ABSTRACT

Traditional medicine in North-West of Turkey (Bilecik province) was studied during a three-month field study by interviewing local informants from several districts. 64 plant samples belonging to 33 families were recorded to be used in the treatment of 26 different diseases mainly for gastrointestinal disorders (18%), respiratory disorders (11%), rheumatism (15%) and skin disorders (8%). Uses of Cionura erecta, Echium plantagineum, Neslia apiculata, Stachys thirkei, Oxalis articulata, Consolida regalis subsp. paniculata and Solanum alatum in traditional medicine have been reported for the first time herein. The plant species used to treat infections and skin disorders were tested for antimicrobial activity. Petroleum ether and ethanol extracts were prepared from the aerial parts of Hedera helix, Lavandula stoechas subsp. cariensis, Plantago major, Teucrium chamaedrys subsp. chamaedrys and Teucrium polium and tested in vitro against 7 bacterial and one fungal strains using microbroth dilution technique according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). The results indicate that the ethanolic extracts of L. stoechas subsp. cariensis and P. major have shown the strongest activity against Staphylococcus aureus with a MIC value of 19.52 ug/ml. The petroleum ether extracts ofT. polium and T. chamaedrys subsp. chamaedrys have exhibited moderate activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae (MIC: 156.2 ug/ml). None of the extracts tested have shown antifungal activity against C. albicans.