Asma Alharbi1, Rejo J. Joseph2, Khaled Allemailem1’2, Faris Alrumaihi11Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia

2Department of Basic Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia

AN IN-VITRO EVALUATION OF COMMIPHORA MYRRHAEFFECT AS ANTIMICROBIAL ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF

MICROORGANISMS

Background

Methods

Results

Results

v Microbial infections became more difficult totreat due to their resistance to antimicrobialagents. The resistance can be due to theoveruse of antibiotics or inappropriateprescribing and the extensive agriculturaluse of antibiotics (1).

v Commiphora myrrha is a member ofBurseraceae family locally known as myrrhaand commercially as Arabian myrrha, whichis widely distributed in Saudi Arabia (2).

v C. myrrha is a traditional medicine used asanti-septic, anti-inflammatory and as aremedy for the throat infection, spongy gumsand indolent ulcer (2).

v This study aimed to evaluate theantimicrobial effect of C. myrrha againstdifferent microorganisms including Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and 2 fungi.

v Nine different microorganisms were used inthis study including 7 bacterial strains and 2fungi. They were MRSA, S. aureus, S.epidermidis, S. Pyogenes, Enterococcusspp., E. coli, K. pneumonia, P. aeruginosa,A. baumannii, C. albicans and C.neoformans. They were collected fromBuraydah Central Hospital, Qassim region,Saudi Arabia. E. coli and S. aureus were asATCC strains.

v Each isolate was then sub-cultured onblood agar, incubated for 24h at 37C.Afterwards, the isolates were re-examinedusing appropriate methods.

v Two different extractions of C. myrrha weremade, being methanol and aqueoussolvents.

v Evaluation of antimicrobial activity by theagar well diffusion technique. Muller-Hintonagar and Muller-Hinton agar with 5% sheepblood were used in this method.

v Microbial suspension from pure isolates ofeach microbe was prepared in inoculumwater under aseptic condition. The densityof each suspension was adjusted with 0.5%McFarland standard. The tested organismswere then inoculated onto MHA by lawnculture technique.

v A 100 µl of different concentrations of theextracts were added to the wells (200mg/ml, 100 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml and 25mg/ml). The plates were then incubated for24h at 370C.

v The zone of inhibition around the wells waschecked and measured.

v Amikacin, gentamycin, cefixime andamoxicillin were also used as positivecontrol and 70% methanol was used as anegative control.

Conclusion

References

Contact detailsAsma Alharbi :somaalhla8@gmail.comKhaled Allemailem: k.allemailem@qu.edu.saRejo J Joseph: r.joseph@qu.edu.saFaris Alrumaihi : f_alrumaihi@qu.edu.sa

MICROBIOLOGY

v C. Myrrha extracts have exhibitedantimicrobial activity on different types oforganisms especially S. pyogenes and someresistant organism such as MRSA.

v The methanol extract of C. Myrrha wasfound to be more effective than aqueousextract on the microorganisms.

v C. Myrrha has the potential to be a naturalanti-microbial agent instead of the syntheticones especially for S. pyogenes infection,minimizing the side effects and highly cost ofcommercial antibiotics.

v Further studies are required to investigatedthe effects of C. Myrrha on differentmicroorganisms. Using different C. Myrrhaextracts is also recommended.

1. Ventola CL. The antibiotic resistance crisis: part 1: causes and threats. P & T : a peer-reviewed journal for formulary management [Internet]. 2015;40(4):277–83.

2. Omer, S., Adam, S., & Mohammed, O. (2011). Antimicrobial Activity of Commiphora myrrha Against Some Bacteria and Candida albicans Isolated from Gazelles at King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre. Research Journal of Medicinal Plant, 5(1), 65-71. doi:10.3923/rjmp.2011.65.71

Methods

v Only 6 microorganisms have shownantimicrobial effects of Myrrha using themethanol extract (Table 1). Among thesemicroorganisms, S. pyogenes showed thehighest inhibition zone, which was 16 mm with200 mg/ml, followed by S. aureus and S.epidermidis.

v S. aureus ATCC stain showed inhibition zone,14 mm with 200 mg/ml and 10 mm with 100mg/ml, indicated that the methanolic extractionof Myrrha had effects on it with bothconcentrations. None of the Gram-positivesbacteria showed the same results as theyexhibited different inhibition zones.

v Among Gram-negative bacteria, only P.aeruginosa had inhibition zone, being 11 mmwith 200 mg/ml.

v C. albicans was the only sensitive fungus tothe concentration of 200 mg/ml with 9 mmzone of inhibition.

v E.coli ATCC strain showed no inhibition zone.

Table1. Myrrha methanol extract against different microorganisms

v Similarly to Myrrha methanol extract, only 6microorganisms were affected by Myrrha usingwater extract (Table 2). They were S. aureusATCC strain, S. epidermidis, S. pyogenes, P.aeruginosa, C. albicans and MRSA.

v Among the affected organisms, the highestinhibition zone was observed with S.pyogenes at both 200 mg/ml & 100 mg/ml(12 mm and 10 mm, respectively). S.epidermidis had also 10 mm inhibition zonewith 200 mg/ml.

v S. epidermidis, S. aureus ATCC, C.albicans, P. aeruginosa and MRSA showedthe same inhibition zone with 200 mg/ml (9mm for each).

Table2. Myrrha water extraction against differentmicroorganisms .

Organisms 200 mg/ml 100 mg/ml 50 mg/ml 25 mg/ml

S. aureus (ATCC) 14 mm 10 mm 0 0

S. epidermidis 12 mm 9 mm 0 0

S. pyogenes 16 mm 12 mm 11 mm 9 mm

P. aeruginosa 11 mm 0 0 0

C. albicans 9 mm 0 0 0

MRSA 9 mm 0 0 0

organisms 200 mg/ml 100 mg/ml 50 mg/ml 25 mg/ml

S. aureus (ATCC) 9 mm 0 0 0

S. epidermidis 10 mm 0 0 0

S. pyogenes 12 mm 10 mm 0 0

P. aeruginosa 9 mm 0 0 0

C. albicans 9 mm 0 0 0

MRSA 9 mm 0 0 0

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