Antibacterial activity of Bryophyllum pinnatum and Rauvolfia vomitoria on neonatal group b Streptococcus

Abstract

Rural dwellers explore Bryophyllumpinnatum and Rauvolfiavomitoria for treating neonatal infections. The antibacterial activities of medicinal plant biofractions were evaluated against multidrug-resistant Group B Streptococcus (GBS) strains causing neonatal sepsis. Pulverized plant leaves were extracted with different solvents for primary extraction and subjected to column chromatography and phytochemical analysis. A broth microdilution assay to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) was performed against multidrug-resistant GBS strains. Duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to detect ermB and tetO-resistant genes in 10 different GBS strains that were resistant to both erythromycin and tetracycline. The data obtained was analyzed using Spearman rank correlation and ANOVA. The results obtained from this study showed that the selected plants have concentration-dependent activity against GBS. The ethanol biofraction of R. vomitoria was the most active, with an MIC value between 12.5 mg/mL and 50 mg/mL and an MBC value between 25 mg/mL and 50 mg/mL. It was followed by the methanol biofraction of B. pinnatum, which had an MIC value between 50 mg/mL and 100 mg/mL on 32 of the 35 strains that were studied. The N-hexane and aqueous biofractions were the least active. Also, ermB and tetO genes were present in all 10 GBS strains. These findings indicate that B. pinnatum and R. vomitoria could serve as potential alternatives for treating neonatal sepsis caused by GBS. This study examined the assertion of the effectiveness of medicinal herbs in treating newborn sepsis.