Olive Leaf Extract as a Promising Topical Antimicrobial Agent Against Staphylococcus aureus and Its Resistant Strains, Including MRSA

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most prevalent bacteria in skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Multidrug-resistant strains emergence, particularly methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), highlights the need for alternative treatments. This study investigates the antimi-crobial properties of olive leaf extract (OLE) and defines the profile of patient with SSTI who may benefit from it. OLE was tested in two reference strains, methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) ATCC 29213 and MRSA ATCC 700699, and in 126 clinical isolates from patients with SSTIs. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) ranged from 3.12% to 6.25% w/v for MSSA and 1.56% to 3.12% for MRSA. The lethal curve showed a reduction of 6 log10CFU/ml after two hours of incubation. Most of the 126 clinical samples (103 MSSA and 23 MRSA) came from skin lesions, surgical wounds, and ulcers. Over 90% of MSSA strains were resistant to less than five antibiotics, while 82% of MRSA to more than six. Penicillins demonstrated the lowest susceptibility rate (19.8%), whereas linezolid, daptomycin, pristinamycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, teicoplanin, vancomycin, and OLE (25%, 12.50%, and 6.25% w/v) exhibited 100% susceptibility. The findings sug-gest that OLE could serve as a promising alternative treatment for skin infections, partic-ularly in the context of increasing antibiotic resistance.