ANTI-DYSENTERY ACTIVITY OF TETRACYCLINE IN COMBINATION WITH CURCUMA XANTHORRHIZA ROXB. OR SONCHUS ARVENSIS L.

Abstract

Background: Bacterial dysentery, a diarrhea caused by Shigella sp. infection, causes a major morbidity and mortality in rural communities of developing countries. In Indonesia, most of the dysentery patients often use antibiotics in combination with herbal medicine to enhance the effect. Objective: This research aimed to examine the effect of tetracycline in combination with Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. or Sonchus arvensis L. as an anti-dysentery. Methods: Antibacterial activity of each extract against Shigella flexneri was determined by using microdilution method. Furthermore, its activity in combination with tetracycline was determined by using checkerboard method. To assess its effect in in vivo, the drug combination was given orally into S. flexneri–infected rat for 7 consecutive days and total plate count in the feces of the rats were determined. Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tetracycline, ethanol extract of C. xanthorrhiza and S. arvensis against S. flexneri was 4, 128, and 512 mg/100μL, respectively. The combination of each extract with tetracyline could reduce their MIC value, but the total MIC was not lower than 0.5, suggesting an additive interaction. However, in in vivo study, both combinations could reduce the number of bacteria found in the feces of the rat significantly compared to positive control and to tetracycline only-treated rat at day 6 after administration of the drug, suggesting a synergistic interaction. Conclusion: Combination of tetracycline with ethanol extract of C. xanthorrhiza or with S. arvensis is potential to be developed as anti-dysentery drugs against Shigella flexneri.