Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences

Research Article
Adv. Anim. Vet. Sci. 3 (6): 308 - 320
http://dx.doi.org/10.14737/journal.aavs/2015/3.6.308.320
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Orooba Mohammed Saeed Ibrahim*, Sarhan Rashid Sarhan

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Baghdad University, Baghdad, Iraq.

*Correspondence | Orooba Mohammed Saeed Ibrahim, Baghdad University, Baghdad, Iraq; Email: oroobam2000@gmail.com

Abstract
The present study was carried out to investigate the antibacterial activity of ethanol extract of Ocimum basilicum against infectious diarrhea caused by E. coli. Two experiments were performed in this present study; the first one is in vitro antibacterial activity of Ocimum basilicum ethanolic extract. The second experiment included study in vivo antibacterial activity of the extract after inducing diarrhea with oral pathogenic E. coli in five rats groups (eight rats of each). The results of the in vitro antibacterial study showed that E. coli was more sensitive to ethanolic extract of O.B in comparison with Gentamicin and Amikacin and it was resistant to the metronidazole, but E. coli was more sensitive to Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole. Two doses of O.B extract 100, 200 mg/kg. BW were used to treat this infection for fourteen days orally. The results of the in vivo study indicated that doses of 200 mg/kg BW O.B extract and 6.85 mg/kg. BW of Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole were succeeded in returning the rectal E. coli count of infected rats to normal values before inducing infection in both kinds of therapy at the first week. Food intake, water intake and body weight significantly (P < 0.05) increased in comparison with others doses or groups. From the results obtained, it could be concluded that ethanolic extract of O.B leaves at dose 200 mg/kg. BW was more effective and safe in comparison with antibacterial agent and other O.B dose, this anti-diarrheal activity of O.B ethanolic extract may be due to its constituents of secondary metabolites that are responsible for the antibacterial activity with different mechanisms of action.

Keywords | Antimicrobial activity, Escherichia coli, Ocimum basilucum, Diarrhea