Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
Open Access
ISSN: 2167-0412
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2167-0412
+44 1300 500008
Deressa T, Tamiru T, Biadgo B, Belete D, Zewdu S, Mengistie S, Endris M and Tessema B
Background: Traditional medicines have been used widely by the people of Ethiopia for treatment of various ailments. However, scientific evidences regarding their antibacterial potential are scarce. The present study aim to assess an in vitro antibacterial activity of Apis multiflora honey in combination with coffee and cinnamon bark extracts against the standard and clinical isolates of human pathogenic bacteria.
Methods: Antimicrobial activities of honey and the extracts were tested against Escherichia coli, Citrobacter species, Staphylococcus epdermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 2923). Agar well diffusion and micro-well broth dilution techniques were used to determine the antibacterial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration.
Result: Honey exerted a maximum bacterial inhibition against Citrobacter species and E. coli (29 mm). Coffee extracts displayed best antibacterial activity against S. aureus (25-26 mm) and cinnamon extract exhibited the maximum inhibitory effect against S. epidermidis (31 mm). The combination of honey with cinnamon was most effective against P. aeruginosa (27 mm), whereas the combination of honey with coffee and cinnamon extracts was most effective against S. aureus ATCC 2923 (35 mm). The antibacterial activity exerted by a reference antibiotic ceftraxone against different test strains ranged from 24-37 mm.
Conclusion: Coffee and cinnamon extracts, and honey have demonstrated a broad spectrum antibacterial effect. Our data indicating that these natural products have potential to be used as alternative antimicrobials for treatment of pathogenic bacteria. Thus, we recommend further investigations of each extract to elucidate bioactive compounds responsible for the observed antibacterial activity.