Abstract

SYNERGISTIC ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF NATURAL PLANT EXTRACTS AND ANTIBIOTICS AGAINST METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (MRSA)

Dr. Jency Blesson*, Chinthu V Saji, Nivya R M, Kumar R

ABSTRACT

Synergism is defined as a positive interaction created when two agents are combined and together they exert an inhibitory effect that is greater than the sum of their individual effects. The synergism is a new concept in developing agents for antibacterial, antioxidant and also for anticancer activity. Treating bacterial infections by antibiotics is beneficial but their indiscriminate use has led to an alarming resistance among microorganisms as well as led to re-emergence of old infectious diseases. The new approach is combination therapy or synergistic therapy; against resistant microorganisms which may lead to new ways of treating infectious diseases. In this work Mimosa pudica, Ixora coccinea, Colocasia esculenta, Boerhaavia diffusa extracts were prepared and commonly preferred antibiotics to treat MRSA, were collected. The antibacterial activity of plant extract and antibiotics was evaluated. The plant extract and antibiotics individually didn’t show good antibacterial activity against MRSA. The activity of gentamicin was increased up to 10-fold when the combined mixture of Colocasia esculenta and Gentamicin antibiotic was used against MRSA. The herb-drug interactions tested by checkerboard method and expressed as fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index, showed synergistic effects. The synergism is a new concept of developing drug molecule for treating drug resistant bacteria and prevent emergence of new drug resistant bacteria.

Keywords: Synergistic therapy, Antimicrobial agents, Natural, Fractional inhibitory concentration.