Group B Strep During Pregnancy and Allium sativum L.

Introduction

Maternal colonisation with Streptococcus agalactiae, or Group B Streptococcus (GBS), during pregnancy increases the risk of neonatal infection through vertical transmission from the mother to the foetus, either before or during labour. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the Sep-Pak 80% (SP80) fraction derived from Allium sativum L. and its synergistic potential with antibiotics against GBS strains.

Methods

Antimicrobial activity and potential synergism were assessed via broth microdilution and disk diffusion assays. Fifty-five clinical isolates and one American type culture collection (ATCC) strain of GBS were tested with the disk diffusion method to assess the combination of the SP80 fraction with ampicillin and penicillin G. A broth microdilution assay was performed on one ATCC strain.

Results

The minimum inhibitory concentrations of SP80, ampicillin, and penicillin G against Streptococcus agalactiae (ATCC 12386) were 5 mg/mL, 0.01 µg/mL, and 0.06 µg/mL, respectively. The combination of SP80 with antibiotics, assessed through broth microdilution, demonstrated an additive effect. Statistical analysis revealed that the mean inhibition zone for ampicillin, when combined with the SP80 fraction using the disk diffusion method, was greater than that for ampicillin alone, although the difference was not statistically significant. For penicillin G, the mean remained unchanged when it was combined with SP80. The inhibition zones of the isolated antibiotics revealed that the tested strains were more resistant to penicillin G than to ampicillin.

Conclusions

The SP80 fraction exhibits antimicrobial activity against GBS. When combined with antibiotics, it has an additive effect, suggesting that this approach could be promising for combating GBS infections.