Study of the antimicrobial activities of the bark extract of cinnamomum verum on multi drug resistant klebsiella pneumoniae and enterobacter agglomerans

Abstract

Infections caused by Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) organisms cause to stand a worldwide pandemic. MDR bacteria are an emerging threat with limited therapeutic options. Without having information about these strains, morbidity and mortality due to infections caused by these notorious bugs cannot be reduced. Alternative antimicrobial agent is needed beside the antibiotics to combat against these MDR organisms. Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of trees of Cinnamomum sp. Traditionally it has also been used for medicinal purposes. In the current work we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of the cinnamon extract against MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter aggalomerans, and also compared the results with drug sensitive organisms of the same species. Cinnamon extract was prepared with ethanol extraction procedure. The extract was dried and re-dissolved in Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The prepared extract was tested on the organisms by using agar diffusion technique followed by determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of the cinnamon extract. From the agar diffusion test the minimum concentration of cinnamon extracts needed to visualise the zone of inhibition on the Mueller Hinton Agar was determined to be 40 mg/ml. The MIC of the cinnamon extract was found to be 1 mg/ml and the MBC was determined as 2 mg/ml. The results obtained from this study can act as the stepping stone in investigating the antimicrobial properties of cinnamon extract. This study could be the beginning of discovering a new antimicrobial agent against the MDR organisms.