In vivo and In vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Flower and Callus Extracts of Matricaria chamomilla L. in The Treatment of Experimentally - Induced Skin Infections in Mice

The current study was designed to examine the antimicrobial activity of the chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) water or ethanol extracts for both flowers and callus cultures initiated on germinated seeds. An attempt was carried out to treat the induced infected mice with some microorganisms causing skin infection namely Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Results were compared with some drugs
used for skin treatment namely, Cefotaxime sodium, Acetic acid, Fusidic acid and Clotrimazol. Callus was initiated and maintained on Murashige and skoog, 1962 medium (MS) supplemented with a combination of 1.0 mg/l Benzyl adenine (BA) and 0.1 mg/l 2,4-Dichlorophynoxyacetic acid (2,4-D).Results revealed that water or ethanol extracts have an inhibitory effects on the microorganisms under investigation. Extracts were containing azulene and apigenin compounds, after detection and quantitation using HPLC   techniques. Ethanol flower extract was more effective against the studied microorganisms than water extracts. Meanwhile, callus ethanol extract was found more inhibitory to the microorganisms than water and ethanol flowers extracts.Thus, ethanol callus extract was applied at a concentration of 40 mg/ml for the treatment of induced skin infection of mice then compared with the skin drugs available in the pharmacies. A mixture of ethanol callus
extract and Cefotaxime sodium at a percentage 50% was the most effective treatment against tested bacteria. Ethanol callus extract at a concentration of 40 mg/ml was effective in curing of mice skin infected with C. albicans. In regards to the use of antimicrobial drugs in the experimentally – induced skin infection, further studies are required to test whether these sults represent a novel finding or an experimental error.