The Antibacterial Effect of the Blumea Balsamifera Linn. (Sambong) Leaves Extract Against Klebsiella pneumoniae

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent different types of bacterial infections. But the continuous use of antibiotics also creates a different problem to public health. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is progressively perceived as one of the serious threats to global public health with notable societal and economic impact proven by reports published by major organizations, including the WHO. A bacterium that is contributing to this is Klebsiella pneumoniae. It's a bacterial pathogen known for its high recurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) qualities. Another major problem that these bacteria cause is the increasing rate of UTI cases. This study focuses on the antibacterial effect of Blumea balsamifera (Sambong) leaf extract against the bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae.

METHODS

To test the inhibiting ability of the Sambong leaf extract against the desired bacteria, first, we had to gather the leaf extract. We used the Ethanol extraction method and Rotary Evaporation method to obtain the crude leaf extract. Different concentrations of the extract (100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%) were tested against the bacteria K. pneumoniae using the Agar-well Diffusion method. Three trials were conducted, and the bacteria were also tested against two positive controls which are Tetracycline and Ciprofloxacin. The data was collected by measuring the zone of inhibition by millimeters and the average diameter of the clearing zones was calculated using the antimicrobial index formula. For the statistical analysis, One-Way ANOVA was used. Phytochemical analyses for alkaloids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, tannins, cardiac glycosides, and terpenoids were conducted.

RESULTS

The concentration with 50% Sambong leaves extract had the highest average with 0.9 AI, and the sample with 25% leaves extract had the lowest average with only 0.3 AI. There were no patterns that can be found from the results since it increased or decreased randomly. There are two positive controls, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. Both showed significantly higher result from the samples with the Sambong leaf extract.

DISCUSSIONS

The results show that the Sambong leaf extract has a positive result in inhibiting the bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae. It can be used as a simple alternative for treating UTI or other infections caused by bacteria. Despite the effectiveness of the said plant, it is not enough to surpass the effectivity of the positive control which is already used commercially as a treatment for infections caused by the bacteria.