ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA (LICORICE) EXTRACT ON CLINICAL ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATES

Abstract

Bacterial resistance to antimicrobials is a genetic phenomenon developed by microorganisms that leads to the ineffectiveness of most of the drugs used for the treatment of infectious diseases. Escherichia coli is a gram-negative bacterium associated with clinical conditions of complex control. This scenario points to the search for new treatment alternatives for this bacterium, especially based on medicinal plants, rich in pharmacologically active chemical compounds. The objective of this work is to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) on clinical Escherichia coli isolates. The antimicrobial activity assays were carried out in independent triplicates using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) investigation, in 96-well microplates, using the resazurin dye. The present study may contribute to the understanding of the antimicrobial activity of the extract in question and its possible limitations, in addition to directing research towards the development of active phytopharmaceuticals on clinical isolates of Escherichia coli.