ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF METHANOL EXTRACTS OF FONTINALIS ANTIPYRETICA , HYPNUM CUPRESSIFORME , AND CTENIDIUM MOLLUSCUM

Antibacterial and antifungal activities of methanol extracts of the moss species Fontinalis antipyretica Hed��. var. antipyretica, Hypnum cupressiforme Hed��., and Ctenidium molluscum (Hed��.) �itt. ��ere analyzed. Antimicrobial activity ��as tested against Gram (+) (Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus flavus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis) and Gram (�) (Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis) bacteria. Antifungal activity of extracts ��as tested using the follo��ing micro� mycetes: Trichoderma viride, Penicillium funiculosum, P. ochrochloron, Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, and A. niger. The methanol extract of Fontinalis antipyretica sho��ed the strongest activity against the tested bacteria and micromycetes. The antibacterial effect of methanol extracts ��as higher against the G (�) (Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis) than against the G (+) bacteria tested.

A number of bryophytes, mosses in particular, have been ��idely used as medicinal plants.Some species are used in traditional medicine for treating skin infections and other diseases.Thus, Marchantia polymorpha has been used to cure liver and gall blader diseases.About 40 moss species are used in Chinese traditional medicine because of their me� dicinal properties.Some species are still in use for treatment of hepatitis and inflammatory processes (Hu,19�7).Sphagnum spp.are used for treatment of eye diseases.Rhodobryum species have been used for treatment of cardiovascular disorders.In North America and the Himalayas, Indians used Bryum, Mnium, and Philonotis species to make various pre�
The aim of this ��ork ��as to test the activity of methanol extracts of Fontinalis antipyretica var.antipyretica, Hypnum cupressiforme, and Ctenidium molluscum collected in Serbia against selected bac� teria and micromycetes.

ReSULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results of testing the antibacterial activity of moss methanol extracts are presented in Tables 1  and 2. Those obtained by the disk diffusion method are presented in Table 1.
It is evident that all extracts sho��ed bactericidal activity at a concentration of 20 mg/ml.Escherichia coli and S. enteritidis ��ere more susceptible (reacting to a concentration of 10 mg/ml).A strong bactericid� al effect ��as exerted by extract of the moss Hypnum cupressiforme (10 mg/ml) against S. enteritidis.The values of minimal inhibitory concentrations (�IC) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (�BC) are given in Table 2.
The strongest effect ��as manifested by extract of Fontinalis antipyretica.extract of this species ��as active against M. flavus at a concentration of 0.5 mg/ disk.The species C. molluscum and H. cupressiforme ��ere also active.The extract of C. molluscum did not sho�� activity against M. flavus.Hypnum cupressiforme sho��ed the strongest effect against M. flavus at a concentration of 2 mg/disk.The most resistent bacterial species, as in the microdilution method, ��as Staphylococcus epidermidis.extracts at a concentration of 0.5 mg/disk ��ere not active against Micrococcus flavus, ��hile higher concentrations sho��ed ��ide zones of inhibition.The most susceptible bacteria ��ere Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.When this method ��as used, Amoxycilin sho��ed activity significantly stronger than that of moss extracts.
All tested fungi ��ere very susceptible at extract concentrations of 10 and 5 mg/ml, and �FC values ��ere 5 mg/ml in the majority.The most active ��as methanol extract of Fontinalis antipyretica, since it inhibited gro��th of most micromycetes at a con� centration of 2.5 mg/ml.Bifonazol sho��ed an e��ect significantly stronger than those of the analyzed ex� tracts (�IC 0.1�0.5 mg/ml; �FC 0.1�1 mg/ml).

Antimicrobial activity of methanol extract of
Hypnum cupressiforme ��as also analyzed recently by Dulger et al. (2005).According to those results, the extract inhibited gro��th of bacteria and fungi at a concentration of 30 mg/ml.The isolated substances ��ere polycyclic hydrocarbons, biflavonoids, and di� hydroflavonols.In the present ��ork, methanol ex� tract of H. cupressiforme ��as active against the tested bacteria at concentrations of 10 and 20 mg/ml and against micromycetes at a concentration of 5 mg/ ml.
In our study, methanol extract of Fontinalis antipyretica possessed moderate antimicrobial activ� ity, ��hile Ctenidium molluscum sho��ed lo�� activity against the bacteria and micromycetes tested.The antifungal activity of the analyzed moss spe� cies ��as higher than their antibacterial activity.The antibacterial e��ect of methanol extracts ��as higher against G (�) (Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis) than against G (+) bacteria.

Table 1 .
Antibacterial activity of methanol extracts of Fontinalis antipyretica, Hypnum cupressiforme, and Ctenidium molluscum as determined by the disk diffusion method.

Table 2 .
Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of methanol extracts of investigated mosses.

Table 3 .
Antifungal activity of methanol extracts of selected mosses.Abbreviations as in Table2.