Keywords
Allium sativum
antimicrobial activity
MIC
bactericidal effect
antimicrobial resistance
traditional medicine
How to Cite
Abstract
The use of home remedies is part of the traditional knowledge of many communities and remains a current alternative for the home management of common ailments. This study valuated the antimicrobial activity of various preparations commonly used in Chile -including honey with lemon, chamomile, matico, and garlic- through initial tests against environmental microorganisms followed by testing against clinical strains. Preliminary results showed limited or specific activity for most of the remedies evaluated; garlic (*Allium sativum*) stood out as the compound with the greatest antimicrobial potential, prompting further experimental analysis.
An aqueous garlic extract was prepared, and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined via microdilution, with verification by subculturing on agar. A bactericidal effect was observed at various concentrations against ESBL-producing E. coli, S. enteritidis, and S. aureus, while a bacteriostatic effect was noted against E. faecalis and P. aeruginosa. These results demonstrate that garlic possesses demonstrable antimicrobial activity, particularly against enteric bacteria, and suggest its potential as a complementary alternative in the context of bacterial resistance.
References
Chencke, C., Vásquez, B., Sandoval, C., & del Sol, M. (2016). El r ol de la miel en los procesos morfofisiológicos de reparación de heridas. International Journal of Morphology, 34(1), 385-395. https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0717-95022016000100056
Cruz, A. J. F., Brito, I. P., Sobral, M. A. F., Sousa, A. T. L., Alves, E. F., Raul, A., Ferreira, S. S., Costa, R. O., Figueredo, F. G., Guedes, T. T., Macêdo, R. O., Ribeiro, T. R. G., Leandro, L. M. G., Oliveira, C. D. M., Tintino, S. R., Costa, M. S., & Aquino, P. E. A. (2016). Avaliação da atividade antibacteriana e moduladora dos extratos metanólico e hexânico da folha de Allium cepa. Revista Ciencias de la Salud, 14(2), 191-200. https://doi.org/10.12804/revsalud14.02.2016.04
Juárez-Segovia, K. G., Díaz-Darcía, E. J., Méndez-López, M. D., Pina-Canseco, M. S., Pérez-Santiago, A. D., & Sánchez-Medina, M. A. (2019). Efecto de extractos crudos de ajo (Allium sativum) sobre el desarrollo in vitro de Aspergillus parasiticus y Aspergillus niger. Polibotánica, 47, 99-111. https://doi.org/10.18387/polibotanica.47.8
Mandal, M. D., & Mandal, S. (2011). Honey: Its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 1(2), 154-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60016-6
Ministerio de Salud de Chile. (2024, 23 de octubre). Minsal lanza Política de Medicina Complementaria y Prácticas de Bienestar de la Salud. https://www.minsal.cl/minsal-lanza-politica-de-medicina-complementaria-y-practicas-de-bienestar-de-la-salud/
Molan, P. C. (2001). Why honey is effective as a medicine. 1. Its use in modern medicine. Bee World, 82(2), 80-92. https://doi.org/10.1080/0005772X.2001.11099504
Ore Areche, F., Ruiz Rodríguez, A., Ticsihua Huaman, J., & Corilla Flores, D. D. (2021). Piper aduncum L. (matico) utilizado como tratamiento para el daño pulmonar y Covid-19. Vive Revista de Salud, 4(12), 100-115. https://doi.org/10.33996/revistavive.v4i12.111
Vara-Delgado, A., Sosa-González, R., Alayón-Recio, C. S., Ayala-Sotolongo, N., Moreno-Capote, G., & Alayón-Recio, V. del C. (2019). Uso de la manzanilla en el tratamiento de las enfermedades periodontales. Revista Archivo Médico de Camagüey, 23(3), 403-414. http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1025-02552019000300403
Vogel, H., Razmilic, I., & González, B. (2004). Matico (Buddleja globosa Hope): Evaluación de diferentes accesiones, número de cosechas, humedad del suelo y extracción de nutrientes. Agricultura Técnica, 64(4), 413-420. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0365-28072004000400010
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Martina Colombo, Camila Aréstegui, Zarina Puelles, Antonella de la Prida (Autor/a)