Abstract
Objective: To determine the inhibition effect of zinc sulfate on isolates of enteric bacteria. Materials and Methods: Mueller-Hinton agar containing different concentrations of zinc sulfate was prepared. Isolates used in this study were obtained from local clinics. They were Salmonella typhi, Salmonella groups A, B, C, D and E, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Shigella and Vibrio cholerae. Overnight cultures of test organisms in brain-heart infusion broth were adjusted to 0.5 McFarland standard turbidity by adding normal saline with 1 µl of each adjusted broth culture inoculated onto zinc sulfate agar plates. The plates were incubated for 18–20 h at 37°C. The inhibition concentration was recorded as the lowest concentration of zinc sulfate that completely inhibited growth. Results: All enteric pathogens tested were inhibited by zinc sulfate. Of the isolates, S. typhi was most sensitive since 20% of the strains were inhibited by zinc sulfate of 0.8 mg/ml. Salmonella paratyphi A was inhibited at 1.2 mg/ml. Other Salmonella spp. were inhibited at concentrations between 1.4 and 2.0 mg/ml. V. cholerae O1 and Shigella flexneri demonstrated a similar pattern of inhibition as S. paratyphi A. A higher concentration of zinc sulfate (1.6 mg/ml) was required to completely inhibit Shigella sonnei. Conclusion: The findings indicate that zinc sulfate has an antimicrobial effect on enteric pathogens and may contribute to the treatment of diarrhea.
Published Version
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