ANTIBACTERIAL ASSESSMENT OF AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA (K. SCHUM) FRUIT ON MULTIPLE-ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT PATHOGENS ISOLATED FROM URINARY TRACT OF INFECTED PATIENTS

Abstract

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is defined as the microbial invasion of any of the tissues of the urinary tract extending from the renal cortex to the urethral meatus. The urinary tract includes the organs that collect, store urine and release it from the body, and these organs are the kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra and accessory structures. This work was aimed at assessing the in-vitro and in-vivo antibacterial activities of Methanolic (Polar) and Pet-Ether (Non-Polar) extracts of Aframomum melegueta fruit on multiple antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens isolated from urinary tract infected patients. Agar disc diffusion method was used for the determination of antibiotics susceptibility screening, while agar well diffusion method was used for the determination of in-vitro susceptibility screening of bacteria to the plant extracts. The In-vivo susceptibility screening of bacteria to the test antibiotics and the plant extract was carried out using standard method. A total of 262 Clean catch midstream urine samples were obtained from State Specialist Hospital, Akure, Ondo State and screened for UTI, 107 (40.08%) were positive of which females had 68.22% occurrence while male had 31.78% occurrence. Patients within the age range of 31-45years had the highest incidence of 32.71% while the lowest incidence rate of 17.76% was observed within the age range of 0-15 years. A total of 107 bacteria were isolated these comprised; Escherichia coli (41.8%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (19.63%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7.48%%), Proteus mirabilis (8.41%), Staphylococcus aureus (16.82%), and Streptococcus sp. (7.48%). E. coli had the highest occurrence of 41.18% while P. aeruginosa and Streptococcus sp. had the lowest occurrence of 7.48%. The organisms were mostly sensitive to Perfloxacin (92.52%) and Ciprofloxacin (83.18%) and showed resistance to Ampiclox (80.77%) and Augmentin (77.78%). A total of 44(41.12%) isolate showed Multiple Antibiotic Resistant (MAR) of which Staphylococcus aureus had MAR occurrence of 55.56% while Streptococcus sp. Exhibited no MAR type. The phytochemical analysis of Aframomum melegueta fruit extract showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and tannins in both the Methanol and Pet-ether fruit extract, the result also showed 3 that the concentration of all these compounds were higher in the Methanol extract (481mg/ml – 40.62mg/ml) than in the Pet-ether extract (105.8mg/ml – 15.25mg/ml), some of the compounds detected from GC-MS were 3,5-Heptadienal, 2-ethylidene-6-methyl, 7-Oxo-2-oxa-7-thio-tricyclo [4.4.0.0(3, 8)] decan-4-ol, 1, 4-Benzene diol-2-methoxy and Aromandendrene, γ-Muurolene, Naphthalene-2-methyl in methanol and pet-ether extract respectively. The in-vitro susceptibility test showed that E. coli, P. mirabilis, S. aureus were sensitive to methanol extract of Aframomum melegueta at 100mg/ml with E. coli showing the highest zone of Inhibition of 13.67±0.24mm. All the bacterial isolates were resistant to Pet-ether extract at concentration of 100mg/ml except for E. coli with a zone of growth inhibition of 10.93±0.07mm at a concentration of 400mg/ml. S. aureus was sensitive to Pet-ether showing a zone of inhibition of 16.97±0.09mm while E. coli had 20.33±0.23mm, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa were resistant to both extract at all the tested concentrations. Methanol extract had MIC values of 50mg/ml, 100mg/ml and 50mg/ml for E. coli, P. mirabilis, S. aureus respectively while the Pet-ether extract had MIC values of 100mg/ml and 200mg/ml for E. coli and S. aureus respectively. The MBC values for Methanol Extract were 100mg/ml, 200mg/ml and 50mg/ml for E. coli, Proteus mirabilis, S. aureus respectively while that of Pet-ether extract was 100mg/ml for E. coli. The in-vivo test carried out showed that the fruit of Aframomum melegueta showed no toxicological effect on the hematological and histopathologicial (liver and kidney) parameters analyzed. This study has demonstrated the therapeutic potential of Aframomum melegueta fruit in the treatment of Urinary tract Infection.