Research article

Herbal therapy associated with antibiotic therapy: potentiation of the antibiotic activity against methicillin – resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Turnera ulmifolia L

Henrique DM Coutinho^1,5 , José GM Costa^1,2 , Edeltrudes O Lima³ , Vivyanne S Falcão-Silva⁴ and José P Siqueira Júnior⁴

¹Laboratory of Research in Natural Products, Center of Biological Sciences and Health, University of the Region of Cariri, Crato (CE), Brazil

²Leão Sampaio College, Juazeiro do Norte (CE), Brazil

³Laboratory of Mycology, Center of Health Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa (PB), Brazil

⁴Laboratory of Genetics of Microrganisms, Center of Exacts and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa (PB), Brazil

⁵Universidade Regional do Cariri – URCA; Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde – CCBS; Departamento de Ciências Biológicas – DCB; Laboratório de Pesquisa em Produtos Naturais – LPPN. CEP: 63105-900. Crato, CE – Brasil. Rua Cel. Antonio Luis 1161, Pimenta, 63105-000

author email corresponding author email

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2009, 9:13doi:10.1186/1472-6882-9-13

Published:	8 May 2009

Abstract

Background

Staphylococcus genus is widely spread in nature being part of the indigenous microbiota of skin and mucosa of animal and birds. Some Staphylococcus species are frequently recognized as etiological agents of many animal and human opportunistic infections This is the first report testing the antibiotic resistance-modifying activity of Turnera ulmifolia against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – MRSA strain.

Methods

In this study an ethanol extract of Turnera ulmifolia L. and chlorpromazine were tested for their antimicrobial activity alone or in combination with aminoglycosides against an MRSA strain.

Results

The synergism of the ethanol extract and aminoglycosides were verified using microdillution method. A synergistic effect of this extract on gentamicin and kanamycin was demonstrated. Similarly, a potentiating effect of chlorpromazine on kanamycin, gentamicin and neomycin, indicating the involvement of an efflux system in the resistance to these aminoglycosides.

Conclusion

It is therefore suggested that extracts from Turnera ulmifolia could be used as a source of plant-derived natural products with resistance-modifying activity, constituting a new weapon against the problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics demonstrated in MRSA strains.