Using Molecular and Bacteriological Methods in Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Gazan Region and Effect of Camel’s Urine and Some Plant Extracts on it

The spread of infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus in hospitals represents a significant problem, particularly the methicillin resistant strains, as the fight against it requires a great potential. There are many attempts to limit the spread of this microbe and epidemics resulting from it. The difficulty of treating diseases caused by this bacteria is mainly due to its high resistance to many commonly used antibiotics, such as penicillin, cephlosporins, erythromycin as well as aminoglycosides. Recent studies have proved that the cause of resistance to methecillin is mainly due to a certain type of protein. The gene coding for this type of protein was identified and called mecA gene. In this study, strains of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from clinical specimens in King Fahd Central Hospital laboratory in Jazan region. The strains were identified by bacteriological and biochemical tests as well as their sensitivity to the different antibiotics which were examined using agar disc diffusion method. Also, molecular methods for identification of methicillin resistant S. aureus was performed using real-time PCR technology and the results were compared with the conventional methods. In this study, 46 isolates of S. aureus were defined, and 35 of them were found to be methicillin resistant, while 11 were sensitive. Regarding oxacillin, 38 isolates were resistant and 8 were sensitive. When realtime PCR was performed on the 46 isolates, 32 isolates were found to be methicillin resistant ( having mecA gene),and 3 isolates methicillin resistant were found negative(not having mecA gene) by real-time PCR. Also, out of the 11 methicillin sensitive isolates, only 7 isolates having mecA gene, and 4 isolates were negative(not having mecA gene). Such results indicate the accuracy of the molecular method in detecting MRSA. In this study we searched for natural resources and safe alternative to the antibiotics currently used in the treatment of serious infection with such microbe. Among these resources is camel's urine, which previous various studies, had characterized as possessing curative properties. The trials in this study confirmed the high inhibitory capacity of camel's urine. Specimens of both fresh and preserved camel's urine were tested on MRSA isolates, and it was found that camel's urine could suppress the growth of selected isolates, especially in liquid environments. Our study demonstrated the presence of a species of bacteria in the urine of camels, which produces substances that discourage the growth of MRSA. This bacterium has been defined and found to belong to lactic acid bacteria. Also, we used aqueous extract of some plants located in the Jazan region to study their inhibitory effect on the growth of bacteria. It has been shown that the water extracts of plants sterilized by filtration were an inhibitory agent to MRSA more than those sterilized by autoclave. And the aqueous extract of pomegranate rind is the most capable of inhibiting the growth of isolates selected. Therefore, the extraction of effective anti-bacteria in pomegranate rind via organic solvents, and the separation by chromatography column was defined by nuclear magnetic resonance. Two compounds were identified, Gallic acid and Methylester Gallic acid, which were found to have marked inhibitory effect on MRSA at very low concentrations MIC 25μg6,25μg.