Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activity of Solanum torvum Fruit Extracts on Hospital Strains of Enterobacteria

Abstract

Enterobacteriaceae are among the most pervasive bacteria globally and are the most commonly identified in clinical consultations. It is unfortunate that these disease-causing germs are now increasingly resistant to the standard antibiotics that are generally used. In order to propose probable therapeutic alternatives, this study focused on evaluating the antibacterial activity of Solanum torvum fruits on a few strains of enterobacteria. To this end, 70% hydroethanolic and 100% ethanolic extracts were prepared from Solanum torvum fruits and tested, respectively and separately, on a reference strain of Escherichia coli (ATCC), on sensitive strains of Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp., and on resistant strains of Escherichia coli, Citrobacter koseri, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, and Citrobacter freundii. All susceptible and resistant strains of Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from various biological products of patients. The results demonstrated that these extracts exhibited antibacterial activity with a bactericidal effect on these strains. These extracts could therefore be employed in the manufacture of phytomedicines for the treatment of enterobacterial infections.