Abstract
Carbapenems have been used for the treatment of systemic infections caused by Enterobacteriaceae . However, recent studies suggested that some Enterobacteriaceae are producing carbapenemases, which has limited the treatment options for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae . Some of the emerging carbapenemase resistant Enterobacteriaeae that are causing multi-drug resistant systemic infections include Escherichia coli , Klebsiellae pneumoniae, Providencia rettgeri , Proteus mirabili, Pantoea species, Citrobacter koseri and Acinetobacter baumanii . There is therefore the need for alternative treatment regimens for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae . This study determined the in vitro efficacy of Alchornea cordifolia on carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae using agar well diffusion and well microplate dilution method. Serial dilutions of the ethanolic crude extract of the leaves were prepared and used against the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae . The phytochemical screening was also performed to determine the antibacterial compounds. The christmas bush leaves extracts concentrations ranging from 50 mg/ml – 200 mg/ml showed active diameter zone of inhibition. The ethanolic extract of Christmas bush leaves had minimum inhibition concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of 3.13mg/ml indicating significant antibiotic activity against the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae . The phytochemical screening of the Christmas bush leaves showed the presence of antimicrobial phytochemicals such as flavonoids. This offers the possibility of developing effective antimicrobial agent to treat multi-drug resistant systemic infections. Therefore, there is the need to determine the toxicological effect and perform clinical trials of the active antimicrobial compounds isolated in the leave extracts of Christmas bush shrub. Keywords: Alchornea cordifolia , Flavonoids, Antibacterial, Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/10-10-03 Publication date: May 31 st 2020
Highlights
Enterobacteriaceae are inhabitants of the intestinal flora and are the source of community and hospital acquired systemic infections
There might be other phytochemicals that were not determined in this study, which may be responsible for the antibacterial activity of the A. cordifolia leaves
5.0 Conclusions The hypothesis for this study proved positive since the shrub under study showed activity against carbapenemase resistant Enterobacteriaeae (CRE)
Summary
Enterobacteriaceae are inhabitants of the intestinal flora and are the source of community and hospital acquired systemic infections. They have the propensity to spread between humans (hand carriage, contaminated food and water) and to acquire genetic material through horizontal gene transfer, mediated mostly by plasmids and transposons (Nordmann et al, 2011). Since 2000, spread of community acquired enterobacterial isolates that produce extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) capable of hydrolyzing almost all cephalosporins except carbapenems has been reported worldwide (Pitout and Laupland, 2008). There are strains of Enterobacteriaceae that can produce carbapenemase, an enzyme capable of destroying carbapenem antibiotics. Systemic bacterial infections affect almost all part of the human body systems causing infections such as sepsis, pneumonia, peritonitis, gastroenteritis, meningitis and urinary tract infections
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