EVALUATION OF THE MICROBIOLOGICAL STATUS AND ANTIBACTERIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN OF SOME HERBAL REMEDIES ADMINISTERED ORALLY IN NIGERIA

The use of herbal remedies in preventive and curative medicine dates back to the primitive era and progressively gave birth to the modern day chemotherapy and medicine. Investigation into the microbiological quality of ten well packaged herbal drugs produced and commonly administered in Nigeria was carried out using standard methods. Antibiotic susceptibility test was demonstrated by Kirby- Bauer method and McFarland standard. Aliquot portions of decimally diluted drug suspensions were inoculated onto bacteriological and mycological media. Total counts were determined and expressed as colony forming units per grams /milliliters. Total heterotrophic and coliform bacteria count was 4.3 × 107-2.61 × 1011 and 1.0 × 107- 1.87 × 1010 on respectively. Total heterotrophic fungi count was 3.0 × 107- 1.55 × 1010. Five species of bacteria, namely, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Corynebacteriun diptheriae and Micrococcus luteus and five species of fungi, namely, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium notatum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Mucor and Saccharomyces species were isolated from the herbal remedies. Most of the isolates are resident in the soil, water, air and vegetations, and their public health implications had been reported. Staphylococcus aureus produce potent enterotoxins associated with food borne intoxication, toxic shock syndrome and staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome. Bacillus species, an endospore former also produce an exotoxin implicated in food borne infection. The presence of Enterococcus faecalis indicates feacal contamination. Some species of Aspergillus, Penicillium and Rhizopus are known to produce mycotoxins that cause cancer and other mycotoxicoses as well as mycotic infections of the liver, kidney and skin. Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus sp were susceptible to seven of the ten oxoid commercial antibiotics. The high incidence of bacteria and fungi fall short of international standard and portends danger to consumers. Contamination may result from inadequate sanitary measures employed during production, packaging and storage. Good manufacturing practices (GMP) are recommended to ensure products with wholesome quality that meets international safety standard