ANTIBIOGRAM AND EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF COCHLOSPERMUM PLANCHONII (ROOT), ON PULMONARY BACTERIAL CO-INFECTION IN COVID-19 PATIENTS IN JOS, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

Bacterial infection is an important co-morbidity in pulmonary viral infection and the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) presents a seemingly new challenge in global healthcare. This study aimed to determine the antibacterial activity of Cochlospermum planchonii root on pulmonary bacterial co-infection in COVID-19 patients. Methanolic extracts of Cochlospermum planchonii root was used for the analysis. Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, Agar Well Diffusion (AWD), Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) techniques according to established standards were used to analyze the susceptibility properties of the plant extract on the clinical isolates. Antioxidant studies of the fractionated 100% Methanol extract component were carried out using 2,2-di-phenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Total Oxyradical Scavenging Capacity and the Total Phenolic Content of the extracts were estimated. Sputum samples from a total number of 1,620 patients were collected and analyzed with standard microbiological techniques to isolate and identify the bacterial species. Of the bacterial pathogens isolated, 13.98% were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 38.71% were Staphylococcus aureus, 22.58% were Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae 16.13%, while Mycobacterium tuberculosis was 1.06% and Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria was 7.53%. Susceptibility testing of the clinical isolates was done with conventional antibiotic discs and with the plant extract. The methanol extract showed an impressive Mean Diameter Zone of inhibition and a statistically significant difference at P<0.05. The MBC/MIC ratio was 2, showing that the plant is both inhibitory and bactericidal. This study proves pulmonary bacterial coinfection in COVID-19, provides a reference antibiogram, and establishes the efficacy of Cochlospermum planchonii, in combating pulmonary bacterial infections in COVID-19 patient.