Antimicrobial Activity of Euphorbia helioscopia L. Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) In...

Antimicrobial resistance is currently one of the most significant threats to medical science, necessitating the exploration of new antimicrobial agents. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can lead to various severe conditions such as endocarditis, meningitis, abscesses, and sepsis, and conventional antibiotics such as beta-lactams are ineffective for treating these diseases. Therefore, it is imperative to search for novel chemical substances with antimicrobial effects against MRSA. This study aimed to investigate the bioactive chemical compound extracts isolated from Euphorbia helioscopia L. plant material against clinical samples of MRSA collected from the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics.  Methodology: Bioactive compounds from the aboveground parts of Euphorbia helioscopia L. were isolated using methanol extraction of herbal material followed by lyophilization. The total phenolic compound concentration was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Antioxidant power was assessed through the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, chemical composition was analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and antimicrobial activity against MRSA was evaluated using the disc diffusion method.

The lyophilized extract of Euphorbia helioscopia L. exhibited antimicrobial activity against two out of five strains of MRSA. Seven phenolic compounds were identified, three of which were not previously reported as constituents of Euphorbia helioscopia L. More than a third of the isolated compounds were phenolic compounds.  Conclusion: Euphorbia helioscopia L. exhibits antimicrobial properties effective against certain strains of MRSA.