Effect of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) tissue extracts on the growth of some skin infectious microorganisms

 In an attempt to treat infection of mice skin using ethanolic extract of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) callus cultures. Several experiments were carried out. Callus was induced on leaf explants and maintained for 30 days on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l of benzyl adenine and 2.0 mg/l of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.  Water and ethanolic extracts of R. officinalis leaves and callus cultures were investigated for their antimicrobial activity. Rosemary water leaves extract contained tannins, saponins, flavonoids, terpenes, steroids, alkaloids and phenols, while rosemary ethanolic leaves extract contained tannins,saponins, flavonoids, terpenes, steroids, glycosides and phenols. Rosemary ethanolic leaf extracts showed inhibitory effect better than water one against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans and no inhibitory effect against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Callus extracts showed an inhibitory effect more than leaf extracts on growth of S. aureus and C. albicans and slight inhibition against P. aeruginosa . It has been noticed that ethanolic callus extract showed better inhibitory activity against S. aureus at a concentration of 80 mg/ml, for that this extract applied on laboratory mice skin. Ethanolic callus extract has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and healing effect at a concentration of 80 mg/ml better than commercial skin ointment (Samacycline) on skin mice infected with S.aureus.