EVALUATION OF THE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF THE HYDROALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF Bixa orellana (Annatto) AND ITS IN VITRO INTERACTION WITH ANTIMICROBIALS FOR CLINICAL USE

Abstract

Bacterial resistance is a major public health problem, so it is necessary to obtain new treatment alternatives. Research with medicinal plants is an important strategy for the discovery of therapeutic agents. Bixa orellana is a plant species widely used by the population for culinary and medicinal purposes.  The objective of this study is to verify the antimicrobial potential of the hydroalcoholic extract of Bixa orellana seeds against strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus; to determine the MIC and evaluate the interaction of the extract with antimicrobials for clinical use. The determination of the antimicrobial activity as well as the MIC was carried out through the REMA method and the evaluation of the interaction of the extract with antimicrobials for clinical use through the technique of diffusion in solid medium using paper disks. The MIC of the hydroalcoholic extract of Bixa orellana seeds in the different strains ranged from 7.8 to 1000μg/mL. A trend of synergism was observed between the combination of the extract and the antimicrobials tested. It is thus concluded that the results point to Bixa orellana as a promising plant for the development of new products with antimicrobial activity.