Evaluation of Salvadora Persica Extract on Gram Positive and Negative Bacteria Isolation from Chronic Wounds

Abstract

Background:  Because of the severity of this bacteria and the deaths it causes due to its severity and resistance to many antibiotics, we searched for alternatives to plant extracts, such as the miswak, as an inhibitory factor for it, given the effective compounds it contains.

Methodology: A large collection of miswak sticks was collected.⁽¹⁾ The sticks were dried in an oven at 45°C for four days and then cut into discs or ground into a fine powder using a grinder.⁽³⁾ Miswak extracts were prepared by adding 40 g of miswak powder to 200 ml of solvent (water, ethanol) in a sealed vessel and then soaking at room temperature for 48 h. ⁽⁴⁾The solvents were filtered using Whatman No. 1 filter paper and left to evaporate in an oven at 40°C for 48 h. The dried extracts were considered 100% pure and were used to prepare different concentrations using the same solvents (40, 80, and 160 μg/ml).

Results: The results   show a concentration-dependent antibacterial effect of aqueous Miswak extract against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. As the concentration increased from 40 to 160 μg/ml, the inhibition zones significantly expanded for both bacteria, indicating enhanced antibacterial activity. For S. aureus, the zone increased from 9 mm to 17 mm, and for P. aeruginosa, from 7 mm to 13 mm, with all p-values < 0.05 compared to the reference concentration (40 μg/ml), confirming statistical significance. The positive control (Amikacin 100 μg/ml) produced larger zones (22 mm and 25 mm respectively), but the extract at 160 μg/ml still showed notable inhibition, especially against S. aureus, suggesting that the aqueous extract contains active compounds with effective antibacterial properties. The stronger response against S. aureus than P. aeruginosa may be due to structural differences in bacterial cell walls, where the Gram-positive nature of S. aureus makes it more susceptible to plant-derived antimicrobials.

Keywords: Salvadora persica Extract, gram positive and negative, Chronic Wounds