The influence of spiny Eleutherococcus on E.Coli resistance to antibiotics

The problem of antibiotic resistance among microorganisms has reached a dangerously high level worldwide. Massive introduction of antibiotics in medicine and veterinary medicine has led to resistance to antibacterial drugs in nearly all the pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria. Escherichia coli, a gram-negative bacterium, has a huge ability to adapt to changing conditions and resist many groups of antibiotics. It is of clinical and epidemiologically significance. Phytotherapeutic agents have the potential to combat antibiotic resistance. Spiny eleutherococcus is a plant-based adaptogen that belongs to the category of phytotherapy. The research has been conducted on the effect of eleutherococcus on the sensitivity of Escherichia coli strains to various antimicrobial agents in vitro. The cultures of Escherichia coli were obtained from calves suffering from acute intestinal disease. The study determined the sensitivity of 12 different antimicrobial drugs from five groups, including penicillins, carbapenems, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones. To investigate the effect of Eleutherococcus, Escherichia coli cultures were incubated with a decoction of spiny eleutherococcus roots, followed by a transfer of the culture and repeated sensitivity tests. The results showed that exposure to spiny eleutherococcus, resistance to cephalosporin drugs (ceftriaxone, cefixime, and ceftazidime), ranged from 14% to 38%, depending on the specific drug. Imipenem (a carbapenem antibiotic) resistance decreased by 13% and gentamicin (an aminoglycoside antibiotic) resistance decreased by 10%. Fluoroquinolone resistance (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and norfloxacin) also decreased, ranging from 4% to 13%. There is a possibility of practical application of spiny eleutherococcus in combating drug-resistant infections and for developing new antimicrobial drugs.