SVOA Microbiology

José Thyálisson da Costa Silva¹, Terezinha Raila Ramos de Sousa¹, João Arthur de Oliveira Borges¹, Talysson Felismino Moura¹, Paula Patrícia Marques Cordeiro¹, Maria Érika de Oliveira Silva², Luciene Ferreira de Lima¹, Ademar Maia Filho¹, Maria Aparecida Barbosa Ferreira Gonçalo¹, Daiany Alves Ribeiro³, Nathallia Correia da Silva¹, João Pereira da Silva-Júnior¹, Emílio Sousa Albuquerque¹, Gabriel de Oliveira Lôbo⁴, Henrique Douglas Melo Coutinho¹, José Weverton Almeida-Bezerra^1*

¹Regional University of Cariri, Crato – CE, Brazil.

²Dr. Lea o Sampaio University Center, Juazeiro do Norte – CE, Brazil.

³Federal University of Cariri – Crato – CE, Brazil.

⁴CECAPE Faculty - Juazeiro do Norte – CE, Brazil.

*Corresponding Author: Prof. Dr. Jose Weverton Almeida-Bezerra, Department of Biological Chemistry, Regional University of Cariri, 63105-000, Crato, CE, Brazil.

https://doi.org/10.58624/SVOAMB.2025.06.007

Received: March 15, 2025

Published: April 01, 2025

Citation: da Costa Silva JT, de Sousa TRR, Borges JAO, Moura TF, Cordeiro PPM, Silva MEO, Lima LF, Maia Filho A, Gonçalo MABF, Ribeiro DA, da Silva NC, da Silva-Junior JP, Albuquerque ES, Lobo GO, Coutinho HDM, Almeida-Bezerra JW. Adjuvant Effect of Crateva tapia L. (Capparaceae) Extract in Enhancing Antibiotics Against Multidrug Resistant Bacteria. SVOA Microbiology 2025, 6:2, 58-65. doi:10.58624/SVOAMB.2025.06.007

Abstract

Bacterial resistance has become a growing global challenge, highlighting the importance of therapeutic alternatives, such as the use of medicinal plant extracts in inhibiting resistant bacteria. Brazil is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, including medicinal plants with pharmacological potential and promising biological activities against pathogenic microorganisms. The species Crateva tapia L. exhibits significant therapeutic potential in traditional medicine due to its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. In this context, this study evaluated the antibacterial activity and synergistic potential of the ethanolic extract from C. tapia leaves in combination with antibiotics. For this purpose, C. tapia leaves were collected, dried, ground, and subjected to ethanol extraction to obtain the ethanolic extract (EECT). Antimicrobial assays were conducted using conventional bacterial strains (ATCC) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. The inhibitory activity was assessed through the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The potentiating capacity of EECT was analyzed at sub-inhibitory concentrations (MIC/8) in combination with the antibiotics gentamicin, ampicillin, and norfloxacin, with results analyzed statistically. The results demonstrated that EECT did not exhibit isolated antibacterial activity (MIC > 512 μg/mL) against ATCC and MDR bacteria. However, it proved to be effective as an antibiotic potentiator, significantly reducing the MIC of gentamicin and norfloxacin against MDR strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These findings indicate that the ethanolic extract of C. tapia has potential for use in combined therapies, representing a promising alternative in addressing bacterial resistance.

Keywords: “Trapiá”; Microdilution; Antibacterial; Medicinal Plant.