THE USES OF GARLIC AS ANTIBACTERIAL IN VITRO

The aim of this study was to determined the inhibitory effect of different concentrations of garlic extract in vitro. Thirty clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were obtained from patients suffering from different skin infections in Ramadi General Hospital During the period between October 2007 to February 2008 , as well as the control strain of S. aureus (ATCC 25923) . Antimicrobial effects of garlic was detected by three different methods, disc diffusion method, well diffusion method, minimumal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimumal bactericidal concentration (MBC) . Out of Thirty clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 20 (66.6%) and control strain were identified as highly susceptible with 100mg/ml of garlic juice, 8 isolates (26.6%) showed intermediate susceptible and no detectable activity with the lower concentrations of garlic juice as well as 2 isolates (6.6%) were resistante (no zone of inhibition )was observed with concentrated garlic juice. 3.2 mg/ml of garlic juice was the minimumal inhibitory concentration and minimumal bactericidal concentration for all tested isolates. It is concluded that the higher concentrated of garlic juice which had a strong inhibitory activity on Staphylococcus aureus .Further in vivo studies are necessary.