Antimicrobial Activity of Taraxacum pseudocalocephalum Leaves Extract on Pathogenic Microorganisms and Comparison with Common Therapeutic Antibiotics in vitro

Dandelion with the scientific name Taraxacum pseudocalocephalum belongs to the Asteraceae family. The aim of this in vitro study was evaluated the effect of leaf extract of dandelion on Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria innocua, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and comparing itʼs effect whit common antibiotics. In this research, leaf extract of dandelion was obtained by Maceration. Antimicrobial activity of leaf extract of dandelion was investigated using disk diffusion methods, well distribution in agar, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (broth microdilution) and minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration (MBC or MFC). results of MIC of leaf extract of dandelion on Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria innocua, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 128, 128, 256,256,256,256 and 512 respectively. The most resistant strain to the aqueous leaf extract of the dandelion was the gram-negative bacteria of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The result showed that the diameter of inhibitory growth zone in well diffusion agar method was more than disk agar diffusion and the strains showed bigger zone in lower concentration. It can be stated that the aqueous leaf extract of dandelion on gram-positive bacteria and candida albicans showed more antimicrobial activity than gram negative strains, generally. According to the results of this study, further research on the antimicrobial compounds of the dandelion is suggested to be used in the treatment of infectious diseases.