Evaluating The Effect of Thyme Extract on Inhibiting Gene Expression of Virulence Factors in Acinetobacter Baumannii and Studying Its Effect on Biofilm Formation

Abstract

Because of the resistance of this bacteria to many antibiotics, it has become necessary to find alternatives to antibiotics or materials that work synergistically with antibiotics in order to control and inhibit the growth of this bacteria, which poses a great danger to patients with burns and wounds. Therefore, it has been proposed that this plant extract be used to prove its effectiveness. Grind the dried thyme leaves to obtain a fine powder.  Place 10 grams of thyme powder in a beaker containing 100 ml of distilled water (10% w/v concentration). Heat the mixture in a water bath at 60-70°C for 30-60 minutes with continuous stirring. After heating is complete, let the mixture cool to room temperature. Filter the extract using filter paper or a fine strainer to obtain the pure extract. To prepare several concentrations of the aqueous extract, dilute the basic extract (10%) to the desired concentrations, such as 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5%. Use the following equation to determine the volume of the aqueous extract and the volume of distilled water required for each concentration: C1×V1=C2×V2C1 \times V1 = C2 \times V2C1. Effect of different concentrations of thyme extract (2.5, 5%, 7.5, and 10), where a significant effect of this plant was observed in inhibiting the biofilms of these bacteria, and the concentration of 7.5 and 10 gave the best results in inhibiting the biofilm of these bacteria. The mechanism of inhibition can be explained by the fact that thyme contains active compounds such as thymol and carvacrol, which have antibacterial properties.