Abstract

Despite the remarkable advancements in medical research during last century, infectious diseases still remain one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and the emergence of multidrug resistance has made formerly easy-treatable infections severe life threats. This situation urges the discovery of new antimicrobial drugs or resistance-modifying agents as efflux pump inhibitors to control such infections. Plants have long been traditionally used to prevent or cure infectious conditions all over the world, and also in Sardinia region (Italy). For this reason the potential antimicrobial properties of plant extracts of Camellia sinensis and Myrtus communis and natural products from Diplodia cupressi have been explored on a collection of different pathogens including typhoidal Salmonella, E. coli, Streptococcus agalactiae and viridans, Enterococcus faecalis and Candida spp, and influenza virus. Further we tested these extracts in MDR Salmonella Typhi strains to explore the potential inhibitory activity of the efflux pumps whose overexpression rendered antibiotics therapeutically ineffective in MDR strains. The results obtained showed that the extracts of C. sinensis and D. cupressi exhibited bactericidal activity against MDR Salmonella Typhi and a wide range of pathogens Interestingly in MDR S. Typhi the extracts of D. cupressi and C. sinensis exerted a inhibitory effux pumps effect inducing a reversal of tetracycline resistance. Furthermore M. communis extract showed high anti-viral activity against influenza virus (H₃N₂). This finding could be useful in realizing promising antimicrobials for the treatment of typhoid fever caused by S. Typhi and influenza virus.

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