ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF CALOTROPIS PROCERA LEAF EXTRACTS ON VANCOMYCINAND METHICILLIN RESISTANT BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM WOUND IN HOSPITAL PATIENTSIN AKURE.

Abstract

The antibacterial activities of ethanol, cold water, hot water and hexane extracts of leaf of Calotropis procera was tested against vancomycin and methicillin resistant bacteria isolated from wound patients in Ondo State Specialist Hospital Akure, Ondo State. The bacteria isolates are: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and Streptococcus pyogenes. They were exposed to vancomycin and methicillin resistance test using disc diffusion method. The resistant bacterial isolates were subjected to plasmid profiling using 0.8% agarose gel electrophoresis which confirmed the basis of their resistance either plasmid or chromosomal mediated. Agar well diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activities of the extracts on resistant bacterial isolates. Ethanol extract had the highest zone of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with 16.03mm and 12.05mm respectively while cold and Hot water extracts recorded the least zones of inhibition values of 3.54mm and 5.53mm respectively against Klebsiella pnuemoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, the n-Hexane extract had no inhibitory effect against Streptococcus pyogenes and Proteus mirabilis. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts was determined using tube dilution method with values ranging between 15.625 and 125 mg/ml. Purification of the extracts was carried out using column chromatographic techniques, and the antibacterial potency of the purified fractions was investigated against the resistant bacterial isolates. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannin, saponin, terpenoids, cardic glycoside and phenols. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic analysis of the active fractions showed five important functional groups namely; phenols, hydroxyl, carbon-hydrogen, carbonyl and aromatic. Findings from this research indicate that the leaf extracts of Calotropis procera posses antibacterial potency which will assist in the preliminary treatment of wound infections, most especially because of its high inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus.