How do plant extracts affect bacterial growth?

Overall, water and ethanolic extracts from selected plants possess antimicrobial activity as they could inhibit the growth of tested food pathogens and spoilage microorganisms.

How can you determine whether this antibiotic is either bacteriostatic or bactericidal?

Defining bactericidal and bacteriostatic The formal definition of a bactericidal antibiotic is one for which the ratio of MBC to MIC is ≤ 4, while a bacteriostatic agent has an MBC to MIC ratio of > 4.

What is the overall evolutionary mechanism for how most bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?

Antibiotic resistance is a consequence of evolution via natural selection. The antibiotic action is an environmental pressure; those bacteria which have a mutation allowing them to survive will live on to reproduce. They will then pass this trait to their offspring, which will be a fully resistant generation.

What is disc diffusion method for antimicrobial activity?

In diagnostic laboratories, the disk diffusion test is used to determine the susceptibility of clinical isolates of bacteria to different antibiotics. An effective antibiotic will produce a large zone of inhibition (disk C), while an ineffective antibiotic may not affect bacterial growth at all (disk A).

What is the mechanism of action of kanamycin?

Kanamycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic used to treat different types of bacterial infections. Kanamycin works by binding to the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit, causing misreading of mRNA and leaving the bacterium unable to synthesize proteins vital to its growth.

Can plant species inhibit bacterial growth?

Crude extracts from Acacia karroo and Elephantorrhiza elephantina inhibited the growth of four bacteria, while that of Euclea crispa, Acacia erioloba, Senna italica and Buddleja saligna inhibited the growth of all five plant pathogenic bacteria.

How are plants antibacterial?

Plants are rich in a wide variety of secondary metabolites, such as tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids, which have been found in vitro to have antimicrobial properties.

What are two possible reasons for choosing a bacteriostatic treatment over an bactericidal one?

Bacteriostatic treatments differ from bactericidal versions in that they inhibit the growth and multiplications of bacterial cells, rather than directly kill them. Bacteriostatic agents can achieve this by obstructing the metabolic mechanisms of the bacterial cell, in most cases targeting the protein synthesis.