Microbiology Unit

Microbiology is the study of very small organisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. The control and eradication of infectious diseases remains the primary goal of microbiologists. Today, it can confidently be said that the power of microbiology in benefiting human and animal health and life is at its peak. With the emergence of chemical and biological drugs, the role and importance of medicinal plants in maintaining human health have been at risk of being forgotten. However, over time, the popularity of medicinal plants has significantly increased.
Given the growing importance of using medicinal plants and the gradual replacement of chemical drugs by them, along with the emergence of drug-resistant microbial strains and the ineffectiveness of chemical antibiotics against these strains, research on substituting chemicals with plants that have stronger antimicrobial effects has become a priority for this unit.

Medicinal plants are the best source for extracting various drugs. Herbal medicines have formed the basis of disease treatment for a long time. Although the production and use of chemical drugs have expanded over the past century, medicinal plants are still used in various pharmaceutical forms.

Essential oils and plant extracts possess a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, expectorant, diuretic, cholagogue, carminative, and disinfectant properties. In addition to these, the discovery of new plants and access to innovative applications as adjunctive therapies in chemical treatments have once again drawn researchers’ attention to further research on medicinal plants.

Research Goals and Activities

  • Evaluation of the antimicrobial effects of essential oils, extracts, and active plant compounds against various microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and yeast)
  • Assessing the efficacy of medicinal plants in final formulation forms in animal infection models
  • Investigating the effect of essential oils and plant extracts on the efficacy of antibiotics in drug-resistant strains
  • Utilizing essential oils, extracts, and active compounds of endemic Iranian plants to produce new antibiotics for the treatment of infectious diseases
  • Examining the antioxidant properties of essential oils and plant extracts
  • Cloning and gene expression
  • Microbial control of cosmetic, hygienic, and pharmaceutical products
  • Protective antimicrobial substance testing to evaluate efficacy in pharmaceutical products
  • Microbial counting test for bile-resistant gram-negative bacteria
  • Microbial counting test for Candida albicans
  • Microbial testing for the identification of Clostridium species
  • Microbial testing for the identification of Escherichia coli
  • Total yeast and mold counting test
  • Microbial testing for the identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Microbial testing for the identification of Salmonella
  • Microbial testing for the identification of Staphylococcus aureus
  • Other assigned tasks related to the microbiology of medicinal plants