1Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Management & Science University, Malaysia
2Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, School of Biosciences, Taylor's University
3Dept of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Antibiotic resistance developed in Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes has become a major problem that calk for an alternative approach by exploring novel antimicrobial compounds in plants for antibiotic development. This research was designed to explore the antibacterial potency of plants as well as the potential of synergy among natural products. Ethanolic extracts of two plant species which are Basella alba ‘rubra ’(Basellaceae) and Beta vulgaris L. (Chenopodiaceae) against two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes) were evaluated for their antibacterial and synergistic activities using disc diffusion method, microdilution broth method and checkerboard assay methods. The highest mean diameter of inhibition zone was demonstrated by ethanolic extract ofB. alba ‘rubra ’against S. pyogenes (12.67 ± 1.53 mm) and followed by B. vulgaris L. against the same bacteria (9.67 ± 0.58 mm). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) results confirmed that both extracts restrained the growth of tested bacteria in the range of 25 to 50 mg/ml. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) results demonstrated that both extracts were bactericidal except for B. vulgaris L. which was bacteriostatic against S. pyogenes. However, the combination of these plants produced an antagonistic effect against S. aureus (FIC index= 7.5) and an indifferent effect against S. pyogenes (FIC index= 3.75). Hence, these findings conclude that both plants are better used independently rather than being combined for antibacterial drug development.
Basella alba ‘rubra ’, Beta vulgaris L, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, antibacterial activity
