Abstract
M.Tech. (Homoeopathy)
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a Gram-negative bacterium that harmlessly colonises as normal flora in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals. While most strains have a beneficial relationship with the host, some are pathogenic and can result in severe bacterial infections. E. coli infections have been linked to higher hospitalisation and fatality rates compared to other enteric pathogens, and are a major cause of diarrhoeal diseases, peritonitis, colitis, bacteraemia, infant mortality, and urinary tract infections. Antibiotic resistance has become a major global health concern and as a result, alternative treatment options need to be investigated. Hydrastis canadensis L. (H. canadensis L.) is a medicinal plant belonging to the Ranunculaceae family; its antibacterial activity is thought to be as a result of its various active constituents, specifically the alkaloid berberine. H. canadensis L. has been shown to exhibit antibacterial activity against E. coli as both a herbal extract and a homeopathically prepared mother tincture, with the mother tincture used as a single dosage application. The effect of multiple doses of the mother tincture being administered has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial activity of multiple administrations of H. canadensis mother tincture on E. coli in-vitro, by means of sequential 96 well plate incubations. The results demonstrated positive antimicrobial effects of H. canadensis mother tincture against E. coli with the use of the microdilution method. This study proved that H. canadensis can inhibit the growth of E. coli regardless of its ethanol concentration; it demonstrated that ethanol alone does not have permanent inhibitory effects against E. coli as the bacteria were able to adapt and grow when the ethanol was removed. The results for the mother tincture however showed lasting effects on the inhibition of the bacteria even after the bacteria were removed from the tincture. This study has expanded our knowledge on the antimicrobial effects of H. canadensis on E. coli and furthered our knowledge on how the frequency of dose administration of a mother tincture influences its antimicrobial effects.