ABSTRACT
Staphylococcal isolates from specimen submitted to the Medical Microbiology laboratory of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria were collected over a period of 6 months (February-July 2012), characterized by microbiological standard procedures and the S. aureus small colony variant (SCV) isolates were isolated. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the isolates was determined by the Kirby-Bauer-CLSI modified disc agar diffusion (DAD) technique. The SCV isolates were assessed for the carriage of four virulence genes; sdrE (putative adhesin) icaA (intracellular adhesin) hlg (hemolysin), Cna (collagen adhesin). A total of 258 non-duplicate staphylococcal isolates made up of 219 (84%) S. aureus and 39 (15%) coagulase-negative staphylococci (coNS) where obtained. A total of 48 (22%) isolates were determined to be S. aureus SCV mainly from wound/abscess (31%). S. aureus SCV isolates were generally resistant to all the nine antibiotics tested with only minimal sensitivity to tigecyclin (10.4%) and ciprofloxacin (18.8%). Statistically, there was no significant difference between the microbial load and the different antibiotics that were used, (P ≥0.05). None of the S. aureus SCV isolates carried the four virulence genes which were tested in this study. The results have therefore proved that S. aureus small colony variant exist in our environment and they are more resistant to most antimicrobial agent than their wild type.
ABSTRACT
Postharvest deterioration has been a major problem associated with yam storage for both famers and traders and it is caused mostly by micro-organisms especially fungi. During the storage of yam, many organisms such as Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium citrinum and Rhizopus stolonifer are often reported to cause rotting of the stored yams. The aim of this research is to find out the antifungal effect of some commonly used anti-dermatophytic agents, (Fluconazole, Terbinafine Hcl, Ketoconazole, Sodium propionate and Griseofulvin) on the above named fungi spores. This was carried out using zone of inhibition, MICs, MFCs, FICs and FFCs to measure the antifungal activities of the test antifungal agents against the isolated phytopathogenic fungi spores. These agents were found to have fungitoxic effects on the test organisms in the order of: Terbinafine Hcl > Fluconazole > Ketoconazole > Sodium propionate > Griseofulvin. This work indicated that the test antifungal agents were able to inhibit the fungi spores that are widely reported to be associated with yams rot when stored. The observation in this study showed that a good and efficient fungicide against the test organisms that are known to cause yam rot during storage can be effectively arrested with combination of these fungicides.
ABSTRACT
Aims: To investigate the antimicrobial activity of ethyl acetate and residual aqueous fractions of the methanol extract of Alchornea cordifolia leaf against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600, Escherichia coli ATCC 11775 and Candida albicans ATCC 18804 in comparison to standard antibiotics. Study design: Extraction of Alchornea cordifolia leaf, partitioning of the extract, susceptibility tests (Zones of inhibition) and Minimum Inhibitory and Bactericidal Concentrations determination. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicinal Plant Research and Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Idu – Abuja, Nigeria and Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, July and October. Methodology: The leaves of Alchornea cordifolia (Schum. & Thonn.) Muell. Arg. were collected, dried at room temperature and extracted with methanol using a soxhlet extractor. The methanol extract was partitioned between ethyl acetate and distilled water to obtain an ethyl acetate sub-fraction (EAF) and an aqueous residual fraction (AF). Agar well diffusion and agar dilution methods according to Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) were used to test the antimicrobial activity of the ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions of Alchornea cordifolia against the above mentioned microbial species. Results: Both fractions; ethyl acetate and residual aqueous fractions of the methanol extract showed antimicrobial activity against the standard organisms viz: Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600, Escherichia coli ATCC 11775 and Candida albicans ATCC 18804. The highest activity was observed for the ethyl acetate fraction against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600 with zone of inhibition of 27 mm, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (M.I.C) of 1.25 mg/ml and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (M. B. C) of 2.5mg/ml. Conclusion: Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600, Escherichia coli ATCC 11775 and Candida albicans ATCC 18804 were susceptible to the ethyl acetate sub-fraction and residual aqueous fractions of the methanol extract of Alchornea cordifolia leaf.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The prevalence of E. coli; Ps. aeruginosa and Staph aureus isolates from urine of selected residents in Zaria was investigated. This was an attempt to elucidate the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of these bacteria commonly implicated in urinary tact infection. METHODS: Urine samples collected from students of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Ahmadu Bello University and Kaduna State Polytechnic; Zaria; Nigeria; commercial sex workers; and illiterate men and women in Zaria were cultured and bacterial isolates identified using standard microbiological procedures. The antibacterial susceptibility of the isolated bacteria were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 206 bacteria were isolated from 150 urine samples collected from the subjects. The prevalence of the Ps aeruginosa; Staph aureus and E. coli isolates from the urine samples is 53.4 percent; 43.3 percent and 40.7 percent; respectively. Commercial sex workers had the highest (30.6 percent) prevalence of bacteria in their urine samples while the students had the least. Multiple antibiotics resistance was highest for the bacteria isolates obtained from urine samples of the students and commercial sex workers. CONCLUSION: Ps aeruginosa; Staph aureus and E. coli are highly prevalent in urine of the residents of Zaria investigated. The high multiple antibiotics resistance identified makes it necessary for antibiotic susceptibility testing to be conducted prior to antibiotics prescription in in Zaria