Integrated Phytochemical Profiling (GC-MS/FTIR), Molecular Docking, and Bioevaluation of Vernonia amygdalina and Psidium guajava Against Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella typhi
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56919/usci.2544.009Keywords:
Chromatography, DNA gyrase, SipD proteinAbstract
Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi). It is a major public health challenge in resource limited settings especially when Multidrug resistant (MDR) strains of S. Typhi are encountered as they generally complicate treatment. This research assessed the phytochemical qualities and bioactivities of Vernonia amygdalina (Bitter Leaf) and Psidium guajava (Guava) for their ability to inhibit the growth of MDR S. Typhi. The disk diffusion and broth dilution methods were used to test the antimicrobial activity of methanolic agar. V. amygdalina had a relatively higher activity with an inhibition zone (ZOI) of 11–14 mm, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 50 mg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 100 mg/mL compared to P. guajava with an inhibition zone (ZOI) of 10–13 mm, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 100 mg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 150 mg/mL. The joint use of V. amygdalina and P. guajava gave better results (ZOI: 14–18.5 mm; MIC/MBC: 50 mg/mL). Using chromatography, the major bioactive components were identified as thymol, limonene and oleic acid, which showed high binding affinity to S. typhi. In silico docking studies were used to evaluate targets of S. typhi virulence including DNA gyrase and the SipD protein. Safety evaluations of the extracts at therapeutic doses in Wistar rats by means of acute and sub-chronic toxicity tests did not cause any lethality or severe adverse effects. Histopathological and biochemical studies showed mild hepatorenal effects at high doses that were reversible. The results bolster the ancient use of these plants and also signifies their potentials as alternative or supplementary medicines against MDR typhoid fever. Future research should focus on clinical trial for further formulation and mechanism studies to realize their clinical applications.
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