Evaluation of antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of Ruta chalepensis, Hippocratea excelsa, Litsea glaucescens and Waltheria americana against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Antimicrobial resistance is still a problem and therapeutic options are becoming more and more limited.Staphylococcus aureus causes skin and soft tissue infections and has a high degree of pathogenicity.The objective of this work was to determine the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of several plants at different concentrations against methicillin-resistant and methicillin--sensitive Staphylococcus aureus strains, using the Kirby-Bauer method.The ethanolic extract of Ruda (Ruta chalepensis) shows significantly higher antibacterial activity than the extracts of Cancerina (Hippocratea excelsa), Laurel (Litsea glaucescens) and Tapacola (Waltheria americana) alone and in combination.The presence of phenolic compounds, anthocyanins and flavonoids was determined.Rue may contribute to the potential determination of a natural alternative therapy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.