Abstract

Ahsan Naveed, Sabahat Abdullah, Dr. Rakhad Alrawi*, Rabia Naveed and Muhammad Ammar Naveed

ABSTRACT

The Enterobacteriaceae family produces extended spectrum ?-lactamases enzymes in response to ?-lactam antibiotics. These enzymes have the potential to hydrolyze the antibiotics like penicillin, cephalosporin and monobactam except the carbapenem. The present study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of specific plant extracts alone and in combination with some of the antibiotics routinely used against the E.coli. A total of six extracts of three plants namely Zingiber officinale (ginger), Piper nigrum (black pepper) and Thymus vulgaris (thyme) in two different solvents (ethanol and water) were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against three bacterial strains of E.coli from different nosocomial origin. The antibacterial activity was measured by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method and detection of ESBL E.coli was done using double-disc synergy method and then by PCR. The results of present study revealed that all bacterial isolates under study were resistant to more than 3 classes of antibiotics. While these resistant strain showed susceptibility to plant extracts when given in combination with antibiotics. It was concluded that plant’s extracts have the potential to increase antibacterial properties of antibiotics when used as cocktail.