Isolation and Identification of Bacteria from Human Clinical Samples and Evaluation of their Susceptibility to Plant Extracts

The increasing global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant challenge to the effective management of infectious diseases, as pathogenic microorganisms continue to develop resistance to commonly used antimicrobial agents, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. The present investigation was undertaken to isolate and identify bacterial pathogens from selected clinical samples, including urine, stool, throat swabs, and pus/wound swabs, and to evaluate their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns against Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) plant extract. Clinical samples were processed using standard microbiological procedures. The isolated bacteria were cultured on Nutrient Agar (NA), MacConkey Agar (MA), and Blood Agar (BA), followed by identification using conventional microbiological and biochemical techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using the disc diffusion method in accordance with the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). The antibacterial activity of the Guduchi plant extract was assessed against the bacterial isolates obtained from the clinical specimens. The bacterial isolates recovered from the clinical samples included Salmonella Typhi, Bacillus spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The findings demonstrated that Guduchi plant extract exhibited antibacterial activity against Salmonella Typhi. These findings suggest that T. cordifolia possesses potential antibacterial properties and may warrant further investigation as a source of plant-derived antimicrobial compounds, particularly in the context of the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Further studies involving standardized extracts, phytochemical characterization, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination, and broader panels of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens are recommended to establish its therapeutic potential.

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