Effects of some plant extracts and antibiotics on Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from various burn cases

OBJECTIVE: To determine the major groups of bacteria associated with burn infections, isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from burn cases, and the testing of antibacterial activity of some plant extracts in comparison with the standard antibiotics.

METHODS: A total of 92 burn cases, covered with tetracycline (40 cases) and non-covered with tetracycline (52 cases) from both sex and various ages, were collected from various hospitals in Basrah City, Iraq on the year 2001. Bacteriological investigation for isolation of bacterial pathogens especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa was carried out. Two methods were used to evaluate the anti-bacterial activity of various concentrations of aqueous extracts of leaves of Myrtus communis and Eucalyptus with comparison to 6 antibiotics, these methods were to determine the growth inhibition zones and minimal inhibitory concentration.

RESULTS: From a total 92 cases, 78 (84.8%) gave positive cultures. One hundred and fifty eight isolates were identified as bacterial pathogens. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the predominant bacterial pathogen from 35.9% of the tetracycline covered burns and 42.3% of the non-tetracycline covered burns followed by other bacterial types in various percentages. Aqueous leaves extracts of myrtus communis and eucalyptus gave an excellent effect on bacterial growth and their effects were located within the limits of antibiotic effects.

CONCLUSION: Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the predominant bacterial isolate followed by Staphylococcus aureus, then other type of bacterial was isolated in various percentage from each tetracycline covered burns and non-tetracycline covered burns. Most concentrations of the extracts of the studied plants showed a high antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and showed significant differences between susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from each tetracycline covered burn and non-tetracycline covered burn.