| dc.description.abstract | Despite advances in medicine, the phenomenon of emerging drug resistance
provokes novel research on active botanical compounds and alternative therapy
development. Bioactive compounds present in plants possess potent antibacterial
properties. The current study aims to evaluate and compare the bacterial
susceptibility between miswak (Salvadora persica) and Persian lime (Citrus latifolia)
extracts; a novel combination. Miswak sources unique phytochemicals, making it a
superior tool for oral hygiene, while the volatile oil harbored within lime is
traditionally used as a flavouring and cosmetic agent. Crude extraction of
phytochemicals was done via cold maceration, employing polar solvents methanol
and ethanol. Varying concentrations (150 mg/mL and 200 mg/mL) of extracts were
subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing (ABST) using agar well diffusion, while
gentamicin and vancomycin served as positive controls. Both Escherichia coli and
Staphylococcus aureus exhibited susceptibility toward all extracts that were assayed.
Triplicate readings were statistically analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance
(ANOVA) and student’s t-test with a 95% confidence interval (p≤0.05). Mean zones
of inhibition (ZOI) were wide-ranging, from 10.7±0.6 mm to 13.7±0.6 mm for miswak
and 16.7±0.6 mm to 19.7±1.2 mm for lime. Methanolic lime of 200 mg/mL (M/L2)
demonstrated a pronounced ZOI against E. coli (19.7±1.2), proving its supremacy
over miswak. Upon further testing, lime extracts displayed a minimum inhibitory
concentration (MIC) at 12.5 mg/mL and a minimum bactericidal concentration
(MBC) at 25 mg/mL. Nonetheless, based on overall results, both miswak and lime
extracts serve as potential candidates that can be developed into therapeutic drugs
in the phytopharmaceutical industry. | en_US |
