In vitro assessment of antimicrobial efficacy of aqueous extract of garlic against wound-infecting microorganisms

ABSTRACT

Garlic [Allium sativum Linn.] has been used as a spice in many ancient cultures from olden times. Today, biochemical investigations have shown different components responsible to nutritional and therapeutic properties of garlic, in particular antimicrobial effect of it. Aim of this study is in vitro assessment of potential of inhibitory function of aqueous extract of garlic on pathogenic microorganism isolated from wounds and clinical injuries. The garlic bulbs were used in this investigation, produced in east of Gilan. Aqueous extract of garlic was prepared on Shukla and Taneja method[19]. The extract was used in five dilutions [10%, 20%, 40%, 60% and neat]. Also microorganisms were used in this examination were divided in two categories Control and clinical isolated microorganisms. The agar disk diffusion test was used as microbiological examination. According to results of this investigation, minimum inhibition concentration was approximate 60% and also the most sensitive organism to aqueous extract of garlic was Streptococcus pyogenes and the least sensitive organism to this extract was Pseudomonas aeruginosa [p<0.05]. With attention to our finding and other related reports in this field, it could be concluded aqueous extract of garlic has considerable antimicrobial effect on current clinical wound pathogen microorganism. Therefore, before application of this extract as antimicrobial agent, it must be evaluated in vivo and clinically