Exploring the Antibiofilm and Antibacterial Potential of Datura stramonium and Prosopis farcta Against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria

Abstract

Background: The rise of drug-resistant bacteria poses a significant challenge to global healthcare, underscoring the urgent need for new therapeutic interventions. In this study, ethanolic extracts of Datura stramonium and Prosopis farcta, sourced from Northern Iran, were examined for their antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Methods: The antibacterial activities of the medicinal extracts were examined in this study using disc diffusion, microbroth dilution, and agar well diffusion methods against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms. In addition, the extracts were assessed for toxicity using the MTT assay on HT29 cells. The biofilm-inhibitory effects of the extracts were also investigated.

Results: The results showed that the ethanolic extracts from D. stramonium and P. farcta have strong antibacterial activity against S. aureus. However, their activity against P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii is less pronounced. The extracts showed significant antibiofilm capabilities against the tested bacteria at both MIC and 2× MIC concentrations (p < 0.05). The MTT test showed HT29 cells were more sensitive to P. farcta extract than D. stramonium, especially at 200 μg/mL concentration.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that ethanolic extracts of P. farcta and D. stramonium exhibit significant antibacterial activity, particularly against S. aureus, while also effectively disrupting bacterial biofilms. These results suggest that these extracts possess considerable potential as alternative therapeutic agents against drug-resistant bacterial infections. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the specific mechanisms of action and to explore their efficacy in clinical applications.