AMELIORATIVE IMPACTS OF ROUGH COCKLEBUR LEAF EXTRACTS AGAINST METHICILLIN RESISTANT Staphylococcus aureus

The excessive bad use of antibiotics in medication caused the development of antibiotic-resistant microbial strains, among which is Staphylococcus aureus. In the current study, antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities of ethanolic and methanolic leaf extracts of rough cocklebur (Xanthium stru-marium L) were evaluated on S. aureus MRSA (methicillin-resistant 5. aureus (MRSA). Ethanolic and methanolic extracts of X. strumarium showed that it has a great active phenols and flavonoids that are widely known for their antimicrobial effects (quercetin, myercitin, benzoic acid, resveratrol and catechin). Using a known MRSA isolates, both ethanolic and methanolic extracts showed the same inhibitory effect on MRSA growth. Seven MRSA isolates showed high grad positive biofilm synthesis, 15 low grade biofilm synthesis and 8 isolates are negative for biofilm production. When theses isolates were incubated with ethanolic and methanloic extracts showed antibiofilm production as indicated by crystal violet assay. In conclusion, the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of both ethanol and methanolic extract have justified the traditional use of X. strumarium as a folk remedy for treatment of MRSA.