One of the greatest threats to global public health is antimicrobial resistance (AMR), due to the increasing number of infections caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae ESBL-producing bacteria possess resistance mechanisms that inactivate β-lactam antibiotics by hydrolyzing their β-lactam ring, thereby limiting conventional therapeutic options. In response to this problem, the objective of this exploratory in vitro study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Origanum vulgare (oregano) essential oil and its interaction with the antibiotic cefepime using in vitro methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed, including determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration by the microdilution method with statistical analysis, and evaluation of the fractional inhibitory concentration index using the checkerboard method. In addition, advanced methods such as MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for bacterial identification and PCR were employed for the identification of resistance genes. The studied strains exhibited both phenotypic and genotypic resistance. The MIC of the essential oil was 1024 µg/mL for ESBL-producing E. coli and 2048 µg/mL for ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae, whereas the ATCC strains showed higher susceptibility. The FICI values indicated synergism in E. coli (FICI = 0.188) and an additive effect in K. pneumoniae (FICI = 0.563). Oregano essential oil exhibits antimicrobial activity and the ability to potentiate the effect of cefepime, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic adjuvant. Additional studies are required, including a larger number of strains, cytotoxicity analyses, and clinical validation.

La hematuria enzoótica bovina (HEB) es una enfermedad ocasionada por la exposición al consumo de potreros invadidos de helecho común (Pteridium aquilinum), conocido también como llashipa. La investigación se centró en identificar las zonas ganaderas del Cantón Chilla estableciendo una relación entre su ubicación y la incidencia de HEB. Se estudiaron tres zonas, cada una con cuatro sectores, los cuales se agruparon según su altura, Zona A (300 – 999 msnm), Zona B (1000 – 1999 msnm) y Zona C (2000 – 3300 msnm). La presencia de llashipa en las zonas investigadas corresponde a: 20% en la Zona A, 60% en la Zona B, y 50% en la Zona C; datos que corresponden a maleza invasiva recurrente en los potreros. Se aplicaron las técnicas de tiras reactivas urinarias (TRU) y análisis microscópico del sedimento urinario (AMSU) para el análisis de las muestras. Los resultados encontrados fueron, el 36.1% (130/360) para AMSU y el 5.28% (19/360) para TRU, con lo cual, los dos métodos demuestran la existencia de esta enfermedad en el cantón Chilla. En cuanto a la relación de las variables elementos celulares (AMSU y TRU) y zonas ganaderas (A, B y C), mediante el estadístico Chi cuadrado, muestra que el valor de significancia a p es menor a 0.005, lo que indica que existe una relación entre las variables. Se concluye que los sectores agrupados en las distintas zonas ganaderas del Cantón Chilla son endémicos a hematuria enzoótica bovina según la altura en la que se ubican.

La Vinculación con la Sociedad (VS) responde a una destacada necesidad de desarrollo social, evidenciada bidireccionalmente entre las instituciones y la sociedad (Navarrete Pita et al., 2023), en ámbitos académicos, científicos, culturales, sociales, laborales y de servicio (Morales Suárez, 2023). Estas relaciones se analizan y se desarrollan de manera crítica y constructiva en conexión con las políticas académicas de investigación, planificación y docencia, cuyo fin recae en la formación de una sociedad democrática, equitativa y solidaria, promoviendo la formación de individuos críticos con una voluntad transformadora y una especial atención hacia los sectores más vulnerables (Ahmad et al., 2023).

The use of plants has been increasing by the presence of bioactives, which is an opportunity in the creation of products such as medicines, food and cosmetics. Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion) and Melissa officinalis (Toronjil), are cosmopolitan species with great therapeutic potential, traditionally used for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Therefore, this research evaluates the antimicrobial activity of the methanol extracts of Taraxacum officinale and Melissa officinalis on Staphylococcus aureus using in vitro tests. Analyzes of secondary metabolites were performed by phytochemical screening tests, as well as the identification of possible compounds responsible for antimicrobial activity using the Bioautography technique. The phenolic compounds were quantified by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, and the antimicrobial capacity of the extracts was evaluated by the Kirby-Bauer method. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenols and tannins in both extracts. Using Bioautography, potentially inhibitory metabolites were identified, including chlorogenic acid (Rf 0.45), taraxasterol (Rf 0.65), caffeic acid (Rf 0.87), geraniol (Rf 0.2), citral (0.42) and citronellal (0.8). In addition, a greater number of phenolic compounds (112.20 ± 10.13 mg EAG/g MS) was observed in the extract of Melissa officinalis, while the extract of Taraxacum officinale showed a greater bacterial inhibition capacity, reaching 65.49%.

Background/Objectives: One of the greatest threats to global public health is antimicrobial resistance (AMR), due to the increasing number of infections caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae ESBL-producing bacteria possess resistance mechanisms that inactivate β-lactam antibiotics by hydrolyzing their β-lactam ring, thereby limiting conventional therapeutic options. In response to this problem, the objective in this exploratory in vitro study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Origanum vulgare (oregano) essential oil and its interaction with the antibiotic cefepime using in vitro methods. Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed, including determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration by the microdilution method with statistical analysis, and evaluation of the fractional inhibitory concentration index using the checkerboard method. In addition, advanced methods such as bacterial identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and PCR were employed for the identification of resistance genes. Results: The studied strains exhibited both phenotypic and genotypic resistance. The MIC of the essential oil was 1024 µg/mL for ESBL-producing E. coli and 2048 µg/mL for ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae, whereas the ATCC strains showed higher susceptibility. The FICI values indicated synergism in E. coli (FICI = 0.188) and an additive effect in K. pneumoniae (FICI = 0.563). Conclusions: Oregano essential oil exhibits antimicrobial activity and the ability to potentiate the effect of cefepime, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic adjuvant. Additional studies are required, including a larger number of strains, cytotoxicity analyses, and clinical validation.