Interferometry as a tool for the susceptibility test to evaluate the activity of plant derivative against rapidly growing mycobacteria

Abstract

The susceptibility tests applied in the assays that investigate the potential of plant derivatives to be used as source of medicine against mycobacteria are often performed by using the broth microdilution method in microtiter plates. A quantitative interferometric method has been used to investigate the susceptibility of slowly growing mycobacteria. In the present article, this interferometric method is applied to rapidly growing mycobacteria. Samples of Mycobacterium smegmatis were exposed to methanol extract of fruits from Stifftia chrysantha and in this case, the interferometric method also complemented the conventional method by adding quantitative information.