Antibacterial activity of cinnamon extract against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterialpathogens isolated from patient samples

Medicinal plants have played crucial roles in the traditional health care system since the origin of mankind. Among them, cinnamon is used not only as a spice in food but also as a substance with many health-beneficial effects. The aim of the present study was to identify the antibacterial activity of cinnamon bark extract against bacterial isolates from patient pus samples that might help treat infections.

The antibacterial potential of cinnamon bark extract in both ethanol and methanol against 6 bacterial isolates obtained from pus samples received in the Microbiology Laboratory was identified by agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) using standard techniques.

By agar well diffusion, the highest inhibitory activity of ethanol and methanol extracts of cinnamon was shown by Staphylococcus aureus, followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococci. The lowest inhibitory effect was shown by Proteus mirabilis. The ethanol extract of cinnamon MIC and MBC ranged from 6.25 mg/mL to 12.5 mg/mL and 12.5 mg/mL to 50 mg/mL. The methanol extract of cinnamon MIC showed a value of 12.5 mg/mL, and the methanol extract of MBC ranged from 12.5 mg/mL to 50 mg/mL against all bacterial isolates of the present study.

Staphylococcus aureus is sensitive to the alcoholic extract of cinnamon bark, but its effect is less than that of the selected antibiotic.