Antimicrobial Activity of Citrus limon Juice Extracts against Streptococcus pyogenes Isolated from Sore Throat Patients in Jeddah City-Saudi Arabia

Lemon fruit is an herbal remedy that has many therapeutic uses. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of Citrus limon (CL) extract against Streptococcus pyogenes solated from patients had sore throats infection in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A total of 135 throat swabs were collected from sore throat patients. Standard culture techniques, Bacitracin sensitivity test, Rapid antigen detection and Lancefield antigen determination were used to identify S. pyogenes. Using a cup plate method, the antimicrobial activity of different concentrations of aqueous extracts of CL were tested against 72 S. pyogenes isolates. Minimum inhibition concentration was performed. Out of 135 sore throat swabs, 72 (53.3%) showed S. pyogenes growth, whereas 63 (46.7%) were negative. The majority of S. pyogenes was detected in 68/72 (88.6%) of the patients in the age group < 15 years and 40/72 (55.6%) of females, with no association of growth with age or gender (p = 0.67, 0.85, respectively). Antimicrobial activity of CL extract showed the highest inhibition zone at a concentration of 100% with a mean of (21.5 +/- 1.35 mm), 50% was (17.8 +/- 1.59 mm), 25% was (14.2 +/- 2.86 mm), while 12.5% showed no inhibition zone. The MIC of Citrus limon juice extract was 25%. S. pyogenes was the most prevalent bacterial etiology of sore throat. Citrus limon juice was extracted effectively against S. pyogenes when its concentration was increased, demonstrating a concentration-dependent effect.