In-vitro anti-bacterial activity of medicinal plants against Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) causing bacteria along with their synergistic effects with commercially available antibiotics.

Background: Plants contain a variety of bioactive compounds that provide them antimicrobial properties, which can be used to develop novel antibiotics. The current research evaluated the antibacterial activity of 6 medicinal plants Sphagneticola calendulacea (Chinese wedelia), Enydra fluctuans (Buffalo spinach), Chenopodium album (Goosefoot), Mentha arvensis (Wild mint), Mimosa diplotricha (Nila grass), and Averrhoa bilimbi (Cucumber tree) against Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)- causing pathogens (Staphylococcus spp., Proteus spp., Pseudmonas spp., Escherichia coli and Enterobacter spp.). Methods: The bacterial contamination of these plants was evaluated by using their surface-washed water. The combined effects of commercially available antibiotics along with these medicinal plants were also tested. We used the solvent extraction method, conventional cell culture technique, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay, and disc diffusion method for our analysis. Results: The surface-washed water was contaminated with variable bacteria. The plants displayed notable antibacterial activity against most of the tested bacteria. Ethanol and hot water extract of plants exhibited minimum inhibitory effects, while the methanol extract of plants showed very potent antibacterial activity against most of the bacteria with inhibitory zone diameter up to 14 mm. In the case of combined effects, the zone diameter increased up to 26 mm, which is a significant improvement compared to the individual plant extracts. Interpretation: This data suggested that the combination of two antibacterial agents, one natural and the other synthetic, would be more efficient in the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacteria than a single monotherapy of either of the antibacterial agents.

In-vitro antibacterial activity of commercially available probiotics on food-borne pathogens along with their synergistic effects with synthetic drugs.

Background: Probiotics are put forward as food to ensure the maintenance of the equilibrium of the intestinal flora. Prolonged usage of probiotics in food ingredients for human as well as in animal feed has not exposed any side effects yet. Present study attempted to justify the effects of some commercially available probiotics (Good-gut, Lubenna, Probio and Protein restro) and commonly used antibiotics (Streptomycin, Gentamycin, Ampicillin, Methicillin, Azithromycin, Erythromycin, Ceftrizone, Imepenem, Ciprofloxacin and Tetracycline) on the bacteria which were previously isolated from food samples. Methods: The anti-bacterial potential of the probiotics was aimed to be checked through the agar well diffusion method and the antibiogram of the synthetic drugs was determined by disc-diffusion method (Kirby Bauer technique). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the probiotics were examined through broth micro dilution assay. Results: Almost all the probiotic samples exhibited antibacterial activity against the tested bacteria within the range of 10 mm-30 mm except Bacillus spp. and Salmonella spp. The lowest MIC values 3 mg/ml was determined with Luvena for Pseudomonas spp. and Shigella spp. while the maximum MIC 20 mg/ml was recorded for Good gut and Probio against Salmonella spp. and E. coli. Meanwhile, majority of the tested pathogens were detected to be resistant against more than one antibiotic as MDR strains except gentamycin, streptomycin and azithromycin. During the combination method, the zone diameter increased remarkably with a clear indication of synergistic effects compared to their individual activity. Conclusion: This study substantiated that the deployment of a combination of two antibacterial medications in order to combat the multi-drug resistant bacteria would rather be efficacious than the application of either antimicrobial agent alone.

Safe usage of cosmetics in Bangladesh: a quality perspective based on microbiological attributes.

The present review attempted to emphasize on the microbiological quality of the commonly used cosmetics item by the majority of the Bangladeshi community. The abundance of contaminating microorganisms has been quantitatively discussed and the possible health risk has been focused upon usage of these items. Only a very few research efforts have been conducted on the cosmetic items in Bangladesh so far. The microbiological contamination aspects have been portrayed in this review using the information collected from a substantial number of cosmetic items which were earlier subjected to extensive microbiological and biochemical analyses. The prevalence of bacteria, fungi and the specific pathogenic microorganisms has been discussed based on research so far locally conducted on the finished items sold in markets, especially within the Dhaka metropolis. The laboratory scale experiments revealed the presence of enormous number of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi within the commonly used cosmetics. Conversely, the anti-bacterial activity was noticed in some of the products which might be in favor of the user safety. The prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms in the cosmetic items certainly raises a substantial public health issue. The necessity of the routine microbiological testing of the commonly used cosmetic items as well as the legislative measures to mitigate the contamination problem is thus of great significance.