Antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxicity activity of Drimia maritima

Background: Drimia (synonym Urginea) plants are bulbous plants and are distinctive, powerful medicinal plants.
some species such as Drimia maritima (D. maritima) are indigenous to the Mediterranean basin and have been
traditionally utilized for centuries to cure various diseases. The phytochemical studies of the plant reveal the presence of
flavonoids, and tannins as major constituents, alkaloids, and glycosides. Studies have shown that the D. maritima extract
has antimicrobial action against many pathogens. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial, antifungal
activity, and cytotoxicity of D. maritima against some bacterial and fungal isolates of medical importance. Methods: The
antimicrobial activity of the extracts was evaluated against medical-importance isolates using agar diffusion.
Determination of the Cytotoxicity effect of plant extract was performed using Hemolytic Activity using human red blood
corpuscles. Result: The results showed the aqueous, alcoholic, and benzene extracts had different inhibitory effects
against the tested bacteria, and the most obvious antibacterial action of the three extracts on E. coli, and the extracts
showed a weak or non-activity on fungal species. The cytotoxicity results showed that the leaves had moderate toxicity,
while the tubers did not have any toxic effects. Conclusion: Altogether, the results support the medicinal effects of D.
maritima and its potential use as a biological source against some pathogenic microorganisms.