In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Seven Spices against Clinical Isolates of Enterococci

Aim: To explore the in vitro antibacterial activity of seven ethanolic extracts of spices against the clinical isolates of enterococci. Methods: 215 enterococcal strains were isolated from clinical samples. Ethanolic extracts of Cumin (Cuminum cyminum), Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) , Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) and Black pepper (Piper nigrum) were prepared using Soxhlet Apparatus. The antibacterial effect of the extracts was studied using well diffusion method. Statistical analysis was carried out by Chi-square test using SPSS 17 software. Results: Only Cinnamon and Ginger were found to have activity against all the isolates whereas Cumin and Cloves had varied effect on the strains. Fenugreek, Black pepper and Cardamom did not show any effect on the isolates. The zone diameter of inhibition obtained for Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves and Cumin ranged from 31-34mm, 27-30mm, 2526mm and 19-20mm respectively. Conclusion: C.zeylanicum and Z.officinale showed the maximum antibacterial activity against the enterococcal isolates followed by S.aromaticum and C.cyminum. The findings of the study shows that spices used in the study can contribute in the development of potential antimicrobial agents for inclusion in the anti enterococcal treatment regime.