Antibacterial Efficacy of Medicinal Plants on Multidrug Resistant Bacteria from  Potable Water in Calabar, Cross River State

Authors

  • Peter Upla
    Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Federal University of Lafia, Nigeria
  • Aleruchi Chuku
    Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Federal University of Lafia, Nigeria
  • Promise Ujunwa Ikechukwu
    Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nigeria
  • Salamatu Musa Idris
    Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Federal University of Lafia, Nigeria
  • Safiya Sani Osagede
    Isa Mustapha Agwai 1 Polytechnic Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
  • Obulamah Zakari Muhammed
    Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Federal University of Lafia, Nigeria

Keywords:

Array, Array, Array, Array, Array

Abstract

The presence of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria in water poses severe health challenges because of high risks of infection and limited treatment choices. This study was conducted to determine the antibacterial activity of Aframomum melegueta and Ocimum gratissimum on MDR bacteria from drinking water. Membrane filtration, Gram staining and biochemical test were used to analyse water samples and identify the Bacterial isolates. The susceptibility test and minimum inhibitory concentration carried out employed the agar well diffusion method and microbroth dilution technique respectively. The bacteria isolated includes Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp. Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella sp. and Proteus sp. The physical and chemical evaluation of the water indicates that acidic pH numbers fall below WHO standard and turbidity levels was above the standard. Phytochemical parameters of both plants reveal the presence of saponins, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, and alkaloids. The susceptibility test result shows that Escherichia coli had the highest susceptibility to the extracts of O. gratissimum, with zones of inhibition of 27.5 ± 3.5 mm and 23.5 ± 2.8 mm respectively at 100 mg/mL, while Klebsiella spp. showed the least susceptibility. Hot and cold extracts of A. melegueta demonstrated lower antimicrobial activity, with highest diameter zone of inhibition observed against E. coli (12.5 ± 0.7 mm at 100 mg/mL). The result from the present study revealed that hot and cold extracts of O. gratissimum exhibited better antimicrobial activity compared to A. melegueta against MDR bacteria isolated from drinking water sources. Routine surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in environmental water sources is highly recommended.

Dimensions

Peter, U., Mfonido, U., Femi, G., Gerard, U. and Odonye, D. (2017). Infection Control in the Post-Antibiotic Era. World News of Natural Sciences; 11: 37-44. https://doi.org/10.9734/MRJI/2017/31761

Rosina, K., Barira, I., Mohd, A., Shazi, S., Anis, A., Manazir, A., Mashiatullah, S. and Asad, U. (2009). Antimicrobial Activity of Five Herbal Extracts Against Multidrug Resistant (MDR) Strains of Bacteria and Fungus of Clinical Origin. Molecules; 14: 586-597. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules14020586

Nanya, R.B. and Shukla, V.J. (2011). Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity from Leaf Extracts of Cassia fistula: An Ethnomedicinal Plant. Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology and Research; 2(2): 104-109. https://doi.org/10.4103/2231-4040.82956

Sommer M. O, Munck C, Toft-Kehler T. V, Andersson D. I. (2017): “Prediction of antibiotic esistance: time for a new preclinical paradigm?” Nature Reviews Microbiology. 15:689, https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro.2017.75

Coates, A., Hu, V., Bax, R. and Page, C. (2002). The Future Challenges Facing the Development of New Antimicrobial drugs. Nature Review Drug Discovery; 1: 895-910

Okeke, I.N. (2014). Factors Contributing to the Exchange of Resistance: antibiotic use and resistance in developing countries. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.gov/books/NBK97126/. [Accessed 22/11/2025]

Ventola, C.L. (2015). The Antibiotic Resistance Crises. Pharmacy and Therapeutics; 40(4): 277-283. PMCID: PMC4378521

Odonkor S.T., and Kennedy, A.K. (2018). Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli isolated from Drinking Water Sources. International Journal of Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/7204013

Pan, M. and Chu, L.M. (2018). Occurrence of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Soils from Wastewater Irrigation Areas in the Pearl River Delta Region, Southern China. Science of Total Environment; 624: 145-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.008

Ellis, H. and Schoenberger, E. (2017). On the Identification of Association Between Five World Health Organization Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Phenotypes and Six Predictors in Low and Middle-Income Countries. PLos One., 12(1): e0170451. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170451

Mari, L., Casagrandi, R., Rinaldo, A. and Gatto, M. (2018). Epidemicity Thresholds for Water-Borne and Water-Related Diseases. Journal of Theoretical Biology., 447:126-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.03.024

Weber, A., Baker, J., Gaudry, L. and Swatuk, L.A. (2018). Water as Threat and Solution; Improving Health Outcomes in Developing Country Contexts in Water, Energy, Food and People Across the Global South; 187-206, Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, Switzerland. http://www.springer.com/series/13996

Betoni, J.E., Mantovani, R.P., Barbosa, L.N. and Di-Stasi, L.C. (2006). Synergism Between Plants Extract and Antimicrobial Drugs used on Staphylococcus aureus Diseases. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; 101: 387-390. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0074-02762006000400007

