ABSTRACT
Bacillus spp. associated with two types of fermented African locust beans iru woro and iru pete were isolated and screened for probiotic potentials using standard microbiological techniques. The total bacterial counts for iru woro (pH 8.4) and iru pete (with pH 8.1) were 6.4314 and 6.4771 log10CFU/g respectively. In the two samples, the load of aerobic sporeformers were 6.2068 and 6.2553 log10CFU/g. In the samples Bacillus subtilis had the highest occurrence (44%), followed by B. lichenliformis (28%) and B. megaterium (24%) while B. coagulans had the least (4%). Only 28% of Bacillus isolates produced caseinase, while 28% produced haemolysin. Majority of these isolates showed tolerance to salt at concentrations less than 5% and also grew fairly at pH tending to neutral. Bacillus subtilis P14, Bacillus lichenliformis P12 and Bacillus megaterium P6 grew at 3.0% bile. Percentage hydophobicity, auto-aggregation and co-aggregation of the isolates ranged from - 49.00 to 65.00%, -53.00 to 84.00% and -69.44 to 36.08% respectively. High level of antibiotic resistance (especially to first line antibiotics) was recorded among isolates. Most of the Bacillus species isolated from the iru samples had very poor probiotic properties. Molecular and in vitro probiotic properties of promising candidates are still open to investigation.
ABSTRACT
Aims: The implication of Enterococcus faecalis in dental infections is rising and resistance to common antibiotics continues to rise globally as well. In this study, the association of E. faecalis with different forms of dental infections was investigated and the antibiotic resistance profile of the isolates was determined. Place and Duration of Study: The samples were collected from a tertiary health institution in Ekiti State, transferred to the Department of Microbiology, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria and processed immediately. This study was carried out between June, 2009 and March, 2010. Methodology: Oral interview was conducted among the patients in order to collect relevant data while sterile culturette was used to collect the samples after proper diagnoses, plated and incubated appropriately using standard microbiological techniques. The susceptibility of the isolates to commonly and frequently used antibiotics was determined by the disc diffusion method on Müller-Hinton agar. Results: Overall, 46.0% of the subjects had dental infections The subjects with dental infections were 46.60% males and 53.40% females. Students accounted for 58.25% of the total subjects followed by traders with 16.50%. Enterococcus faecalis was isolated from 52.08% of the students, 22.92% traders and 4.17% of the farmers. The highest occurrence (37.86%) of dental infection was recorded among patients within the age bracket 21 and 30 years while dento-aveola abscess (DAA) followed by dental caries (DC) were the predominant dental infections recorded in that order. A total of 46.60% of the dental infections were colonized by E. faecalis that were mostly resistant to amoxicillin (93.90%) and cloxacillin (92.68%). Resistance to the fluoroquinolones tested was relatively low, ranging from 8.54 to 25.61% in spafloxacin and perfloxacin, respectively whilst it was 1.22% to vancomycin among the isolates. Conclusion: The isolates were resistant to common antibiotics tested, however, vancomycin proved to be the most effective in the inhibition of the isolates.
ABSTRACT
Aims: Bark, leaves and gum of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) have been reported to be effective in curtailing the growing problems of resistance of bacterial pathogens. The in vitro activity of aqueous extracts of cashew apple peels was determined in this study against two clinically important pathogens. Place and Duration of Study: The work was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria and processed immediately. This study was carried out between June, 2009 and January, 2010. Methodology: Bioautographic method was used to test the antibacterial activity of aqueous (cold and hot water) extracts of cashew apple peels on Escherichia coli O157:H7 and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The zones of inhibition of the extracts were compared. Results: The activity of the fifth hour hot water extract was highest with zones of inhibition of 415.48 and 346.30 sq. mm against E. coli O157:H7 and MRSA respectively. E. coli O157:H7 was more susceptible to the extract with the zone of inhibition ranging between 176.79 and 283.53 sq. mm while that of MRSA was153.94 - 346.30 sq. mm. The 5 h extract of cold water was more potent on the test organisms with 615.75 and 490.87 sq. mm diameters of inhibition on E. coli O157:H7 and MRSA respectively. Cold water extracts produced more active compounds (13 biologically active spots) that inhibited the growth of the test organisms than the hot water extracts, with six spots. Conclusion: The extracts of the peels of the cashew apple against the test organisms are promising. However, the nature and mechanisms of action of the biologically active compounds in the extracts are still open to investigation.
ABSTRACT
Aim: Iru is a popular West Africa fermented soup condiment which is also consumed without cooking as snack. This product is mainly fermented by Bacillus species. The hypolipidemic activities of Bacillus spp. isolated from iru have not been documented hence the aim of this study. Place and Duration of Study: Iru sample was bought in an open market in Iworoko-Ekiti, Nigeria and transferred to the Laboratory of the Department of Microbiology, Ekiti State University, Nigeria where other studies were carried out. The study was conducted between January and June, 2012. Methodology: The properties and in vivo hypolipidemic potential of Bacillus species from iru were investigated using standard microbiological and haematological methods. Results: The cell free extracts of the Bacillus spp. did not produce significant inhibition on the selected Gram positive and Gram negative pathogens. Qualitative enzyme screening of the isolates showed all were haemolysin negative. Only B. subtilis was positive to gelatinase while all the isolates produced catalase and lipase. The average weight of the animals after inducement of hyper-cholesterolemia ranged between 60.5g - 95.3g. The amount of serum total cholesterol (TC) in the animals ranged between 124.9 mg/dl – 127.4 mg/dl while that of serum triglycerides (TG), high density protein (HDL) and low density protein (LDL) were 122.5 – 155.3 mg/dl, 10.0 – 15.3 mg/dl and 76.6 – 81.0 mg/dl respectively. The weights of hyper-cholesterolemia induced rats challenged with different species of Bacillus were relatively lower than those in the control group and also differ significantly from the control, at p˂ 0.05. The values of TC, TG, and LDL were highest in the control (saline) group while the values in the treatment group ranged between 121.3 ± 1.5 and 102.3 ± 6.8 mg/dl for TC. The treatment groups recorded lower values of values for TG (104.7 ± 1.6 - 117.4 ± 9.1 mg/dl) and LDL (42.6 ±7.4 - 59.0 ± 10.2 mg/dl) compared to the control. B. subtilis had the highest values of TC but least amount of LDL. TG in all the groups was higher than TC, HDL and LDL. The TC/HDL and the LDL/HDL of the animals in the iru group was higher than the other treatment groups but lower than the control. Conclusion: Compared to the control, hypolipidemic activities of B. lichenliformis was the best followed by B. subtilis. Iru had the least hypo-cholesterolemic effect.