Antibacterial activity of traditional herbal medicine

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming the biggest substantial threat for public health and societal implications worldwide. Coincidentally, the development of new antibiotics has decreased and downsized by the pharmaceutical companies for the last 40 years. The past decade has witnessed an increasing effort worldwide on exploration of plant-based natural products for new antimicrobial agents. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential antibacterial activity of traditional herbal medicinal plant against resistant pathogens of public health and economic importance such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Acine to bacter Baumannii. The broth microdilution method was used to determine the susceptibility of resistant pathogenic strains selected from WHO priority list. A total of 57 plants were chosen based on traditional knowledge and current scientific information that has been claimed to have antimicrobial activity. Preliminary results showed 75 % of screened plants inhibited the growth MRSA (NCTC 12493) some of which exhibited similarantibacterial efficiency compared to the vancomycin (positive antibiotic control), while 21 % shows an inhibitory effect against Acinetobacter Baumannii (NCTC 12156). In addition, significant synergy was observed between some of the plant extracts and vancomycin against MRSA. Further studies are needed for the warrant of these plant candidates to be further developed into therapeutic antimicrobial agents of required efficacy and safety.