Antibacterial Efficacy of Ageratum conyzoides on Salmonella Species Isolated from Suspected Typhoid Fever Patients in Akure Metropolis, Nigeria

Aim: The study aimed at assessing the antibacterial efficacy of Ageratum conyzoides on Salmonella species isolated from suspected typhoid fever patients in Akure metropolis, Nigeria.

Study Design: The study evaluated the prospective use of Ageratum conyzoides as an alternative to commonly used drugs in the treatment of salmonellosis and gastroenteritis.

Place and Duration of Study: Five selected hospitals within Akure metropolis in Ondo State, Nigeria were used for the study which was conducted between June and September, 2015.

Methodology: Two hundred (200) blood samples collected from presumptive typhoid fever patients attending selected Hospitals in Akure metropolis were screened, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium were isolated from them. Plant used (Ageratum conyzoides Linn) was collected from Ologede Street in Oda road, Akure, Nigeria. Authentication of the plant was done at the Crop Science and Pest Department of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. Extract (Methanol, hexane and acetone) of the plant leaf were gotten using standard procedures. Antibacterial effects of the extract on the Salmonella isolates were thereafter evaluated followed by qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screenings on the leaf extract. The antibiogram of the isolates were also determined using Antibiotics sensitivity disc.

Results: The highest zone of inhibition was observed with the methanol extract at a concentration of 100 mg/ml for Salmonella Typhi and the lowest with the acetone extract at 25 mg/ml. The highest zone of inhibition was however observed for the hexane extract at a concentration 100 mg/ml for Salmonella Typhimurium and the least with methanol extract at 12.5 mg/ml. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of various secondary metabolites in the plant.

Conclusion: Ageratum conyzoides leaves extracts if further investigated for its antibacterial properties, possess the potential of creating a roadmap for drug formulation especially against salmonellosis.