Antimicrobial activity of a combination of Mume fructus, Schizandrae fructus, and Coptidis rhizoma on enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O26, O111, and O157 and its effect on Shiga toxin releases.

The antibacterial activity of an herbal combination composed of Mume Fructus, Coptidis Rhizoma, and Schizandrae Fructus extracts on enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) was evaluated in the present study. The combination demonstrated antibacterial activity against all EHEC strains tested in this study, including those resistant to multiple antibiotics; minimum inhibitory concentration values ranged from 0.49 to 31.25 mg/mL. In in vivo antibacterial activity assay, the herbal combination was administered to mice after initial E. coli O157 infection and had significant effects on mouse mortality. The effects of the herbal combination on Shiga toxin release from EHEC O26, EHEC O111, and EHEC O157 strains containing the stx1 and stx2 genes were assessed by the reversed passive latex agglutination method, and there was no increased Shiga toxin release in the strain cultures containing the herbal combination. These results suggested that the herbal combination may be a safe and effective remedy for EHEC inhibition.