Anti-MRSA and cytotoxic activities of different solvent extracts from Artemisia herba-alba grown in Shubak, Jordan

Abstract

Background: Globally, resistance to antimicrobial drugs is a major hazard to public health. Infections that were once easily treatable with antibiotics are becoming harder to control, leading to prolonged illnesses, increased mortality rates, and higher healthcare costs. Aim: This study intended to assess the antimicrobial, specifically the anti- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) , and anticancer properties of different extracts obtained from A. herba-alba (AHA). Methods: The antibacterial tests of AHA were performed on two Gram-negative bacterial strains (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia), two Gram-positive bacterial strains (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus aureus). Initial screening for antibacterial activities was conducted using the agar-disc diffusion technique. Subsequently, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined through the broth-dilution assay. The anticancer test was carried out in vitro on a human colorectal carcinoma cell line (HCT-116) using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, a tetrazole) )MTT( method. Results: Among all extracts, n-hexane extract of AHA was the most effective against S. aureus with the highest inhibition zone (24.67 mm) comparing to standard antibiotic (erythromycin, 24.00 mm) followed by the methanolic extract against MRSA (24.00 mm). The methanol extract of AHA showed the highest antibacterial activity against MRSA. The results of MIC and MBC of the AHA methanol extract against MRSA were 1.17±1.09 mg/mL and 9.375±0.0 mg/mL, respectively demonstrated therapeutically significant antibacterial activity. Ethyl acetate extract has no antibacterial activity against E. coli and K. pneumonia. The findings indicated that the methanol extract of AHA exhibited the highest efficacy against the colorectal carcinoma cell line (HCT-116), with an IC50 value of 126.61±13.35 µg/mL. Conclusion: These findings suggest that methanol extract of AHA could be considered as a potential agent to serve as a source of antibacterial and anticancer compounds.