A Comprehensive Evaluation of Synergistic and Antagonistic Interaction Patterns between Natural Plant-Derived Extracts and Conventional Antibiotic Agents in Enhancing Antibacterial Efficacy
Bhanupratap Vishwakarma1*, Shruti Mishra
1, Shivani Pandey
1, Vidya Bagul
2, Neha Jadhav
1, Sahil Pandey
1 and Sweta Dwivedi
1
(Department of Microbiology) Zsct’s Thakur Shyam Narayan Degree College, Kandivali East, Mumbai – 400101, India 2(Department of Microbiology) Guru Nanak Khalsa College of Arts, Science & Commerce (Autonomous), Matunga, Mumbai- 400019, India
*Corresponding author
Abstract:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which remains a challenge in the effectiveness of traditional antibiotics, thus compels an urgent search for alternative or adjunctive therapeutic approaches. Interaction of extracts from four herbal medicinal plants (Randia aculeata, Ixora coccinea, Capsella bursa-pastoris and Portulaca oleracea) with antibiotics commonly used against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus is studied in this paper. Aqueous extracts were obtained from the same plant material and its antibacterial activity was evaluated against bacteria through agar well diffusion test both combinatively as well as individually (1:1) with antibiotics. Species- and combination-specific results were obtained corresponding to synergy and/or antagonism. Substantial synergistic increase in the antibacterial activity was also noted for Capsella bursa-pastoris + ciprofloxacin and Ixora coccinea + erythromycin against E. coli and S.aureus, respectively indicating that plant phytochemicals either enhance the antibiotic uptake or temper bacterial defense system. On the other hand, that is not always true, as mixed effects such as Randia + ampicillin or Portulaca + amoxicillin showed antagonistic or indifferent additive interactions between plants and drugs indicating plant–drug combinations are more complicated. Altogether, the results point to the possibility of combined plant–antibiotic treatment as a tool to either recover or enhance antibacterial efficacy and raise further attention for mechanical-based, MIC disinfectants applied on resistant strains. This study provides evidence for the up-and-coming potentialities of plant products as natural supplements in the management of AMR
Keywords: Randia aculeata, Ixora coccinea, Capsella bursa-pastoris and Portulaca oleracea Synergistic, Antagonistic, Antimicrobial resistance.
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How to cite this article:
Bhanupratap Vishwakarma, Shruti Mishra, Shivani Pandey, Vidya Bagul, Neha Jadhav, Sahil Pandey and Sweta Dwivedi. 2025. A Comprehensive Evaluation of Synergistic and Antagonistic Interaction Patterns between Natural Plant-Derived Extracts and Conventional Antibiotic Agents in Enhancing Antibacterial Efficacy
Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci. 14(12): 118-124. doi:
https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2025.1412.012
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National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) 
