An-Najah Staff

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimi-crobial potential of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Thym-bra spicata L. (Lamiaceae), Nepeta curviflora Boiss. and Paronychia argentea Lam. (Caryophyllaceae) against six Gram negative bacteria and one Gram positive bacterium. Agar well diffusion method was adopted to examine the antimicrobial activity of all plant extracts being studied. Out of the seven bacterial isolates, a clinical isolate of Proteus mirabilis (II) was the most susceptible one for all the examined plant extracts except for N. curviflora etha-nol extract. Moreover, the ethanol extract of P. argentea exhibited the highest antimicrobial potential against most of the tested bacteria except for Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. On the other hand, all investigated ethanol plant extracts displayed antibacterial effect against the other clinical isolate of Proteus mirabilis (I), which showed resistance against the broad spectrum antibiotic Gentamycin. Further more, micro-broth dilution method was used to measure the minimum inhibitory concentra-tion (MIC) of the effective plant extracts. The examined ethanol plant extracts demonstrated higher MIC values than the aqueous extracts ranging from 1.56 to 50 mg/ml. Accordingly, the obtained results form the platform for further phytochemical and pharmacological studies which are invited to purify and characterize the active ingredient (s) of the studied plant species by the future focus on their extracts fractionation in hope of identifying the active components.

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Objectives: This study has been done to evaluate the interaction between ethanolic extracts of Rhus coriaria (seed), Psidium guajava (Leaf), Lawsonia inermis (Leaf) and Sacropoterium spinosum (seed) and antimicrobial drugs including oxytetracycline HCl, enrofloxacin, gentamicin sulphate and sulfadimethoxine against four clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Methodology: Evaluation of the interaction between ethanolic extracts and different antimicrobial agents has been done using well-diffusion method. Results: It showed that ethanolic extracts increase the inhibition zones of oxytetracycline HCl, gentamicin sulphate, and sulfadimethoxine, while combinations between these plant extracts and enrofloxacin decrease inhibition zone.
Conclusion: This study probably suggests the possibility of concurrent use of these antimicrobial drugs and plant extracts in combination in treating infections caused by S. aureus strains or at least the concomitant administration may not impair the antimicrobial activity of these antibiotics. 

Objective To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of Ecballium elaterium (E. elaterium) fruits alone against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains and Candida albicans (C. albicans) strains, or in combination with penicillin against Staphylococcus areus strains.
Methods Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity or synergy interaction was carried out using microdilution method.
Results The results showed that ethanolic extract of E. elaterium fruits has antimicrobial activity against methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), methicillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and C. albicans. This extract showed a significant decrease in minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of penicillin against both MRSA and MSSA strains. Fractional inhibitory concentration index (FIC) between penicillin and ethanolic extract of E. elaterium fruits against these test strains was less than 0.5.
Conclusions This study suggests that ethanolic extract of E. elaterium fruits has antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and C. albicans and there is a possibility of concurrent use of penicillin and E. elaterium extract in combination in the treatment of infections caused by MRSA and MSSA strains. A wider study is needed to identify the effective components, the mode of action and the possible toxic effect in vivo of these ingredients.

Objective  To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of Ecballium elaterium (E. elaterium) fruits alone against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains and Candida albicans (C. albicans) strains, or in combination with penicillin against Staphylococcus areus strains. Methods  Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity or synergy interaction was carried out using microdilution method.
Results  The results showed that ethanolic extract of E. elaterium fruits has antimicrobial activity against methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), methicillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and C. albicans. This extract showed a significant decrease in minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of penicillin against both MRSA and MSSA strains. Fractional inhibitory concentration index (FIC) between penicillin and ethanolic extract of E. elaterium fruits against these test strains was less than 0.5.
Conclusions  This study suggests that ethanolic extract of E. elaterium fruits has antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and C. albicans and there is a possibility of concurrent use of penicillin and E. elaterium extract in combination in the treatment of infections caused by MRSA and MSSA strains. A wider study is needed to identify the effective components, the mode of action and the possible toxic effect in vivo of these ingredients.