Inhibitory Effects of a Herbal Ointment against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Background and Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram negative opportunistic pathogen and an important cause of wound infections and nosocomial infections. The purpose of this study was to study inhibitory effects of a new ointment prepared from medicinal plants against P. aeruginosa isolates. Methods: In this study, an ointment called ZOUSH was prepared from mixing alcoholic extracts of Satureja khuzestaniea, Zataria multiflora, Mentha mozaffariani Jamzad, honey and polyurethane. Minimal inhibitory concentration of ZOUSH and its compositions alone or combined was determined using the disk diffusion method. Results: S. khuzestaniea, Z. multiflora and Mentha mozaffariani Jamzad had inhibitory effects against P. aeruginosa. The ZOUSH ointment had greater antibacterial effects than the any of its compositions used solely or combined. The diameter of inhibition zone had a direct relationship with the concentration of the extracts. Moreover, the antibacterial effect of the ZOUSH ointment was identical to that of polymyxine B (300 μg). Conclusion: We demonstrated that the ZOUSH ointment has inhibitory effects against P. aerugionosa. The inhibition zone diameter is directly correlated with the concentration of the extracts. Our results suggest that the ointment could be useful for treatment of burn wounds and skin infections.