Investigating the synergistic effects of apple vinegar and deep eutectic solvent as natural antibiotics: an experimental and COSMO-RS analysis

ABSTRACT

The present investigation examines the antimicrobial and antifungal characteristics of natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) and apple vinegar in relation to a diverse array of bacterial and fungal strains. The clinical bacterial strains, including gram-negative and gram-positive, and the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, were subjected to solid medium diffusion to determine the inhibitory effects of these compounds. The results show that NADES has superior antimicrobial and antifungal action compared to apple vinegar. The observed inhibitory zones for apple vinegar and NADES varied in length from 16.5 to 24.2 and 16 to 52.5 mm, respectively. The results obtained indicate that no synergy is observed for this mixture (50% AV + 50% NADES). The range of values for bactericidal concentrations (MBC) and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) was 0.0125 to 0.2 and 0.0125 to 0.4 µl/ml, respectively. Antibacterial and antifungal chemicals may be found in apple vinegar and NADES, with NADES offering environmentally safe substitutes for traditional antibiotics. Additional investigation is suggested to refine these compounds for a wide range of bacteria, which could create antimicrobial solutions that are both highly effective and specifically targeted, thereby offering extensive potential in medicine and the environment.

KEYWORDS:

• NADES
• COSMO-RS
• apple vinegar
• antifungal activity
• antibacterial activity

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Researchers Supporting Project (RSP2024R113), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the King Saud University.