Background: Development of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria motivates the researchers to search for newer antimicrobial agents. Objectives: In the present study, antibacterial effects of Cuminum cyminum Linn. essential oil against multidrug resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli strains isolated from urinary tract infections were studied, using microdilution method. Materials and Methods:: A total of 12 E. coli strains were isolated from urine cultures of hospitalized patients (Zabol, southeastern Iran) suffering from urinary tract infection during 2011-2012. After bacteriological confirmatory tests, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the essential oil of C. cyminum Linn. were determined using microdilution method. Essential oil of C. cyminum Linn. was obtained by hydro-distillation and the MICs were investigated to characterize the oil antimicrobial activities. Results: All of E. coli isolates were resistant to four of the antibiotics including ceftazidime (50%), cefixime (41.6%), tetracycline (75%) and erythromycin (58.3%). The highest MIC value (250 ppm) was observed against two antibiotics and the lowest (10 ppm) against one antibiotic. Conclusions: C. cyminum Linn essential oil has a potent antimicrobial activity against E. coli MDR strains. Our study confirms the use of this essential oil as an antibacterial agent. However, further research will be required before its therapeutic application.

Background: Medicinal plants are widely used throughout the world. Since these plants are known to have minimal side effects, many people embrace them. This study aims to investigate the antifungal effects of the extracts of the plants against Candida albicans. Methods: The extracts of Echinophora platyloba, Peganum harmala, Heracleum persicum and Rosmarinus officinalis were prepared using a rotary device. The inhibitory concentration against Candida albicans was determined using incubation in media. Results:The results show that highest MIC of R. officinalis against C. albicans was 100 ppm and low MIC was 12.5 ppm against C. albicans (Table 1) and the highest MIC of E. platyloba against C. albicans was 150 ppm and low MIC was 12.5 ppm against C. albicans. The results of this study showed that by increasing the concentration of plant extracts inhibited by the fungus has also been increased. Futhermore, Heracleum persicum extract concentration inhibited growth of fungal ppm 25 while Peganum harmala extract concentration inhibited growth ppm 50. Conclusions:The results showed good antifungal activity Peganum harmala, Echinophora platyloba, Rosmarinus officinalis and Heracleum persicum has expressed Feb plants can be used to treat infections caused by these.

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Background: Acinetobacter baumannii are opportunistic pathogens that are found in abundance in Zabol. Due to their unique capability for long-term survival in the hospital environment, the chances of becoming infected with the bacteria are very high. Therefore, identifying potential sources of infection in the donor is very important. The aim of this study was to determine antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter isolates. Methods: A cross sectional study was performed to evaluate 30 strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, isolated from urine culture of hospitalized patients (Amir-Al-Momenin Hospital, Zabol, South Eastern Iran) with urinary tract infections during a period of 6 months and antibiotic resistance was determined by the disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration for the antibiotic gentamicin was found with the microdilution method. Results: The results showed that in this study, all antibiotics used on Acinetobacter were effective antimicrobial agents, and only four positions (13.33%) and 26 sensitive points (86.66%) to these antibiotics have been accessed. After chloramphenicol, gentamicin was found as the most active antibiotic in a way that 7 sensitive samples (23.33%) and 23 officials (76.66%) were observed. Results of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) showed that four strains of Acinetobacter could grow at all concentrations of gentamicin, while the highest MIC was equal to 1024 micrograms per milliliter. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the increasing resistance of many strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, thus new antibiotics and new treatments are needed.

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