The Study of Antibacterial Effects of Combining Some Medicinal Plants with Certain Antibiotics Against the Multidrug-Resistant E. coli.

Abstract

As resistant microorganisms are causing a serious global problem, medicinal plants had begun to draw scientists' attention to use them as alternative medicines or in case of this research; to be combined with antibiotics to find a solution against one of these resistant microorganisms. This research shows the possibility of getting positive results in inhibiting the growth of Multidrug-resistant E. coli; through the synergism between medicinal plant extracts with antibiotics. Each of the alcoholic and aqueous extract of the plants: Glycyrrhiza glabra, Viscum album and Chamaemelum nobile were combined with Erythromycin ethylsuccinate and Gramicidin in certain percentages individually to get three types of combinations (A, B and C). Combinations that contained more percentages of extracts than antibiotic in them showed the highest synergistic positive results in inhibiting the growth of E. coli. Furthermore, these plant extracts as the phytochemical screening tests showed, contain certain active contents which in rule have antimicrobial effects.