Inhibition of Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella oxytoca by Garlic (Allium sativum L.) and Garlic Pills
Lucinda Choules1, *, Dennis A. Gravatt2, *, Stephen M. Kosovich3, Wei Yuan4, Wang Ping 4, Ron Havner2
1
Division of Multidisciplinary Programs, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 75962, USA
2
Department of Biology, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 75962, USA
3
Department of Economics, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 75962, USA
4
National Center for Pharmaceutical crops, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 75962, USA
Abstract
Multidrug resistant infections and superinfections are increasing globally. Intrinsic and acquired resistance to multiple antibiotics by bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family exasperate treatment efforts by clinicians. Carbapenem antibiotics were once relied upon to treat multidrug resistant infections. However, Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections are becoming more common, requiring that an alternative treatment be found. This study trialed an ancient cure, Fresh Garlic Extract (FGE) created from garlic (Allium sativum L.) and commercially prepared garlic pills against two opportunistic Enterobacteriaceae in vitro utilizing: disc diffusion, well diffusion (introducing DIFF-bolts), and HPLC. FGE and four brands of garlic pills inhibited the growth of Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella oxytoca in vitro. General Nutrition Center (GNC) brand were found to be the most effective garlic pills producing comparable clear zones to meropenem (carbapenem antibiotic) for both bacteria. Garlicin produced the next largest clear zones followed by Garlique and Nature made. Five out of nine garlic pill brands tested were not found to contain viable allicin failing to produce clear zones in all microbial tests.
Keywords: Allicin, disc diffusion, DIFF-bolts, Enterobacter cloacae, garlic, garlic pills, Klebsiella oxytoca, well diffusion.
Article Information
Article History:
Received Date: 22/10/2015
Revision Received Date: 1/2/2016
Acceptance Date: 3/2/2016
Electronic publication date: 29/04/2016
Collection year: 2016
© Choules et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.
open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-NC 4.0) (
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode), which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
* Address correspondence to these authors at Department of Biology, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 75962, USA; E-mails: Cindysbirdsandbooks@yahoo.com, dgravatt@sfasu.edu
Open Peer Review Details |
Manuscript submitted on 22-10-2015 |
Original Manuscript |
Inhibition of Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella oxytoca by Garlic (Allium sativum L.) and Garlic Pills |