Abstract
Aim: To assess the antimicrobial activity and genotoxicity of three medicinal plants used by Saudi Arabian people as traditional medicine against Mycoplasma hominis.
Methodology: Different concentrations of Syzygium aromaticum (clove), Vachellia nilotica (acacia), and Thyme vulgaris (thyme) extracts were used as antimicrobial agents against M. hominis, and their lethal effects on Mycoplasma genome DNA were analyzed using repetitive element PCR(Rep-PCR).
Results: The aqueous extracts of clove and Acacia at 3.125 mg ml(-1) were found to be active antimicrobials against three tested Mycoplasm. Thyme extract exhibited antimicrobial activity at 12.5 mg ml(-1). Moreover, this extract revealed potent lethal activities as growth turbidity decreased with increasing concentration or exposure time as compared to untreated Mycoplasma. The results of Rep-PCR clearly indicate that changes occured in the number of genetic bands in treated Mycoplasma at certain concentrations as compared to untreated Mycoplasma.
Interpretation: These results indicate the possibility of using these extracts as a source of antibacterial compounds for treating infections caused by Mycoplasma.