Group B Strep in Pregnancy and Allium sativum L.

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Maternal colonization with Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcus(GBS) during pregnancy increases the risk of neonatal infection via vertical transmission from mother to fetus before or during labor. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the SP80 fraction derived from Allium sativum and, its synergistic potential with the antibiotics against GBS strains. Methods: Antimicrobial activity and synergism were assessed using broth microdilution and disk diffusion assays. Fifty-five clinical isolates and one ATCC strain of GBS were tested using the disk diffusion method against the combination of the SP80 fraction with ampicillin and penicillin G, respectively and one ATCC strain was tested using broth microdilution assay. Results: The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of SP80, ampicillin, and penicillin G against Streptococcus agalactiae(ATCC 12386) were found to be 5 µg/µL, 14 µM, and 3.75 µM, respectively. The combination of SP80 and antibiotics, assessed through the broth microdilution assay, demonstrated an additive effect. Statistical analysis revealed that the mean for ampicillin, when combined with the SP80 fraction, using the disk diffusion method, increased compared to ampicillin alone, although not significantly, and the mean for penicillin G, when associated with the SP80 fraction, remained unchanged. The inhibition halos obtained with isolated antibiotics indicated that the strains tested exhibited greater resistance to penicillin G compared to ampicillin. Conclusions: The SP80 fraction displays antimicrobial activity against GBS. When combined with antibiotics, it exhibits an additive effect, suggesting a promising approach for combating GBS infections.