In vitro study of the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of Punica granatum and Syzygium aromaticum
Keywords:
antibacterial, clove, gram-negative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria, plant extracts, pomegranateAbstract
Introduction: Antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria is a growing phenomenon in both hospital and community settings, hindering medical treatment and clinical recovery of patients. An alternative to this problem lies in plant species that possess biological properties to combat microbial infections.
Objective: To determine the in vitro antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of Punica granatum L. and Syzygium aromaticum L.
Methods: An experimental investigation was conducted using ethanolic extracts of pomegranate and clove at concentrations of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/mL, tested against strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Vibrio cholerae; three replicates were performed for each assay. In vitro susceptibility was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion and Müller-Hinton broth macrodilution techniques.
Results: All bacterial strains were sensitive to the pomegranate and clove extracts; the greatest antibacterial activity was observed against Staphylococcus aureus. At a concentration of 500 mg/mL, inhibitory zones of up to 20.5 and 20.0 mm in diameter were obtained. A minimum inhibitory concentration of 50 mg/mL was established for Staphylococcus aureus and 100 mg/mL for the other tested bacteria.
Conclusion: Ethanolic extracts made from Punica granatum L. peel and Syzygium aromaticum L. flowers have antibacterial activity related to the dose applied (greater than 500 mg/mL) against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Vibrio cholerae.
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