Abstract
The clinical usefulness of gentamicin is limited due to the development of nephrotoxicity. Several natural agents have been used to ameliorate drugs toxicity. The survey of literature reveals that the Mentha piperita Linn. is found to be used in the traditional system of medicine. In the course of an ongoing UOH-project evaluate the effects of M. piperita L. on nephrotoxicity in rat model. So, the present study was designed to determine the pharmacological dose (oral LD50) and antibacterial activity of M. piperita leaf extracts for nephrotoxicity study. Freshly prepared ethanolic and aqueous extracts of M. piperita (EMPet and AMPet) at the following concentrations, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0 g kg(-1) b.wt., were orally administered to rats to find out the LD50 values of them. The LD50 was calculated by both arithmetically and graphically according to the method of Ghosh. The antibiotic activities of both extracts were tested against a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The LD50 of EMPet was found to be 3.7 and 3.6 g kg(-1) b.wt., by arithmetic and graphical method, respectively. Similarly, AMPet were 4.8 and 4.69 g kg(-1) b.wt., by arithmetic and graphical method, respectively. The inhibition zone for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria range from 5.0-20 mm and the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations values were found in Staphylococcus. hominis. In conclusion, this pilot study revealed that EMPet and AMPet administered at a dose of 300 and 400 mg kg(-1) b.wt., were effective, respectively. The active chemical compounds present in M. piperita have potential antibacterial activity.