Lewis, K. and Ausubel, F.M (2006). Prospects of Plants Derived Antibacterial. Nature Biotechnology; 24: 1504-1507. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1206-1504

Lee, S.B., Cha, K.H., Kim, S.W., Altantsetseg, S., Shatar, S., Sarangerel, O. and Nho, C.W. (2007). The Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oil from Dracocephalum foetidum Against Pathogenic Microorganisms. Journal of Microbiology; 45: 53- 57. PMID: 17342056

Ernest, E. (1998). Traditional herbalists’ Prescription for common clinical conditions: A Survey of members of the UK National Institute of Medical Herbalists. Phytotherapy Research. P. 26-28. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.886574

Santos, P.R., Oliveira, A.C. and Tomassini, T.C. (1995). Control Microbiological Products Fitoterapices. Revista de Farmacia e Bioquimica; 31: 35-38. https://doi.org/10.22270/jddt.v8i5-s.1962

Pratiwi, W., and Elin, Y.S. (2016). The Antibacterial Activity of Selected Plants Towards Resistant Bacteria Isolated from Clinical Specimens. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine; 6(1): 16-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.08.003

Peter, U.U., Emmanuel, M.I., Felix, A. Lawrence, B.E., Bashiru, S. Mfonido, U. Inyang, I.H., Fatimah, A. Gladys, A.A. (2020). Antibacterial Activity of Ocimum gratissimum Against Drug Resistant Bacteria Isolated from Drinking Water Quality in Calabar, Cross River State. International Journal of Innovative Studies in Sciences and Engineering Technology. 6:20-25. ISSN 2455-4863 (Online)

Wadood, A., Ghufran, M., Jamal., S.B., Naeem, M., Khan, A., Ghafar, A. and Asnad. (2013). Phytochemical Analysis of Medicinal Plants Occuring in Local Area of Mardan. Biochemistry and Analytical Biochemistry., 2:144. https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-1009.1000144

B¨urgmann, D., Frigon, W., Gaze, T. (2018). “Water and sanitation: an essential battlefront in the war on antimicrobial resistance,” FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 94(9). https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiy101

NCCLS (2022). Methods for Dilution Antimicrobial Susceptibility Tests for Bacteria 8at Grow Aerobically. Approved Standard M7–A6, NCCLS, Wayne, PA, USA. ISSN 0273-3099

Mills, R. (2003). “Molecular characterization of antibiotic resistance in clinical Salmonella typhi isolated in Ghana,” FEMS Microbiology Letters, 15 (2), 249–253. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6968.2002.tb11398.x

Aboi, 1., Benson, C.I., Anthony, I.O. (2018). Molecular Characterization and Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern of Escherichia coli Recovered from Wastewater Treatment Plants in Eastern Cape South Africa. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 15, 1237. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061237

Sharma, A., Avadh, B., Amit, K., & Vikas, J. (2020). Antimicrobial Terpenoids as a Potential Substitute in Overcoming Antimicrobial Resistance. Current Drug Targets, 21(14), 1476-1494 https://doi.org/10.2174/1389450121666200520103427

Akinjogunla, O. J., Eghafona, N. O., Enabulele, I. O., Mboto, C. I., & Ogbemudia, F. O. (2014). Antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of Phyllanthus amarus against extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli isolated from stool samples of HIV seropositive patients. African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 8(2), 45–51. Available online http://www.academicjournals.org/ajpp ISSN 1996-0816

Ogueke, C. C., Nwosu, J. N., Owuamanam, C. I., & Iwouno, J. O. (2019). Antimicrobial properties of Ocimum gratissimum and Vernonia amygdalina on selected foodborne pathogens. Journal of Food Safety, 39(1), e12526. Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB ISSN 1684–5315

Oladejimoku, A.O., Daramola, K.M., Osabiya, O.J., Arije, O.C. (2017). Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial activities and phytochemical screening of two varieties of Acalypha wilkesiana. Journal of Advances in Microbiology, 4(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.9734/JAMB/2017/32999

World Health Organization. (2017). Guidelines for drinking-water quality (4th ed.). WHO Press. ISBN: 978-92-4-154995-0

cover

Published

2026-03-31

How to Cite

Antibacterial Efficacy of Medicinal Plants on Multidrug Resistant Bacteria from  Potable Water in Calabar, Cross River State. (2026). Lafia Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 4(1), 108-114. https://doi.org/10.62050/ljsir2026.v4n1.757

Issue

Volume 4, Issue 1 (April, 2026), Lafia Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research (LJSIR)

Section

Life Sciences
Copyright & Licensing

Copyright (c) 2026 Peter Upla, Aleruchi Chuku, Promise Ujunwa Ikechukwu, Salamatu Musa Idris, Safiya Sani Osagede, Obulamah Zakari Muhammed (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Antibacterial Efficacy of Medicinal Plants on Multidrug Resistant Bacteria from  Potable Water in Calabar, Cross River State. (2026). Lafia Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 4(1), 108-114. https://doi.org/10.62050/ljsir2026.v4n1.757

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Similar Articles

21-30 of 32

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.