Urinary tract infection costs hundreds millions of dollars every year. In addition, causative
bacterial species are diverse and some of them are multi-drug resistant. Objectives: evaluating
the effects of aqueous extracts of Zea Mays, Cranberry and Raisins on growth, adherence and
biofilm formation of bacterial uropathogens isolated from clinical urinary tract infections.
Method: The extracts of Zea Mays, Cranberry and Raisins were prepared as 30 gram of powder
soaked in 100 ml distillated water, allowed to stand for 72 hr and sterilized by filtration. Bacterial
isolates were obtained from urinary tract infection clinical samples. Agar well diffusion assay,
tissue culture plate method assay and bacterial ability to adhere to oral epithelial cells used to
evaluate effects of these extracts on growth, motility, adhesion and biofilm formation in
bacterial isolates. Results: the aqueous extracts of Zea Mays, Cranberry and Raisins, individually
and in combination, have significant inhibitory effects on growth, motility, adherence and biofilm
formation in the bacterial isolates considered in current study. In addition, combinations that
contain Zea Mays exerted more powerful antibacterial effects than other combinations.
Conclusions: plant extracts considered in current study may provide useful substitutes for
commonly utilised antibiotics for treatmnet of urinary tract infections, especially recurrent cases.
However, the exact mechanisms and the active ingredients responsible for the reported
antibacterial effects need further exploration and specification. In addition, further studies at the
molecular level and/ or in vivo studies involving humans and animals are needed to confirm the
observed effects of these plant extracts.