Extra- and intracellular antimycobacterial activity of Arbutus unedo L.

This study aims to evaluate extra- and intracellullar antimycobacterial activity of Arbutus unedo L. leaves-extracts. We tested the aqueous and ethanol extracts of Arbutus leaves effect against three mycobacteria growth, and showed that aqueous extract and the part I of ethanol extract have a remarkable extracellular antimycobacterial activity. The MIC (Minimum inhibitory concentration) of the part I of ethanol extract is 5.59 ± 0.69 mg/ml forMycobacterium aurum A + and 6.02 ± 0.76 mg/ ml for Mycobacterium smegmatis MC2and Mycobacterium bovis PPI. The part I of arbutus ethanol-extract, used at 6.02 ± 0.76 mg/ml, has a bactericidal effect on M. smegmatis MC2 located within the rat peritoneal macrophages.   Key words: Antimycobacterial activity, Arbutus unedo L., rat peritoneal macrophages.