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Nosrati M J, Koohsari H, Noryan M. Antibacterial activity of Sofoof polyherbal formulation against some gastrointestinal pathogens. JoMMID 2025; 13 (4) : 3
URL: http://jommid.pasteur.ac.ir/article-1-722-en.html

Antibacterial activity of Sofoof polyherbal formulation against some gastrointestinal pathogens

Mohammad Javad Nosrati

, Hadi Koohsari ^*

, Morteza Noryan

Department of Microbiology, Az.C., Islamic Azad University, Azadshahr, Iran

Abstract: (30 Views)

Introduction: The people of Forumad, a village in Semnan Province, Iran, have long used a polyherbal formulation called Sofoof to prevent and treat gastrointestinal disorders. This formulation comprises 11 medicinal plants: Carum carvi, Cuminum cyminum, Pimpinella anisum, Anethum graveolens, Achillea millefolium, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Artemisia absinthium, Terminalia chebula, Peganum harmala, Ferula communis, and Trachyspermum ammi. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity of the Sofoof polyherbal formulation and its individual plant constituents against six species of gastrointestinal pathogenic bacteria. Methods: Extraction was performed using an infusion method with a solvent system of ethanol, 1-propanol, and water (1:1:1, v/v/v). Antibacterial activity was assessed using the agar well-diffusion assay, and the macrodilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Results: Extracts of T. chebula, P. harmala, and C. cyminum showed significant antibacterial activity. At a concentration of 31.25 mg/mL, the inhibition zone diameters of T. chebula extract against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Enterococcus faecalis, Shigella dysenteriae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus were 13, 10, 13, 12, 29, and 24.5 mm, respectively. The MICs for T. chebula against these bacteria ranged from 0.98 mg/mL (Bacillus cereus) to 31.25 mg/mL (Shigella dysenteriae). Notably, the extract of the Sofoof polyherbal formulation (comprising 11 plants) showed lower antibacterial activity than the individual extracts of T. chebula and P. harmala. Conclusion: This study validates the traditional use of the Sofoof polyherbal formulation and identifies T. chebula, P. harmala, and C. cyminum as its most active antibacterial constituents. Gram-positive bacteria demonstrated greater susceptibility to the extracts than Gram-negative bacteria. The lower activity of the Sofoof polyherbal formulation compared to certain individual plant extracts suggests possible antagonistic interactions, warranting further studies to elucidate constituent interactions within polyherbal formulations.

Article number: 3

Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Gastrointestinal pathogenic bacteria, Medicinal plants, Sofoof polyherbal formulation

Type of Study: Original article | Subject: Anti-microbial agents, resistance and treatment protocols
Received: 2025/03/28 | Accepted: 2025/12/10 | Published: 2026/02/3

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