Cinnamomum sp. and Pelargonium odoratissimum as the Main Contributors to the Antibacterial Activity of the Medicinal Drink Horchata: A Study Based on the Antibacterial and Chemical Analysis of 21 Plants

Abstract

Horchata, a herbal infusion drink from Ecuador containing a mixture of medicinal plants, has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic, and antioxidant activity. The antibacterial activity of each of the plants contained in the horchata mixture has not been fully evaluated. Thus, in this study, we analysed the antibacterial activity of 21 plants used in horchata, collected from the Ecuadorian Andes region, against bacterial strains of clinical importance. The methanolic extract of Cinnamomum sp. showed minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 250 µg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 and Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), while Pelargonium odoratissimum exhibited a MIC value of 500 µg/mL towards S. aureus ATCC25923. The high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS) analyses identified in Cinnamomum sp. epicatechin tannins, cinnamaldehyde, and prehelminthosporol molecules, whereas in P. odoratissimum, gallocatechin and epigallocatechin tannins, some flavonoids, and gallic acid and derivatives were identified. Finally, Cinnamomum sp. and P. odoratissimum showed partial inhibition of biofilm formation of S. aureus ATCC25923 and MRSA. Overall, our findings revealed which of the plants used in horchata are responsible for the antibacterial activity attributed to this herbal drink and exhibit the potential for Cinnamomum sp. and P. odoratissimum secondary metabolites to be explored as scaffolds in drug development.

Antimicrobial activity of stingless bee honey (Tribe: Meliponini) on clinical and foodborne pathogens: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…(2022), there is currently no established standard methodology for in vitro evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of natural products such as honey. The most common microbiological methodologies employed in the study of antimicrobial activity by numerous natural products and/or honey samples are agar well‐diffusion, agar disc‐diffusion, overlay, phenol equivalence, broth microdilution, and time‐kill assays (Balouiri et al., 2016; Cangui‐Panchi et al., 2022; Fernandez‐Soto et al., 2023; Hossain, Lim, et al., 2022).…”

“…It is well-known that any methodology (in vitro, in vivo, and in silico) has its strengths and limitations (Fernandez-Soto et al, 2023;Machado et al, 2009Machado et al, , 2013Tejera et al, 2009). In the evaluation of antimicrobial activity in honey samples, certain considerations must be taken in attention due to the complex matrix of this type of biological sample and the main goal of the experimental settings (see Table 5).…”

Use of Plant Extracts, Bee-Derived Products, and Probiotic-Related Applications to Fight Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens in the Post-Antibiotic Era

“…In particular, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase-producing Gramnegative bacteria have emerged as an important therapeutic challenge [4,35,39,40]. Therefore, the development of novel therapies to treat drug-resistant infections, especially those caused by ESKAPE pathogens, is of utmost importance [41,42].…”

A chemical analysis of the Pelargonium species: P. odoratissimum, P. graveolens, and P. zonale identifies secondary metabolites with activity against gram-positive bacteria with multidrug-resistance

“…zonale , little is known about P . odoratissimum ’s biological activities, with few reports on its antioxidant activity [ 11 , 12 ] and its antimicrobial activity using essential oils [ 13 , 14 ] and methanolic extracts [ 12 ].…”

“…zonale [ 8 , 9 ], and P . odoratissimum [ 12 ] have revealed their antibacterial and/or antifungal activity against clinically relevant strains. However, none of these studies have compared the biological activities of these three species together, precluding an understanding of their potential similarities or differences.…”