PLANT CELL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

This study aimed to determine the combined activity of Amaranthus spinosus methanol extract with conventional antibiotics for their antibacterial potential against Multi-drug resistant Streptococcus pyogenes. The qualitative analysis of phytochemicals in Amaranthus spinosus (A. spinosus) methanol extract qualitatively revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, and saponins. On the evaluation of the antimicrobial susceptibility, Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria were standardized using the colony suspension method. The suspension was matched with 0.5 McFarland standards resulting concentration of 1.5 × 10⁶CFU/mL. An antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried on both disc and well diffusion methods on Mueller Hinton agar under the steps on the Kirby-Bauer test. 50 μL of the bacterial sample were inoculated into Mueller Hinton agar plates. The results in the combination of A. spinosus with Methicillin (10mcg) and A. spinosus with Penicillin showed a decrease in the zone of inhibition of - 0.9 mm and - 0.4 mm respectively from the zone of inhibition of the plant extract alone. The combination of A. spinosus with Ciprofloxacin (5mcg) showed an increase of 2 ±0.3 mm and A. spinosus with Tetracycline (30 mcg) showed 1 ±0.2 mm on their diameter zone of inhibition. To conclude; the combination of the plant extract with ineffective antibiotics did not show a positive significance however the combination of effective antibiotics with plant extract revealed an increase in their zone of inhibitions indicated positive significant activity. This may be important in advancing the efficacy of antibiotics against several multi-drug resistant microorganisms and could potentially hold prosperous therapeutic components when rendered to further pharmacological studies.