Investigating Dysbiosis‐Driven Colonization by Staphylococcus aureus and the Mitigative Potential of Medicinal Plants in Diabetes‐Linked Inflammation

Objective Antibiotic‐induced dysbiosis predisposes hosts to colonization by opportunists such as Staphylococcus aureus , with downstream metabolic and inflammatory consequences. This study evaluated the physiological impact of dysbiosis and S. aureus challenge in rats and tested three Nigerian medicinal plants, Vernonia amygdalina (Bitter Leaf), Hunteria umbellata (Abeere Seed), and Mangifera indica (Mango Leaf), against a metformin control. Methods Thirty rats were randomized into seven groups (control, dysbiosis, dysbiosis + S. aureus no treatment; dysbiosis + S. aureus plus each plant extract; dysbiosis + S. aureus + metformin). Body weight and blood glucose levels were tracked across key time points; the colon, liver, and spleen were examined histologically. Extract chemistry was characterized by UV‐vis and FTIR spectroscopy. 16S rDNA was carried out for molecular confirmation. Statistics included ANOVA. Results Dysbiosis and infection perturbed glycemia, destabilized weight, and produced histopathological lesions (mucosal disruption, inflammatory cell infiltrates, hepatocellular changes). V. amygdalina most consistently improved glucose trends and weight stabilization, while M. indica and H. umbellata showed moderate benefits; metformin retained hypoglycemic activity with values within the physiological fasting range for rats (79.2–100.8 mg/dL). Spectroscopy revealed abundant hydroxyl, aromatic, and ester groups consistent with bioactive polyphenols. For molecular confirmation, 16S rDNA (1.5 kb) from two isolates produced BLAST identities of 89.62% (1495 bp) and 92.65% (1519 bp) to S. aureus (NR_037007.2). Neighbor‐Joining (Kimura‐2‐parameter, 1,000 bootstraps) phylogeny rooted with S. epidermidis placed both isolates within the S. aureus clade , albeit below species‐level identity thresholds, indicating Staphylococcus sp. is closely related to S. aureus . ANOVA results showed post hoc tests (weight: p < 0.001, R 2 = 0.232; glucose: p = 0.031, R 2 = 0.136). Conclusion These findings validate V. amygdalina as a promising adjunct for dysbiosis‐associated metabolic disturbance and highlight the potential of Nigerian botanicals in microbiota‐informed therapy. Further dose–response work and higher‐resolution genomics are warranted.