In vitro Antibacterial Activity of Palm Ash, Aloe Vera Gel, and Blue Vitriol against Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Isolates Associated with Stage II Pressure Ulcers

Bedsores otherwise called pressure ulcers are reservoirs for hospital-acquired antibiotic-resistant microorganisms especially multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens. This growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance has amplified the urgency to develop alternative non-antibiotic-based strategies for bedsore infection control. Palm ash, aloe vera gel and blue vitriol were assessed for antimicrobial activity in vitro, against MDR bacteria isolates implicated in stage II pressure ulcers among geriatric patients attending a Teaching hospital in southeastern Nigeria. The isolates were identified based on their morphological, biochemical and molecular characteristics. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the test agents was determined using the agar-well diffusion method; while the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations were determined using the broth dilution methods. The susceptibility of the isolates to conventional antibiotics was determined using the Kirby-Bauer’s disc diffusion method. The isolates include Staphylococcus sciuri strain LysM5, Enterobacter pseudoroggenkampii strain C2TS9, Staphylococcus arlettae strain JCR-6 and Proteus mirabilis strain A8FtNRM1. The in vitro antibacterial assays revealed that blue vitriol possesses significant inhibitory activity against all the isolates, while palm ash and aloe vera gel showed no observable activity. At 100mg/ml, blue vitriol gave the best inhibition of 35.00±0.00mm against Staphylococcus arlettae strain JCR-6 and the least inhibition of 22.00 ± 1.41mm against Enterobacter pseudoroggenkampii strain C2TS9. The in vitro combined antimicrobial evaluation of the agents showed antagonistic effect, when combined with blue vitriol. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing using standard conventional antibiotics showed that all the isolates were multi-drug resistant in vitro. The MIC and MBC of blue vitriol against the isolates was 25mg/ml. The study has demonstrated the in vitro antibacterial potential of blue vitriol against pressure ulcers pathogens, as well as the multi-drug resistance of these isolates to conventional antibiotics.