Introduction.

Bacterial conjunctivitis is one of the ocular infections with the highest rate of ophthalmic consultation, being the Staphylococcus genus the etiological agent that presents the greatest resistance to antibiotics.

Objective.

To determine the antimicrobial potential of medicinal plant extracts and their mixtures against bacteria associated with conjunctivitis.

Methods.

From plants such as Belladonna, Calendula, Basil, Achiote and Romerillo, ethanolic extracts were prepared and their antibacterial potential against S. aureus and S. epidermidis was evaluated by means of disk diffusion and tube dilution techniques. The effect of the mixtures was determined for the extract with the best activity and the antibiotic with the highest inhibition halo through the board technique.

Results.

It was found that the extract with the highest potential for S. aureus was that of annatto (leaves) with an inhibition halo of 13 mm and MICs of 15 mg / mL, while for S. epidermidis it was those of annatto leaves and fruits with halos of 16.6 and 9.6 mm and MICs of 15 and 30 mg / mL respectively. In relation to the combinations, the annatto extract and ciprofloxacin showed a partial synergistic effect for S. aureus with a CFI of 0.83 and an additive effect for S. epidermidis with a CFI of 1.84.

Conclusions.

This work constitutes the basis for future research aimed at the development of bioproducts for ocular use that can be considered as an alternative in the treatment of infections caused by Staphylococcus.

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