Derakhshan Safoura, Sattari Morteza, Bigdeli Mohsen
Department of Bacteriology, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Pharmacogn Mag. 2010 Jan;6(21):57-61. doi: 10.4103/0973-1296.59967. Epub 2010 Feb 13.
Seeds of the cumin plant (Cuminum cyminum L.) have been used since many years in Iranian traditional medicine. We assessed the effect of cumin seed essential oil on the biofilm-forming ability of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains and on the integrity of a native resistance plasmid DNA from K. pneumoniae isolates, treated with essential oil. Antibacterial coaction between the essential oil and selected antibiotic disks were determined for inhibiting K. pneumoniae. The essential oil of the cumin seeds was obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clavenger system. A simple method for the formation of biofilms on semiglass lamellas was established. The biofilms formed were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of essential oil on plasmid integrity was studied through the induction of R-plasmid DNA degradation. The plasmid was incubated with essential oil, and agarose gel electrophoresis was performed. Disk diffusion assay was employed to determine the coaction. The essential oil decreased biofilm formation and enhanced the activity of the ciprofloxacin disk. The incubation of the R-plasmid DNA with essential oil could not induce plasmid DNA degradation. The results of this study suggest the potential use of cumin seed essential oil against K. pneumoniae in vitro, may contribute to the in vivo efficacy of this essential oil.
孜然植物（孜然芹，学名Cuminum cyminum L.）的种子在伊朗传统医学中已被使用多年。我们评估了孜然籽精油对肺炎克雷伯菌菌株生物膜形成能力的影响，以及对用精油处理的肺炎克雷伯菌分离株天然耐药性质粒DNA完整性的影响。测定了精油与选定抗生素纸片之间抑制肺炎克雷伯菌的抗菌协同作用。孜然籽精油通过在克莱文杰装置中进行水蒸馏获得。建立了一种在半玻璃薄片上形成生物膜的简单方法。通过扫描电子显微镜（SEM）观察形成的生物膜。通过诱导R-质粒DNA降解研究了精油对质粒完整性的影响。将质粒与精油一起孵育，然后进行琼脂糖凝胶电泳。采用纸片扩散法测定协同作用。精油减少了生物膜的形成，并增强了环丙沙星纸片的活性。R-质粒DNA与精油孵育不能诱导质粒DNA降解。本研究结果表明孜然籽精油在体外对肺炎克雷伯菌具有潜在应用价值，可能有助于该精油在体内发挥疗效。
