Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae are one of the most common cause of multi-drug resistant urinary tract infections such as cystitis and pyelonephritis. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases are plasmid-mediated enzymes commonly found in the Klebsiella pneumoniae and other Gram negative bacteria . They are capable of hydrolysing beta-lactams except carbapenems and cephamycins. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases also confer resistance to several non-beta-lactam antibiotics, limiting treatment options for urinary tract infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamases -producing K. pneumoniae . This study determined the in vitro efficacy of Alchornea cordifolia on extended-spectrum beta-lactamases -producing K. pneumoniae . Serial dilutions of the ethanolic extract of the leaves were prepared and tested against the extended-spectrum-beta-lactamases-producing K. pneumoniae . The phytochemical screening was performed to determine the antibacterial compounds. The Christmas bush leaves extracts concentrations ranging from 50 mg/ml – 200 mg/ml showed significant active diameter zone of inhibition. The ethanolic extract of A. cordifolia leaves had minimum inhibition concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of 3.13 mg/ml indicating significant antibiotic activity against the ESBL isolates. The phytochemical screening of the Christmas bush leaves showed the presence of antimicrobial phytochemicals such as flavonoids. Ethanolic extracts of Christmas bush leaves is proving to be efficacious against multi-drug resistant urinary tract infections. This offers hope for the development of effective antibiotics due to the presence of flavonoids in the A. cordifolia leaf extracts. Therefore, there is the need to determine the toxicological effect and clinical trials of the active antimicrobial compounds isolated in the leaf extracts of A. cordifolia shrub. Keywords: Alchornea. cordifolia, Flavonoids, Multi-drug resistant, Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, Klebsiella pneumoniae DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/11-24-03 Publication date: December 31 st 2020
Highlights
Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are plasmid-mediated beta lactamases that are capable of hydrolysing beta-lactams except carbapenems and cephamycins
4.0 Discussion The outcome of this study suggested that ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae are sensitive to varied concentration (50 mg/ml – 200 mg/ml) of the ethanolic extracts of Alchornea cordifolia leaves
5.0 Conclusion The hypothesis for this study proved positive since the plant under study showed activity against the ESBLproducing K. pneumoniae
Summary
Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are plasmid-mediated beta lactamases that are capable of hydrolysing beta-lactams except carbapenems and cephamycins. They are inhibited by beta-lactamase inhibitors such as clavulanic acid, sulbactam and tazobactam. Klebsiella pneumoniae are inhabitants of the intestinal flora and are among the most common causes of urinary tract infections such as cystitis (bladder infection) and pyelonephritis (kidney infection). Because ESBL enzymes are plasmid mediated, the genes encoding these enzymes are transferable among different bacteria. Most of these plasmids contain DNA encoding ESBL and carry genes conferring resistance to several non-beta-lactam antibiotics (Nordmann et al, 2011). Most ESBL isolates are resistant to penicillins, cephalosporins and monobactams and to other classes of antibiotics including aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, nitrofurantoin and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim
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