ABSTRACT
The menace of drug resistant pathogens is increasing and their level of evading conventional antimicrobials is rising. It is therefore important to discover new antimicrobials to counter the current challenges. Our preliminary investigation identified Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis 168 isolated from soil sample sourced from a river bank in Abuja, Nigeria, as the most potent antibiotic-producing bacteria among the other identified producers. The current study screened for the antimicrobial activity of the extract and fractions of the isolate by broth microdilution method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and the ratio of the MBC/MIC were determined. All the tested pathogens were susceptible to the ethyl-acetate extract (MIC between 28.70 mg/ml and 57.40 mg/ml). The extract displayed bactericidal activity against all tested pathogens (MBC/MIC between 1.00 and 2.00) while Proteus mirabilis was least susceptible. The extract was purified by vacuum liquid chromatography and the fractions challenged with pathogenic strains. The fraction E was the most potent (MIC between 0.09 mg/ml and 0.75 mg/ml) and also bactericidal against all the test microbes (MBC/MIC between 2.00 and 2.11). GC-MS analysis of the purified sub fraction obtained from fraction E identified 13 compounds with different Retention time and peak areas. Among these were three major compounds which include: (i) bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (ii) 1,4-epoxynaphthalene-1(2H)-methanol, 4,5,7-tris(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3,4-dihydro- (iii) D:B-Friedo-B':A'-neogammacer-5-en-3-ol, (3.beta.)-. Our findings suggest that Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis 168 isolated locally could serve as a valuable source of lead compounds for pharmaceutical and biotechnological purposes.
ABSTRACT
Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections are among the sexually transmitted diseases known to increase the risk for human immunodeficiency virus infection. Serum samples from 34 consenting AIDS patients which attended the Government-approved Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) Facility at the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Abuja between April 2005 and March 2006 were screened by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the presence of anti-CT antibodies using ImmunoComb® Chlamydia Bivalent IgG Test kit (Orgenics, Israel). Anti-CT antibodies were detected in ten (29.4%) of the thirty-four patients tested. The detection rate was higher among the females (33.3%) than the males (23.1%). Patients of the age group 31-45 years had the highest detection of anti-C. trachomatis antibodies, followed by those of age group 16-30 years. The result of the present study suggests the presence of anti-CT antibodies in AIDS patients, and reinforces the need for routine screening for anti-CT antibodies as a necessary intervention to reduce the burden of chlamydial diseases and to reduce the risk of HIV and its spread in Nigeria. The outcome of this study also provides justification for the possible inclusion of anti-chlamydial agents in the National AIDS Management Plan to treat associated C.trachomatis infections.