The Assessment of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts' Antibacterial Properties against Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus Species

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has encouraged research into natural antimicrobial agents derived from medicinal plants. This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) against three Staphylococcus species: Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The antibacterial activity was assessed using the disc diffusion method at concentrations of 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/mL. The sensitivity of the bacterial isolates to several commonly used antibiotics was also investigated. The results showed that the ethanolic extract had a stronger antibacterial effect than the aqueous extract, with activity increasing as the concentration increased. At 400 mg/mL, the ethanolic extract produced inhibition zones of 12.00 ± 2.65 mm against S. saprophyticus, 12.67 ± 2.08 mm against S. epidermidis, and 12.33 ± 1.53 mm against S. aureus. In comparison, the aqueous extract showed lower activity, producing inhibition zones of 6.67 ± 0.58 mm against S. saprophyticus and 7.33 ± 0.58 mm against S. epidermidis. The ethanolic extract showed no inhibitory activity against S. saprophyticus at 50 mg/mL, while only limited activity was observed against S. epidermidis and S. aureus. The aqueous extract showed no inhibitory effect against any of the tested Staphylococcus strains at 50 and 100 mg/mL. The greater effectiveness of the ethanolic extract may be attributed to ethanol’s ability to extract lipophilic and phenolic compounds, particularly cinnamaldehyde and eugenol. Overall, cinnamon extract may serve as a potential natural antibacterial agent against antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus species.