to the air pollution. The extracts of Lavandula against Escherichia coli, Seudomonas aeruginosa, B. subtilis, and S. aureus were investigated at two concentrations in two regions (non-polluted and polluted) using two (Methanol and water) extraction strategies. In addition, the antimicrobial properties of Lavandula essence were compared with two new antibiotics (i.e. Ceftizoxime and Ciprofloxacin). The results indicated that the water extracts obtained from the flowering branches in two polluted and non-polluted areas of Tehran had no antimicrobial activity. The Methanol extract obtained from the flowering branches did not have any antimicrobial activity in the polluted region but was influential in the non-polluted area. Hence, people should be informed on that the Lavandula planted in the polluted areas of Tehran (street, park, and house) are merely ornamental and have no medicinal value.