Abstract

The discovery of antibiotics has contributed significantly to improving the life expectancy of the global population. Nowadays, the emergence of multi resistant strains of bacteria worldwide is a major concern as it dramatically reduces the choice of effective antibiotics for prevention and treatment of a very common infection in both hospitals and our local communities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro interaction of amoxicillin and Annickia chlorantha against some Multi resistant bacteria strains. The interaction between Amoxicillin and Annickia chlorantha was studied using the Checkerboard technique. Fractional Inhibitory Concentration (FIC) indices showed that Amoxicillin/Annickia chlorantha combination was synergistic against the clinical stock of Salmonella typhi at concentrations of 5: 15 and 25 mg/mL. The extracts of the stem barks of Annickia chlorantha decreased the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of amoxicillin against Salmonella typhi by 2: 4 and 66 folds respectively. At the same concentrations the combination showed no difference against the reference stocks of Staphylococcus aureus and a dose dependent antagonism against clinical stock of Escherichia coli. The results of this study revealed that the concomitant use of Annickia chlorantha and amoxicillin may potentiate and restore the antibacterial effect of amoxicillin against resistant strains of Salmonella typhi. This implies that the intake of Annickia chlorantha in traditional medicines may affect the effectiveness of a co-administered amoxicillin, which makes this plant a good, environmentally friendly and promising candidate for the development of an improved traditional medicine.

Keywords: Amoxicillin; Multi-resistant bacteria strains; Annickia chlorantha; Synergy