In vitroactivity of certain drugs in combination with plant extracts against staphylococcus aureus infections

This study has been done to evaluate the interaction between ethanolic extracts of Rhus coriaria [seed], Psidium guajava [Leaf], Lawsonid inermis [Leaf] and Sacropoterium spinosum [seed] and antimicrobial drugs including oxytetracycline HCl, enrbfloxacin, gentamicin sulphate and sulfadimethoxine against four clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA]. Evaluation of the interaction between ethanolic extracts and different antimicrobial agents has been done using well-diffusion method. It showed that ethanolic extracts increase the inhibition zones of oxytetracycline HCl, gentamicin sulphate, and sulfadimethoxine, while combinations between these plant extracts and enrofloxacin decrease inhibition zone. This study probably suggests the possibility of concurrent use of these antimicrobial drugs and plant extracts in combination in treating infections caused by S. aureus strains or at least the concomitant administration may not impair the antimicrobial activity of these antibiotics

Toxigenicity of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from northern Palestine

A total of 68 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from different human clinical samples in the 'North of Palestine were examined to detect staphylococcal enterotoxin [SE] genes A [sea], B [seb], C [sec], D [sed] E [see]. Of the total isolates examined, 41.2% [28/68] were enterotoxigenic S aureus. Twelve strains [42.9%] of enterotoxigenic S aureus harbored sea-gene, ten strains [35.7%] were carried see gene, six strains [21.4%] were positive for sec-gene. None of these enterotoxigenic S aureus isolates harbored more than one of toxin genes. The presence of these toxin genes and other genes not be detected here might play a role in process of pathogenesis of S aureus disease other than food poisoning but this cannot be substantiated by the results of the present study