Comparative Phytochemical Profiling and Therapeutic Efficacy of Syzygium aromaticum and Cinnamomum cassia Extracts against Colistin-Resistant Escherichia coli of Poultry Origin

The worldwide spread of antimicrobial resistance represents a serious challenge to modern clinical medicine, with the emergence of colistin resistance in Enterobacteriaceae serving as a critical tipping point in the efficacy of the "last-resort" antibiotic arsenal. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of aqueous extracts derived both from Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) against Escherichia coli isolates (n=200) recovered from poultry fecal samples in the Jhang region of Pakistan. Phenotypic screening confirmed a 29% prevalence of colistin resistance, a finding that correlates with the intensive selective pressures present in regional wet markets (X²=35.28, p<0.001). Through the integration of Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), this research identifies eugenol and cinnamaldehyde as the primary bioactive drivers of inhibitory activity. Both extracts demonstrated concentration dependent antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. While S. aromaticum exhibited superior antibacterial potency (inhibition zones up to 23 ± 0.6mm, MIC of 6.25%w/v and 72.04% DPPH scavenging) compared to C. cassia (inhibition zones up to 14 ± 0.6mm, MIC of 12.5% w/v and 36.81 DPPH scavenging). These findings suggest potential pathways through which plant-derived phenyl-propanoids disrupt bacterial cell membranes and neutralize oxidative stress, providing a scientific basis for their deployment as sustainable alternatives to synthetic antibiotics in a One Health framework.