Characterization of shallot, an antimicrobial extract of allium ascalonicum

The objective of this study was characterization of antimicrobial extract of shallot in terms of its stability at different pH, Heat, enzymes and detergents and also determination of its MIC and shelf life. Active fraction was determined by column chromatography and agar diffusion test. The amount of carbohydrate and protein in different forms of shallot extract were estimated. Stability of antimicrobial activity of shallot extract at different pH and temperature, solubility in different solvent, determination of shelf life and susceptibility to enzymes and detergents were evaluated. Shallot extract was active against microbes at pH 4-8. Relative activities of shallot extract at temperature -7 to 121°C were 88 to 100%. Extract of shallot only was soluble in dimethyl sulphoxide, dimethyl formamide and water. The enzymes and detergents used in this study had no effect on antimicrobial activity on water extract of shallot. Relative antimicrobial activity at incubation times of one hour to6 mounts were 94 to 100%. In this study antimicrobial properties of shallot were investigated for discovery of a new antibiotic. Based on this the antimicrobial compound can be an effective medicine for treatment of dermatomycosis and other infectious diseases

Bacteriologic study of diabetic foot ulcer

To study the relative frequency of bacterial isolates cultured from diabetic foot infections and assess their in vitro susceptibility to the commonly used antibacterial agents. In total 32 hospitalized diabetic patients with foot infections were investigated. Deep tissue biopsies were inoculated into freshly prepared Thioglycollate broth medium. Bacterial agents were identified by conventional bacteriologic methods. Sensitivity tests were performed according to standard disc diffusion method of Kirby and Bauer. Clinical grading and bacteriological study of 32 patients with diabetic foot lesions revealed polymicrobial etiology in 16 [50%] and single etiology in 10 [31.2%] and six negative cultures. Aerobic Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 42.9%. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent microorganism yielded [26.2%], and Staphylococcus epidermidis was regularly associated with the lesions [14.3%]. Gram-negative rods accounted for 54.8%. Escherichia coli was the most predominant gram negative organism [23.8%]. No anaerobes were isolated from the ulcers. All the microorganisms isolated showed high resistance to used antibiotics, amongst them, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most resistant bacteria in present study. Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Proteus vulgaris were the most common causes of diabetic foot infections in present study. And the rate of antibiotic resistance was 65% among the isolates. Due to polymicrobial infection and antibiotic resistance, surgical intervention must be concerned