Effect of Lavandula angustifolia and Syzygium aromaticum extracts on microorganisms isolated from suppurative otitis media and otitis externa patients

Between April 2021 and October 2021, a total of 100 people of both sexes, aged 10 to 50 years, participated in the study. Half of them consisted of healthy people as the control group, while the other half were patients with otitis media or external otitis infections at the Samarra General Hospital in Iraq. Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference between men and women in terms of infection, while these rates were 40.42% in males and 21.27% in females for otitis media, while 23.40% in males and 14.89% in females for external otitis media. As for the age groups, the highest infection rate was found between the ages of 40-49. Results yielded a total of 47 (47%) growth samples, 34 (72.3%) bacteria and 13 (27.6%) fungi, and isolates were identified by a series of microscopic and biochemical tests. As a result of these diagnoses, Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common bacteria in external otitis infections with a rate of 53.19%, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa 10.63%, Proteus mirabilis 53.19%, Escherichia coli 2.12% and Klebsiella pneumonia followed by 2.12%. In fungal isolates, the most common cause of external otitis infections was Candida albicans with 21.27%, followed by Aspergillus niger with 6.38%. The isolates showed susceptibility to most types of antibiotics used. Hot aqueous and alcoholic plant extracts of clove and lavender proved their inhibitory effect on isolated bacteria and fungi. The results of the present study showed that clove extract was more successful than lavender extract, in addition, alcoholic extracts were more effective than hot water extracts in inhibiting the growth of bacterial and fungal isolates.