Stannous chloride (SnC12) is used in nuclear medicine as a reducing agent to obtain technetium-99m-radiopharmaceuticals. It have been reported that natural products might reduce the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects related to SnC12. This work evaluated the biological effects of an aqueous extract of Salix alba on the survival of Escherichia coli (E. coli) AB1157 (wild type) cultures submitted to the action of SnC12. E. coli AB1157 cultures (exponential growth phase) were collected by centrifugation, washed and resuspended in 0.9% NaCl. Samples were incubated in water bath shaker with: (a) SnC12 (25 microg/ml), (b) Salix alba extract(11.6 mg/ml) and (c) SnC12 (25 microg/ml) + Salix alba extract (11.6 mg/ml). Incubation with 0.9% NaCl was also carried out (control). At 60 min intervals, aliquots were withdrawn, diluted, spread onto Petri dishes with solid LB medium and incubated overnight. The colonies formed were counted and the survival fractions calculated. The extract was not able to protect the E. coli cultures against the lesive action of SnC12. The extract also did not interfere with the survival of the cultures. It suggested that the substances present in the Salix alba aqueous extract did not interfere strongly with cellular metabolism and did not alter the survival fractions of E. coli AB 1157. It is speculated that this extract cannot interfere with the generation of free radicals, the possible main agent responsible for SnC12 lesive action.