Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of crude extracts of Lawsonia inermis against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Objective: The continuous rise in the prevalence of multidrug resistance pathogens globally is threatening the treatment and management of infectious diseases. Ethnomedicine plays a key role in the exploration for novel bioactive compounds. The present study evaluates the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of the crude extracts of Lawsonia inermis against clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Methods: Shade dried and finely powdered leaves of the plant were extracted by maceration method using six solvents: Methanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, chloroform, petroleum ether, and n-hexane. Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of the extracts against multidrug-resistant (MDR) MRSA by agar cup diffusion and tube method, respectively. Results: Methanol extract showed the highest antibacterial activity of 18 mm compared to other extracts. Similarly, petroleum ether extract showed the highest biofilm inhibition of 84.7%. Other solvent extracts also exhibited significant biofilm inhibition [n-hexane-83.6%, ethyl acetate-79.5%, chloroform-79.2%, acetone-77%, and methanol-77%]. Conclusion: The leaf extracts of L. inermis have shown promising biofilm inhibitory activity and good antibacterial activity, which can be explored for the development of new drugs for the MDR pathogens. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd.