Research Information System
PAKISTAN VETERINARY JOURNAL, vol.43, no.2, pp.1-6, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of novel pathogens
pose a serious threat to public health and animals around the world. Peppermint
(Mentha piperita) has a variety of therapeutic features, one of which is an
antibacterial property that can be helpful in preventing infections in wildlife. This
property can be found in the extracts of both the stem and the leaf of the plant. In
the current investigation, an extract of Mentha piperita (M. piperita) or clocally
named as peppermint stem and leaf was produced in methanol at a concentration of
70 percent to test its effectiveness as an antibacterial agent against three Gramnegative bacteria. i.e. Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella Typhimurium (S.
Typhimurium) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and against one
Gram-positive Bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Fresh feces and skin
swab samples were taken from wild sheep in the Wildlife Park Gatwala, Faisalabad,
during February 2022. The isolated strains of bacteria were identified and confirmed
microbiologically. Peppermint (stem and leaf) extracts prepared with methanol were
examined for their efficacy against the identified pathogens. The extracts
demonstrated higher inhibitory zones (leaf: 17.5mm, stem:16mm) against S. aureus.
S. Typhimurium, P. aeruginosa and E. coli. The leaf extract showed zones of
inhibition of 16.5, 16, 15.5 and 13mm while stem extract produced zones of
inhibition of 15.5, 14, 16.5, 15mm against S. aureus. S. Typhimurium, P. aeruginosa
and E. coli, respectively. Furthermore, the broth dilution method revealed that the
MIC of peppermint (stem and leaf) was 0.4mg/ml against all tested bacterial strains.
Altogether, these findings indicate that peppermint extracts may be useful in
combating common bacterial infections of wild sheep.