Evaluating the Potential of Adathoda vasica against Respiratory Infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae

Abstract

Background: Adathoda vasica is the most well-known medicinal herb to treat respiratory conditions. The leaves of Adathoda vasica have been found to exert a stimulant effect on the respiratory system. Adathoda vasica leaves contain rich content of alkaloids that contribute to most of the pharmacological activity. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Adathoda vasica extract against the respiratory pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae in vivo and an animal model. Methods: The effectiveness of the A. vasica extracts to inhibit the chief respiratory pathogen, K. pneumoniae, in vivo using CFU assay was carried out in animal models. The bioactive compounds were screened through GC-MS and were docked with FIMG protein and COVID-19 proteins to assess the efficacy of the compounds against respiratory infection. Results: The result revealed A. vasica as an effective herb against respiratory infection. The ethanol extract of A. vasica was subjected to GC-MS analysis. Based on the percentage of peak area, three compounds were chosen for docking analysis for FIMG and SARS-CoV-2 proteins, which revealed higher binding affinity and interacted with the residues. The greater ZOI by disc diffusion assay and reduced CFU in plant-treated rat lung tissues confirmed the antibacterial potential of A. vasica against K. pneumoniae Conclusion: The bioactive compounds of A. vasica leaves could be promising candidates to treat respiratory infections caused by K. pneumoniae.