Invitro activity of gemifloxacin against some clinical bacterial isolates of urinary tract infections
Ching, Fidelis Poh* , Josephs, Godwin Chimechefulam and Ossai, Awele Maureen
*1 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. E-mail: fidelching@yahoo.ca
2 Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria E-mail:godwinjosephs@yahoo.com
Corresponding author: Dr Ching, Fidelis Poh
E-mail: fidelching@yahoo.com, Phone: +2348067541738
ABSTRACT
Background: Gemifloxacin is a third generation fluoroquinolone with broad spectrum antimicrobial and enhanced activity against both aerobic and anaerobic Gram positive bacteria. It is recommended for the treatment of respiratory tract infections.
Objectives: This study evaluated and compared the antibacterial activity of gemifloxacin with ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and norfloxacin using minimum inhibition concentration assays against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Alcaligenes faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter aerogenes, Proteus vulgaris and Klebseilla pneumoniae obtained from urine samples of patients.
Methods: The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) evaluations were employed for the comparative studies and zones of inhibition assay were further used to determine the antibacterial activity of gemifloxacin. For the MIC evaluations, final nutrient agar concentrations of 5, 7.5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30μg/ml of gemifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and norfloxacin were used. For the zones of inhibition assay, 0.2ml of the MICs (7.5, 10, 15, 25 and 30 μg/ml) of gemifloxacin against particular bacterium was used.
Results: The MICs of gemifloxacin were 7.5μg/ml for Proteus vulgaris, 10μg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter aerogenes, 15μg/ml for E. coli, 20μg/ml for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 25μg/ml for Klebsiella pneumonia and 30μg/ml for Alcaligenes faecalis and Serratia marcescens. The clinical isolates were most sensitive to ofloxacin with MICs of 7.5μg/ml for Proteus vulgaris and 10μg/ml for the other isolates. The isolates were least susceptible to norfloxacin with MICs of 10μg/ml for Proteus vulgaris and 30μg/ml for the other isolates. The results show that the clinical isolates were most sensitive to ofloxacin followed by gemifloxacin, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin respectively.
Conclusion: Although gemifloxacin is not currently strongly recommended for urinary tract infections, this study has shown that it possesses antibacterial activity against the clinical isolates obtained from urine samples of patients with urinary tract infections and could have a place in the treatment of urinary tract infections caused by the organisms.
Key words: Gemifloxacin, urinary tract infections, invitro activity.