Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of the Aquatic Extracts of Zea Mays, Cranberries and Raisins against Bacterial isolates from Urinary Tract Infection in Babylon Province, Iraq

Urinary tract infection costs hundreds millions of dollars every year. In addition, causative bacterial species are diverse and some of them are multi-drug resistant.

evaluating the effects of aqueous extracts of Zea Mays, Cranberry and Raisins on growth, adherence and biofilm formation of bacterial uropathogens isolated from clinical urinary tract infections.

The extracts of Zea Mays, Cranberry and Raisins were prepared as 30 gram of powder soaked in 100 ml distillated water, allowed to stand for 72 hr and sterilized by filtration. Bacterial isolates were obtained from urinary tract infection clinical samples. Agar well diffusion assay, tissue culture plate method assay and bacterial ability to adhere to oral epithelial cells used to evaluate effects of these extracts on growth, motility, adhesion and biofilm formation in bacterial isolates.

the aqueous extracts of Zea Mays, Cranberry and Raisins, individually and in combination, have significant inhibitory effects on growth, motility, adherence and biofilm formation in the bacterial isolates considered in current study. In addition, combinations that contain Zea Mays exerted more powerful antibacterial effects than other combinations.

plant extracts considered in current study may provide useful substitutes for commonly utilised antibiotics for treatmnet of urinary tract infections, especially recurrent cases. However, the exact mechanisms and the active ingredients responsible for the reported antibacterial effects need further exploration and specification. In addition, further studies at the molecular level and/or in vivo studies involving humans and animals are needed to confirm the observed effects of these plant extracts.