Antibacterial Activity of Senna siamea Leaf extracts against multidrug-resistant Salmonella spp. isolated from poultry sources
1 Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria.
2 Department of Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria.
3 Department of pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbariam, Nigeria.
4 Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Nigeria.
5 Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, USA.
Research Article
World Journal of Biological and Pharmaceutical Research, 2026, 10(01), 026-034.
Article DOI: 10.53346/wjbpr.2026.10.1.0015
Publication history:
Received on 04 February 2026; revised on 10 March 2026; accepted on 13 March 2026
Abstract:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in foodborne pathogens poses a critical global health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where poultry-associated zoonoses are prevalent. Salmonella spp., a leading cause of foodborne illness worldwide, increasingly exhibit multidrug resistance (MDR), undermining conventional therapeutic options and amplifying the risk of transmission across the poultry–human interface. Plant-derived antimicrobials represent a promising complementary strategy in addressing this crisis. This study evaluated the antimicrobial resistance profiles of poultry-derived MDR Salmonella isolates and investigated the antibacterial activity of solvent-fractionated leaf extracts of Senna siamea.
Ten confirmed Salmonella spp. isolates obtained from poultry sources were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method in accordance with CLSI guidelines. Leaves of S. siamea were sequentially extracted using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. Antibacterial activity was assessed using agar well diffusion across graded concentrations (12.5–200 mg/mL). Qualitative phytochemical screening was performed using standard protocols.
All isolates exhibited multidrug resistance, with complete resistance (100%) to carbapenems and ceftazidime–clavulanic acid, while universal susceptibility was retained for amikacin, ampicillin–sulbactam, and piperacillin–tazobactam. Among the extracts, the ethanol fraction demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity, producing mean inhibition zones of 14.0 ± 1.2 mm at 200 mg/mL, followed by ethyl acetate (11.0 ± 1.2 mm) and n-hexane (9.0 ± 1.2 mm). Antibacterial efficacy correlated with solvent polarity and phytochemical richness, particularly flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and saponins.
Senna siamea leaf extracts, particularly polar fractions, exhibit significant in vitro activity against MDR Salmonella spp. These findings support the potential of phytochemical-rich plant extracts as adjunct or alternative antimicrobial agents and underscore the need for further mechanistic, toxicological, and in vivo investigations.
Keywords:
Antimicrobial resistance; Salmonella spp.; Poultry; Senna siamea; Phytochemicals; Plant-derived antimicrobials
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