Introduction:

In military medicine, the application of antibacterial substances in topical infections are important in the treatment of troops.

Objectives:

To evaluate the synergistic antibacterial effect of rifamycin in propolis on gram-positive bacteria.

Methods:

In vitro and comparative experimental study. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of Apis mellifera propolis was carried out. 96 Muller Hinton agar plates (Britania®) (48 plates for each bacterial species) divided into 6 groups (n = 8) were used group I (distilled water), group II (96 % ethyl alcohol), group III (rifamycin 0,5 %), group IV (rifamycin 1 %), group V (propolis 20 %) and group VI (rifamycin 1 % in 40 % propolis); Kirby-Bauer methodology was used; the strains used were Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 19615 and the measurements of the zones of inhibition were carried out at 24 hours.

Results:

Phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids and triterpenoids were detected in propolis. The antibacterial effect of group V was verified with 18,627 ± 0,1008 mm (92,59%) and 19,247 ± 0,0762 mm (96,74%), and the synergistic antibacterial effect of group VI with 19,316 ± 0,1202 mm (96,02%) and 19,613 ± 0,0820 mm (98,58%), compared with rifamycin 1% (100%) on S. aureus ATCC 25923 y S. pyogenes ATCC 19615.

Conclusions:

The combination of rifamycin 1% together with propolis 40% has a greater antibacterial activity in vitro on gram-positive bacteria due to its synergistic effect.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )