Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity of Selected Medicinal Plant on Extended Spectrum β-lactamase Producing Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

The growing prevalence of ESBL-producing Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in typhoid fever patients, with resistance to most antibiotics, has heightened the need for plant-based remedies. This study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of selected medicinal plants on ESBL-producing Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium from a clinical sample in Nigeria. A total of 200 blood samples were collected from patients suspected of typhoid fever and analyzed using standard microbiological techniques for isolation and characterization on the VITEK 2 system. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium was screened for ESBL genes by Polymerase Chain Reaction specific primers. The antibacterial activity of ethanol extract from siam weed, bush cane, neem, Brazilian tea leaves, garlic, and ginger cloves was performed using the Agar well diffusion Technique. Of the 200 samples, S. Typhi accounted for 159(79.5 %). The amplification of the ESBL gene revealed a high proportion of CTX-M (n=159/100 %) followed by SHV (n=81/50.9 % and TEM (n=52/32.7 %). The results of the antibacterial activity of Brazilian tea, siam weed, neem, and ginger indicate that the extracts were effective at 100mg/ml, 50mg/ml, and 25mg/ml concentrations ranging from 100-46. 0%. Garlic had no antibacterial effect at 25mg/ml concentration, while All ESBL-producing Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium demonstrated resistance to bush cane extract across various concentrations. Since this study marks the first report of the antibacterial activity of these medicinal plant extracts on strain harboring such genotype, their prudent and judicious utilization is required in ethnobotanical/human medicine in treating ESBL-associated infectious diseases. There should be guidelines and regulations on the appropriate use of antibiotics to avert drug resistance and the spread of β-lactamase and other resistant determinants to susceptible strains.