PROLIFERATION OF MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT BACTERIA IN SOME ORALLY-ADMINISTERED HERBAL PREPARATIONS SOLD IN SOUTH-EASTERN NIGERIA

Authors

  • Peter Eze Nnamdi Azikiwe University
  • Nonye Ujam
  • Chidimma Chukwunwejim
  • Nchekwube Eze
  • Uchenna Okafor
  • Isaiah Abonyi
  • Alison Ede
  • Chidiebere Nwankwo
  • Chika Ejikeugwu
  • Clementine Ilo
  • Charles Esimone

Keywords:

hormone, menopausal, premenopausal, women, Progesterone

Abstract

The presence of hazardous microorganisms in orally-administered herbal medicines is of great clinical importance and may portend grave danger to unsuspecting users of the products. This study, therefore, investigates the proliferation of multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MDR) in orally-administered herbal preparations sold in South-Eastern Nigeria. Using standard microbiological techniques, strains of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated from some orally-administered liquid herbal preparations purchased from retail outlets located within the five states (Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo) that make up South-Eastern Nigeria. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed on the isolates using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method.  The isolates were further screened for extended spectrum ? – lactamase (ESBL) and metallo-?-lactamase production (MBL) using the double disk synergy test (DDST) and carbapenem - ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) DDST respectively.  In vitro antibiotic susceptibility studies revealed that all isolated E. coli and P. aeruginosa strains demonstrated high degree of resistance to most of the antibiotics tested including the carbapenems - meropenem and imipenem. ESBL production was recorded only among the E. coli strains and MBL production was observed only in P. aeruginosa. It may be concluded from this study that some orally-consumed herbal medications in Nigeria are likely to be contaminated with a wide variety of pathogenic microorganisms which pose great threat to the health of the consumers. Efforts should therefore be geared at standardizing the quality of herbal products through strict adherence to good manufacturing practices.

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Published

2021-09-07

How to Cite

Eze, P., Ujam, N., Chukwunwejim, C., Eze, N., Okafor, U., Abonyi, I., Ede, A., Nwankwo, C., Ejikeugwu, C., Ilo, C., & Esimone, C. (2021). PROLIFERATION OF MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT BACTERIA IN SOME ORALLY-ADMINISTERED HERBAL PREPARATIONS SOLD IN SOUTH-EASTERN NIGERIA. Journal of Current Biomedical Research, 1(2), 7–16. Retrieved from https://journals.unizik.edu.ng/jcbr/article/view/679