Anti-methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) activity of an acetone extract from the leaves of Canarium odontophyllum (Miq.)

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a global health concern that has caused nosocomial and community infections over the past decade. The emergence of multi-drug resistant strains and limitations of present antimicrobial drugs have led to continuous search for natural products as curative agents for MRSA infections. Canarium odontophyllum Miq., locally known as dabai, has been considered an alternative phytotherapeutic treatment for MRSA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bacteriostatic activity of an acetone extract from C. odontophyllum leaves against MRSA. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extract against the ATCC 33591 and Mu50 strains were determined using the broth microdilution method, and a time-kill assay was employed to assess the type of bacteriostatic action of the extract against the Mu50 strain only. The MIC and MBC values of the extract against Mu50 were 312.5 µg/ml and 625 µg/ml, respectively, whereas the MIC and MBC values for ATCC 33591 were 625 µg/ml and 1,250 µg/ml, respectively, confirming the bacteriostatic effect against both MRSA strains. A time-kill assay showed that the acetone extract of C. odontophyllum leaves exhibited concentrationdependent bacteriostatic action against the Mu50 strain at 1/2× MIC, 1× MIC and 2× MIC. However, the extract was bactericidal only at the highest concentration (4× MIC) with a reduction in cell viability of more than 3 log10 within 24 hours. These findings confirm that an acetone extract from C. odontophyllum leaves inhibited growth of MRSA at low concentration and could be utilised as an alternative anti-MRSA agent in immune uncompromised hosts