New Findings in Veterinary Microbiology

New Findings in Veterinary Microbiology

Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of water extracts of Iranian leek (Allium iranicum) and sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) on aquatic pathogenic bacteria

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Rahem Khoshbakht 1
Mahdi Moradi 2
Sepideh Gholami Sefidkouhi 2
Poulin Shohreh 3
1 Department of pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Special ModernTechnologies, Amol, Iran.
2 Bachelor of Science in Laboratory Sciences, Department of pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Special ModernTechnologies, Amol, Iran.
3 Department of clinical sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Special ModernTechnologies, Amol, Iran.
10.22034/nfvm.2026.569070.1310
Abstract
Bacterial diseases are among the most significant challenges in the aquaculture, and the widespread use of antibiotics to control infections has led to the drug resistance. So, the search for natural and safe alternatives, such as plant extracts, is essential. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the aqueous extract of sumac (Rhus coriaria) and Iranian mountain leek (Allium iranicum), as well as to investigate the effect of their combination against three important aquatic pathogens: Streptococcus iniae, Lactococcus garvieae, and Aeromonas hydrophila. Aqueous plant extracts were prepared using the cold maceration method (1:20 w/v ratio, 48 hours; dry extract yield: sumac ~10%, Iranian mountain leek ~7%). Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) assays were performed using the broth microdilution method in Nutrient Broth, following CLSI protocols (with modifications for compatibility). The results were analyzed using SPSS software. The results showed that sumac extract had stronger antibacterial activity compared to the Iranian mountain leek extract and exhibited the lowest MIC values, particularly against S. iniae. The combination of the extracts improved the antimicrobial activity of the Iranian mountain leek but did not surpass the effect of sumac extract alone. Analysis of the MBC/MIC ratio indicated that most treatments had a bactericidal effect, although sumac extract showed a bacteriostatic effect against Gram-positive bacteria. In general, the results of this study demonstrate that sumac and its combination with Iranian mountain leek can be considered as promising natural alternatives for controlling bacterial infections in aquaculture.
Keywords
Antibacterial activity
Rhus coriaria
Allium iranicum
Fish bacterial diseases
Subjects
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New Findings in Veterinary Microbiology
Volume 9, Issue 1
Spring 2026
Pages 49-62

  • Receive Date 29 December 2025
  • Revise Date 06 February 2026
  • Accept Date 02 June 2026