The synergistic effect of hydroalcoholic extracts of Origanum vulgare, Hypericum perforatum and their active components carvacrol and hypericin against Staphylococcus aureus

Mahmoud Bahmani; Morovat Taherikalani; Mojtaba Khaksarian; Mahmoud Rafieian-Kopaei; Behnam Ashrafi; Mohammadreza Nazer; Setareh Soroush; Naser Abbasi; Marzieh Rashidipour

doi:10.4155/fsoa-2018-0096

The synergistic effect of hydroalcoholic extracts of Origanum vulgare, Hypericum perforatum and their active components carvacrol and hypericin against Staphylococcus aureus

Future Sci OA. 2019 Jan 31;5(3):FSO371. doi: 10.4155/fsoa-2018-0096. eCollection 2019 Mar.

Authors

Mahmoud Bahmani^{1

1}, Morovat Taherikalani^{2

2}, Mojtaba Khaksarian^{3

3}, Mahmoud Rafieian-Kopaei^{4

4}, Behnam Ashrafi^{1

1}, Mohammadreza Nazer^{1

1}, Setareh Soroush^{2

2}, Naser Abbasi^{5

5}, Marzieh Rashidipour^{1

1}

Affiliations

¹ Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center, Department of Medicinal Plants, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
² Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center & Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
³ Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center & Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorrmabad, Iran.
⁴ Medical Plants Research Center, Department of Pharmacology, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
⁵ Biotechnology & Medicinal Plants Research Center, Department of Pharmacology, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.

Abstract

Aim: This study was designed to evaluate the synergistic activities of hydroalcoholic extracts of medicinal plants Origanum vulgare and Hypericum perforatum and their active components, carvacrol and hypericin against Staphylococcus aureus.

Methods: The synergistic effects of the plants, as well as carvacrol and hypericin, were examined using a checkered method against S. aureus (ATCC 12600).

Results: A fractional inhibitory concentration of 0.5 was obtained for combination of O. vulgare and H. perforatum and 0.49 for combination of the active ingredients carvacrol and hypericin, both of which indicated a synergistic effect.

Conclusion: This preliminary evaluation demonstrated a synergistic property of O. vulgare and H. perforatum extracts in treating S. aureus infection. This study indicates that combination of the plants, as well as combination of carvacrol and hypericin, might be used as a new antibacterial strategy against S. aureus.

Keywords: Gram positive; Staphylococcus aureus; antibacterial; antibiotic; checkered carried out to Fratini method; combination; fractional inhibitory concentration; herbal medicine; medicinal plant; synergist.