Antimicrobial Activity Of Albizia Grandibracteata Against Neisseria Gonorrheae

Abstract

BACKGROUND Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection affecting millions of people worldwide in any given year. In Africa alone, it affects approximately 11.4 million people annually. In Kenya, very few studies have been conducted with regards to the prevalence of the infection. It adversely affects sexual and reproductive health and is implicated in complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease in women and infertility in both men and women. Studies conducted in the recent years have also shown that gonococcal infection, increases Human Immunodeficiency Virus shedding hence increasing its transmission. Available medication to treat the infection is often expensive and has numerous adverse effects. Furthermore, the emergence of drug resistant strains of the bacteria especially to the Extended Spectrum Cephalosporins , which are a last resort treatment further complicates gonococcal management as there limited treatment options. There is therefore need to find alternative, easily accessible, in expensive treatment with high efficacy. Plants have diverse chemical properties and provide numerous potent antimicrobial agents that can be utilized in the treatment of various ailments. Albizia grandibracteata has gained ethno-medicinal application due to its anti-gonococcal properties, among the Luhya community in Kenya. This study therefore seeks to assess the antimicrobial potency of Albizia grandibracteata against Neisseria gonorrheae. OBJECTIVE The main aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Albizia grandibracteata whole roots extract against Neisseria gonorrheae. METHODOLOGY Albizia grandibracteata whole roots were conservatively harvested in Kakamega forest, Kakamega County in September 2018. They were air dried in the laboratory and milled into powder before use. Solvent extraction was done by cold maceration whereof the resulting crude extracts were evaporated to dryness in vacuo. The crude extracts were then tested for antigonoccocal activity using the agar well diffusion method. The MIC and MBC values were determined using the broth dilution technique. RESULTS The findings of this study showed that whole roots extracts of Albizia grandibracteata have significant activity against Neisseria gonorrhea isolates. Results from the agar well diffusion exhibited that from the solvents used at different concentrations. Dichloromethane, Dichloromethane: Methanol mixture, Methanol, Chloroform, cold water, Ethyl acetate and water xiii decoction extracts showed significant antigonoccocal activity with mean diameter zones of inhibition ranging from 53.1 % to 3.8 % that of ceftriaxone. Tube dilutions done for the solvents showed MIC values that ranged from 0.6 mg/ml to 5.0 mg/ml and MBC values that ranged from 0.3 mg/ml to 10 mg/ml. CONCLUSION From this study, Albizia grandibracteata extracts showed concentration dependent antigonoccocal activity, thus confirming its scientific basis in traditional treatment for gonococcal infections.