A novel treatment approach towards emerging multidrug resistant Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) causing acute/persistent diarrhea using medicinal plant extracts

Diarrheal diseases are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity especially among children in developing countries resulting in a major health care problem. Medicinal plants constitute the major component of traditional medicine practiced worldwide due to the economical viability, accessibility, and ancestral experience. Two medicinal plants (Punica granatum, Syzygium cumini) used in diarrheal treatment in Karnataka state, India were investigated. This study evaluates the potential antidiarrheal activity of aqueous and methanolic extracts of dry rind of pomegranate fruit and bark of Jamun fruit. This study was carried out on isolated and confirmed strains of biofilm producing multidrug resistant strains of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) causing acute and persistent diarrhea in children and adults in Manipal. The antidiarrheal activity of the two plant extracts against multidrug resistant EAEC strains was performed by agar well diffusion method using standard guidelines. The results obtained revealed that the aqueous and methanolic extracts of Punica granatum and alcoholic extract of Syzygium cumini plants investigated have good pharmacological activity against biofilm producing MDR EAEC strains. However aqueous extract of Syzygium cumini had no action on these strains. On the basis of these findings it can be assumed that Punica granatum and to a lesser extent Syzygium cumini could be a potential source for novel lead discovery for antidiarrheal drug development towards MDR EAEC strains causing persistent diarrhea in general population.