In collaboration with Scientific Association of Iranian Medicinal Plants

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Golestan University of Medical Sciences

2 Ms in Microbiology, Lahijan Azad University

3 Assistant Professor, Golestan University of Medical Sciences

4 Pharmacologist, Golestan University of Medical Sciences

5 Associate Professor,Gorgan Azad University

6 BS, Golestan University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Daily increasing of Staphylococcus aureus resistance to various antibiotics in particular penicillin and Methecilin has led the scientist to look for new medicines in this area. In an in vitro laboratory studies, it  has been demonstrated that  ethanolic extract of Lemon verbena can prevent the growth of  Staphylococcus aureus. In this study the efficacy of ethanolic extract of Lemon verbena against Staphylococcus aureus skin infection were assessed in an in vivo, in animal model. We inoculated 200λ of Staphylococcus aureus suspension with turbidity equal to 0.5 McFarland, interadermally on the shoulder of 63 laboratory 20-30 gram mice. The mice were divided  in to 4 groups, 2 control groups: negative(without treatment) and  positive (treated with Mupirocin)   and 2 test groups that treated for 7 days by ointment prepared from ethanol extract of Lemon verbena (group3), or injection of Lemon verbena solution (group 4). The status of wounds and the rate of recovery was studied, and the presence of local pus after dissection of mice on day 8 recorded and compared with each other. The wound appearance in the second day, on the injection site of S. aureus, in groups1, 4, 3 and 2 were 84.2%, 66.7%, 46.2% and 23.1%, respectively. In the last day, the lesion still was remained in 78.9, 23.1, 92.3 and 77.7% in group 1 -4, respectively. The necrotic and wide wounds were more observed in groups 1 and 3 versus two other groups. The results from this investigation indicated that the ointment prepared from ethanol extract of Lemon verbena is a proper medication to prevent the skin infection by Staphylococcus aureus in the early phase but injected solution of this extract cannot show this effect, and none of them can prevent the wound itself completely.

Keywords

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