Antibacterial Activity of Lawsonia inermis Leaf Extracts against Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Infected Wounds

Background: Wound infection comprises numerous different organisms that have the ability to surface colonization of wounds. Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the pathogenic bacteria associated with wound infections. Aim: This study isolated and identified multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa from infected wounds and determine the antibacterial activity of Lawsonia inermis leaf extracts against it. Design: This is a Clinical and laboratory-based study involving patients with defined cases of wound infections. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in the Microbiology (Bacteriology) laboratory of Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, Nigeria, from February to November 2021. Methods: Twenty-eight (28) Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were recovered from 179 wound swabs using standard laboratory procedures and were screened for multidrug-resistant patterns according to the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Antibacterial efficacy of the aqueous, ethanolic, and methanolic leaf extracts of Lawsonia inermis was tested against the multidrug-resistant isolates using agar well diffusion techniques. The zone of inhibition was measured and the differences between means were statistically analyzed (p<0.05). Results: A total of twenty-eight (28) multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa were confirmed, showing resistance to Amoxicillin (64.3%), Ceftazidime (85.71%), and Cefotaxime (78.57%) but sensitivity to Imipenem (95.5%). The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, steroids, and tannins among others. MDR P. aeruginosa was inhibited at varied concentrations of the extracts with the diameter mean zone of inhibition increasing as the concentration increased. The Methanol extracts showed the highest antibacterial activity against MDR P. aeruginosa with a mean zone of inhibition of 9.500±0.288mm at 400mg/ml. Conclusion: These results indicated that Lawsonia inermis leaf extracts possess antibacterial activities on Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa which could be a good source for the production of plant-based antibacterial drugs., although somewhat less than the synthetic standard drugs (Imipenem) having a mean of 13.83±0.288mm.

Antibacterial Activity of Composite Mixture of Senna siamea Leaves and Tamarind Pulp Extracts on Multidrug Resistant Salmonella typhi

Background: For many years, antimicrobial chemotherapeutic approach have been challenged by drugs resistant bacteria such as Salmonella associated with gastrointestinal infections. To overcome these effects, several attempts by herbalists and traditional healers were in progress, using some plants parts to treat Typhoid fever in Nigeria. Aim: The aim of this work was to determine the antibacterial activity of Senna siamea leaves and Tamarindus indica fruit pulp against multidrug resistant Salmonella typhi. Methods: A total of 168 samples of stool and blood from patients with suspected cases of typhoid fever were collected and only three (3) Salmonella typhi isolates were recovered (from the 168 samples) by conventional microbiological techniques. The isolates were screened for multidrug resistant properties according to Kirby -Bauer disc diffusion method. Water and ethanol were used to extract phytochemical components from powdered leaves of Senna siamea and Tamarindus indica fruit pulp via percolation method. The extracts were tested for the antibacterial activity against the clinical isolates of Salmonella typhi. Results: All the isolates (100%) were resistant to Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, while two (66.7%) to Erythromycin and Tetracycline and sensitive (100%) to Streptomycin, Gentamycin, Nalidixic acid Ciprofloxacin, Cotrimoxazole, Augmentin and Chloramphenicol, The phytochemical screening o of both plants extracts showed the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, carbohydrates and cardiac glycosides. The result shows that aqueous and ethanolic extracts of combined Tamarind and Senna siamea were more active (2.50µg/ml) against Salmonella typhi when compared to individual extracts. Conclusion: This study shows that aqueous and ethanol extracts of both plants exhibited activity on S. Typhi, hence, possess antimicrobial potentials that it can be used in treatment of typhoid.

Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Benue state, Nigeria

Background: Toxoplasmosis causes serious economic losses in livestock. Congenital transmission can occur in pregnant women, commonly with serious consequences.Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed to screen for the absence or presence of anti-T. gondii IgM or IgG antibodies and explore associated risk factors in pregnant women (n=261) that attended antenatal clinics in selected hospitals in Benue state, Nigeria. Blood samples were subjected to enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Information on sociodemographic data and possible risk factors were obtained using a structured questionnaire.Results: Out of 261 pregnant women, 19 (7.3%) and 108 (41.1%) were seropositive for anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG respectively. Comparison of IgM and IgG results suggested that 4.4% presented evidence of possible primary infection, 38.7% previous exposure, 2.8% possible reactivated or chronic infections and 51.8% were susceptible to T. gondii infection. The nature of women’s housing was significantly associated with anti-T. gondii IgM seropositivity (p <0.05). Pregnant women that lived in mud houses with thatched roofs were three times more likely to be seropositive than those who lived in concrete/brick houses with aluminium/zinc roofs (OR=3.123, 95% CI:1.027, 9.495). The study also showed that 17.7% of apparent infections were attributable to the nature of housing. More than half of the women sampled were at risk of contracting primary toxoplasmosis.Conclusion: Screening for anti- T. gondii antibodies during antenatal care is advocated in order to detect affected women so that appropriate management strategies can be implemented.

