Introduction:

Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are the primary etiological agents of bacterial conjunctivitis which are empirically treated with antibiotics. This results in an increase in antimicrobial resistance due to repeated exposure. Currently, natural treatment alternatives are being sought for self-limited bacterial infections of the conjunctiva.

Objective:

To determine the antimicrobial activity of eight extracts from Colombian plants against bacteria isolated from patients with bacterial conjunctivitis.

Materials and methods:

Samples were taken from 15 patients with bacterial conjunctivitis which were grown on blood and chocolate agar for 24 h at 37 °C. These samples were identified by the VITEK automated system and antimicrobial susceptibility tests by the Kirby Bauer method. Each isolate identified with the genus Staphylococcus was evaluated for susceptibility to the following eight plant extracts of seven plant: Ocimum basilicum (basil), Sambucus nigra L. (elderberry), Delphinium elatum (belladonna), Calendula officinalis (marigold), Bixa orellana (annatto) (aerial part and independent fruit), Clinopodium brownei (pennyroyal), and Laurus nobilis (laurel), with traditional use previously reported for treating eye infections.

Results:

The most frequently isolated bacteria were S. epidermidis, S. hominis, and S. aureus, which exhibited antimicrobial resistance mainly to oxacillin, tetracyclines, and erythromycin. All isolates were inhibited by O. basilicum extracts (MIC > 0.9 mg/mL) and L. nobilis (MIC < 15 mg/mL).

Conclusion:

The extracts of C. officinalis y D. elatum showed antimicrobial activity only against isolates with higher antimicrobial sensitivity. Ethanolic extracts of O. basilicum y L. nobilis can be used as an alternative treatment for infections of the anterior segment of the eye.

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