The Antibacterial Effect of Earwax on Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Individual with Urinary Tract Infections

Abstract

Background: The spread of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a major clinical issue, so finding a new antibiotic with fewer side effects is a crucial step in microbiology. Earwax, known as cerumen auris, is a natural, protective secretion from outer cartilage for external auditory canal (. Dust, tiny particles, and other insects are kept from getting to the eardrum and harming it by earwax, which coats the external auditory canal. Additionally, it guards against microbial infections. Aims: The experimental study aims to investigate the role of earwax (cerumen auris) as an antimicrobial effect on some pathogenic bacteria. It was designed to detected the antibacterial properties of earwax and evaluate its protective action against pathogenic bacterial that isolated from UTI patients. Methods: A176 samples divided between urine and earwax. Earwax samples were taken from 88 healthy women after ensuring they were free of diseases of the outer and middle auditory canal from Hillah General Teaching Hospital, and Al-imam al-Sadiq hospital at the same time, 88 urines collected from UTI patients. Earwax They were dissolved in a solution containing 3% glycerol and 5% sodium bicarbonate. They were then cultured on nutrient agar to ensure their purity and freedom from microbes and to study their antibacterial effect. Earwax suspension was evaluated for its antimicrobial activity against bacterial isolated from urine culture: E. coli, P. mirabilis, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus by agar diffusion. Results: Out of 88 bacterial samples, only 72 (81.8%) samples showed no bacterial growth, indicating the antibacterial effect of earwax. The results showed that the antimicrobial effect of the earwax suspension was exceptionally strong against inhibited the growth of all bacterial isolates by 100%. S. pyogenes (28.4%), P. aeruginosa (31.8%), E. coli (21.6%) and P. mirabilis (18.2%) were among the bacterial isolates from patients’ urine (male and female) in varied percentage. Conclusion: It can be concluded that earwax, in addition to being a physical and chemical barrier, acts as a defensive cover over the external vocal tract due to its antibacterial action. The present study aligns with 3rd-Sustainable Development Goal (3rd-SDG): Good Health and Well-being, 9th-SDG: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and 12th: Responsible Consumption and Production, by enhancing the alternative antimicrobial solutions, minimizing the reliance on synthetic antibiotics, and reinforcing the scientific innovation of microbiology.