Effect of Rhus coriaria L. against CRAB infection

Spread of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) threatens the public health. Alternative antibiotic agents with fewer side effects are urgently needed due to the increased resistance to colistin, one of the last resort treatments worldwide. This study examines the antibacterial and potential anti-inflammatory effects of Rhus coriaria L. aqueous extract in a mouse model. Five groups of Balb/c mice were used in this study. Group I served as negative control. Group II was given the Rhus coriaria extract at 800 mg/kg only. Group III was intraperitoneally infected with 2 x 109 CFU/mL CRAB. Group IV was similarly infected with CRAB and treated with the extract at 800 mg/kg. Group V was treated with 5 mg/kg colistin. Treatment was administered intraperitoneally over 7 days. Hematological and biochemical analysis including complete blood count, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), analyses included C-reactive protein and creatinine concentration measurements, complemented by histological examinations of hepatic and renal tissue. Systemic CRAB infection included significant biochemical, hematological and histopathological abnormalities. While, colistin effectively eradicated the CRAB infection, it concurrently elicited nephrotoxic effects. Compared to the infected group, Rhus coriaria was effective in treating the infection with no toxicity, where the GOT, GPT, and Creatinine levels in the treated groups decreased by 42.94% (p-value 0.001), 28.20% (p-value 0.006), and 22.03% (p-value 0.03), respectively. Our results demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of the Rhus coriaria extract in treating systemic CRAB infections, offering a safe substitute for the nephrotoxic colistin.