Zobo, promising weapon against drug-resistant UTI bacteria, experts say

Add as a preferred source Researchers at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), Katsina State, have identified Hibiscus sabdariffa, popularly known as Zobo, as a promising natural antimicrobial agent against multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli), the leading cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs).

In a new study, the researchers demonstrated that both aqueous and ethanol extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa inhibited the growth of multidrug-resistant E. coli, with the antibacterial activity increasing as the concentration of the extracts increased.

The findings, published in the Asian Journal of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, come at a time when Nigeria and many other countries are grappling with the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, which has reduced the effectiveness of several commonly prescribed antibiotics.