Abstract
BackgroundAcinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial infections especially in patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Accordingly, the aim of our study was to detection of adeABC efllux pump encoding genes and antimicrobial effect of the essential oil of Mentha longifolia and Menthol on the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of imipenem and ciprofloxacin in clinical isolates of A. baumannii.MethodsA total of 75 clinical isolates of A. baumannii were collected. The presence of efflux pump genes was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the essential oil of Mentha longifolia and Menthol and their combined effect with antibiotics were measured by microbroth dilution method and fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index.ResultsThe frequency of adeA, adeB, and adeC genes in clinical isolates of A. baumannii were 86.7, 90.7, and 92%, respectively. When the essential oil of Mentha longifolia was combined with ciprofloxacin and imipenem, MICs decreased 4- and 8-fold, respectively. In the combination of menthol with imipenem, the resistance to imipenem was reduced from 0- to 16-fold in 90% (63/70) of the isolates.ConclusionThe presence of efflux pump genes in more than 90% of A. baumannii isolates indicates its potential role in inducing imipenem- and ciprofloxacin-resistance in this bacterium. Menthol has an antimicrobial effect as an active ingredient in Mentha longifolia. In the future, the combination of medicinal plants with antibiotics can be used as a complement in treating diseases caused by drug-resistant bacteria such as A. baumannii infections.
Highlights
Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial infections especially in patients in intensive care units (ICUs)
Due to the frequency and availability of this plant as well as its therapeutic usages, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of natural herbal inhibitors such as Mentha longifolia on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ciprofloxacin and imipenem in clinical isolates of A. baumannii with adeABC efflux pumps encoding genes isolated from hospitalized patients in ICU wards
According to the results of disk diffusion method, the antibacterial effects of menthol and the essential oil of Mentha longifolia were observed in the inhibition zones around disks (Fig. 1)
Summary
Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial infections especially in patients in intensive care units (ICUs). The essential oil of the Mentha longifolia species has shown an antimicrobial activity (comparable to available antibiotics) against a range of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, and protozoa [5] Essential oils and their constituents have significant hydrophobic properties which cause materials to penetrate into the cell membranes of bacteria and mitochondria disrupting their structure and creating more permeability. Due to the frequency and availability of this plant as well as its therapeutic usages, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of natural herbal inhibitors such as Mentha longifolia on MICs of ciprofloxacin and imipenem in clinical isolates of A. baumannii with adeABC efflux pumps encoding genes isolated from hospitalized patients in ICU wards
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