THE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF LEAF EXTRACTS OF Citrus aurantifolia ON ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM BLOOD OF HEPATITISB PATIENTS

Abstract

Leaf extracts of Citrus aurantifolia were screened for antibacterial activity against antibiotic -resistant bacteria isolated from blood sample of hepatitis B patients. A total of 403 blood samples were collected from Don-Bosco hospital complex, Akure and Tripod Medical laboratory, Ekpedo-Uneme, Edo state. One hundred and sixteen (28%) patients tested positive to hepatitis B. Bacteria isolated from the blood samples of patients positive to Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) are Staphylococcus spp, Pseudomonas spp, Proteus spp, Klebsiella spp, Streptococcus spp, Salmonella spp and Escherichia coli. Antibacterial activity of the extracts was investigated against bacterial isolated from patients’ positives to hepatitis B surface antigen. The results of the antibiotic sensitivity test revealed that, the various isolates from the blood samples of hepatitis B positive are resistant to conventional antibiotics with zone of inhibition ranging from 1mm - 11mm except for species of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus which were partially susceptible with zone of inhibition ranging from 6mm –12mm. The n-hexane, ethanol and Petroleum ether extracts inhibited the growth of all the test organisms to varying degrees. However, the overall extracts of C. aurantifolia showed a higher degree of inhibition to the test bacteria than conventional antibiotics. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of C.aurantifolia varied and ranged from 5.0 to 25.0mg/ml and 10.0 to 25.0mg/ml respectively. Phytochemical screening revealed that the leaf extract contained tannins, saponins, phenols, flavoniods, glycoside, steroid, alkaloid, Phlobatannin, anthroquinones, cardiac glycoside, and terpeniod. The plasmid profiling of the resistant bacteria showes that Staphylococcus spp, Psuedomonas, Proteus spp and Streptococcus spp possessed plasmid while Klebsiella spp, Salmonella spp and E. coli lack plasmid. Results from microbiological investigations of lime leaves obtained in Nigeria have shown activity coherent with the use of this plant in folk medicine.