Allium stipitatum Extract Exhibits In Vivo Antibacterial Activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Accelerates Burn Wound Healing in a Full-Thickness Murine Burn Model
Allium stipitatum Extract Exhibits In Vivo Antibacterial Activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Accelerates Burn Wound Healing in a Full-Thickness Murine Burn Model
Arunkumar Karunanidhi,1 Ehsanollah Ghaznavi-Rad,2 Jayakayatri Jeevajothi Nathan,3 Yusuf Abba,4 Alex van Belkum,5 and Vasanthakumari Neela1
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
2Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Basij Square, Arak 38481-7-6941, Iran
3School of Medicine, Taylor’s University, Lakeside Campus, No. 1, Jalan Taylor’s, Subang Jaya, 47500 Selangor, Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
4Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
5BioMérieux, Scientific Office, La Balme les Grottes, France
Correspondence should be addressed to Vasanthakumari Neela; moc.liamtoh@0002aleen
Received 26 October 2016; Accepted 28 December 2016; Published 22 February 2017
Academic Editor: Cheorl-Ho Kim
Copyright © 2017 Arunkumar Karunanidhi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
The in vivo antibacterial and burn wound healing potency of Persian shallot bulbs (Allium stipitatum) were explored in a mice burn model infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Hexane (ASHE) and dichloromethane (ASDE) extracts were tested. Female BALB/c mice were inflicted with third-degree thermal injury followed by infection with MRSA. ASHE and ASDE formulated with simple ointment base (SOB) at concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 5% (w/w) were topically applied to burn wounds twice a day for 20 days. Silver sulfadiazine (1%) served as drug positive control. Microbiological analysis was carried out on 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 days postwounding (dpw) and histopathological analysis at the end of the experiment (20 dpw). Both ointments demonstrated strong antibacterial activity with complete elimination of MRSA at 48–72 h after infection. The rate of wound contraction was higher (95–100%) in mice groups treated with ASHE and ASDE ointments after 15 dpw. Histological analysis revealed significant increase () in epithelialization and collagenation in treated groups. The ASHE and ASDE were found to be relatively noncytotoxic and safe to Vero cell line (383.4 μg mL−1; 390.6 μg mL−1), suggesting the extracts as safe topical antibacterial as well as promising alternatives in managing thermal injuries.
1. Introduction
Thermal injuries are one of the most common and confounding forms of serious injuries worldwide. The contingency of risks due to cutaneous and systemic infections due to burns is higher in patients suffering from stern thermal wounds. Despite the advances in burn wound care and treatments, the incidences and death rates are increasing to a large extent, substantially due to ensuing microbial infections in burn individuals [1]. The estimated incidences of thermal injuries account for ~265,000 deaths each year. Majority of the incidences are reported from low- and middle-income countries and nearly 50% incidences were reported from the Southeast Asia region [2]. Burn wound infections due to MDR pathogens further complicate the healing process and require immediate medical attention with precise antibiotic treatment. Invasive burn wound infections by A. baumannii, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Enterococcus spp., P. aeruginosa, S. maltophilia, VRE, and Candida albicans have been frequently reported in burn units [3–8].
Wounds contaminated with MRSA are a principal cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients with thermal injuries and surgical and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) [9]. The primary catastrophes of burn wounds contaminated with MRSA include the spread of the pathogen to other parts of the body leading to delayed wound healing in the infected site [10], followed by systemic infection, sepsis, organ failures, and deaths [1]. Secondary risk includes the possibility of increased transmission of the pathogen from burn patients to nonburn patients [11].
Silver sulfadiazine (SSD) is one of the most commonly employed antimicrobial agents for partial-thickness and full-thickness burns. Although SSD is active against a broad spectrum of microorganisms, disadvantages like poor penetration to eschars and the ability to cause leukopenia further limit SSD as the most suitable therapeutic option for burn wounds [12]. The treatment of burn wounds in clinical settings continues to be a clinical challenge and an economic burden [13], with limited therapeutic options to help prevent wound expansion, and therefore new approaches are required. In partic (...truncated)