Empirical knowledge of natural plant extracts is increasingly proving to be a promising field. The effect of Calendula officinalis L. (CO) and Capsicum annum (CA) glycolic extracts (GlExt) have potential that should be further developed in microbial tests. The effect of CO-GlExt and CA-GlExt was evaluated on eight multidrug-resistant clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as collection strains for each bacterial. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extract were determined in comparison with 0.12% chlorhexidine. The tests were performed on single species biofilms, at 5 min and 24 h, using the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) assay. The MIC and MBC of the extract ranged from 1.56 to 50 mg mL-1 for all strains evaluated. Analysis of the MTT assay revealed a strong antimicrobial potential of CA-GlExt, comparable to chlorhexidine. The findings suggest that CA-GlExt is effective against multidrug-resistant strains of K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa in planktonic state and biofilms.
Keywords: Calendula officinalis L.; Capsicum annum; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; plant extracts.