Evaluation of In vitro Antioxidant Potentials of Nymphaea lotus and Nymphaea pubescens Seed Oils

Aim: The study is aimed at assessing the antioxidant potentials of Nymphaea lotusand Nymphaea pubescensseed oils. Study Design:It was designed to extract oil from the seeds and investigate their antioxidant properties to indicate their capabilities to improve oxidative stability. Place and Duration of Study:The research was conducted between August 2016 and January 2017 atDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Bayero University, Kano State-Nigeria. Methodology: 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and reducing power assays were used to determine free radical scavenging activities and reducing power potential of Nymphaea lotusand Nymphaea pubescensseed oils. Results:From the DPPH radical scavenging assay, It shows that the IC50value of the ascorbic acid (reference standard) was found to be higher (13.23± 0.16?g/ml) compared to Nymphaea lotusseed oil (8.82 ± 0.82?g/ml). The IC50 value of Nymphaea pubescensseed oil was also compared with the standard and was found to be (41.76 ± 0.98?g/ml) higher than ascorbic acid (13.23± 0.16?g/ml). The lower the IC50 value the higher the antioxidant activity of the oil. The order of the effectiveness of reducing capabilities of the oils was found to be N. lotusseed oil > ascorbic acid> N. pubescensseedoil.Gas chromatographic coupled mass spectroscopy analysis of the N. lotusseed oil showed that Dihydrocarveol (0.87%), Eicosane (1.10%), Lupeol (14.75%), Tetracosane (2.14%) and Viridiflorol (13.72%) were the major antioxidants compounds identified whereas Palmitic acid (23.57), Eicosane (7.65%), Oleic acid (37.85%), Tetracosane (3.10%) and Squalene (1.58%) were the major antioxidants detected in N. pubescensseed oil. Compared with standard (ascorbic acid), the results show that N. lotusseed oil possessed highest antioxidant potential. The higher antioxidant potential displayed by Nymphaea lotusseed oil could be attributed to the presence of these compounds that could act synergistically.Conclusion:Therefore, Nymphaea lotus seed oil and Nymphaea pubescensseed oil contains natural antioxidants that can improveoxidative stability.

Academic job satisfaction questionnaire: construction and validation in Saudi Arabia

Colleges and universities are becoming increasingly accountable for teaching outcomes in order to meet rigorous accreditation standards. Job satisfaction [JS] seems more difficult to measure in the academic field in view of the complexity of roles, duties and responsibilities. To compile and determine the psychometric properties of a proposed Academic Job Satisfaction Questionnaire [AJSQ] suitable for university faculty, and amenable to future upgrading. A 46-item five-option Likert-type draft questionnaire on JS was distributed for anonymous self-reporting by all the academic staff of five colleges in University of Dammam [n=340]. The outcome measures were [1] factor analysis of the questionnaire items, [2] intra-factor alpha-coefficient of Internal Consistency Reliability, [3] inter-factor correlations, [4] comparison of psychometric properties in separately analyzed main faculty subgroups. The response rate was 72.9 percent. Factor analysis extracted eight factors which conjointly explained 60.3 percent of the variance in JS. These factors, in descending order of eigenvalue, were labeled "Authority", "Supervision", "Policies and Facilities", "My Work Itself", "Interpersonal Relationships", "Commitment", "Salary" and "Workload". Cronbach's-alpha ranged from 0.90 in "Supervision" to 0.63 in "Salary" and "Workload". All inter-factor correlations were positive and significant, ranging from 0.65 to 0.23. The psychometric properties of the instrument in separately analyzed subgroups divided by sex, nationality, college and clinical duties produced fairly comparable findings. The AJSQ demonstrated good overall psychometric properties in terms of construct validity and internal consistency reliability in both the overall sample and its separately analyzed subgroups. To replicate these findings in larger multicenter samples of academic staff

Study of the patterns of accidental fractures and dislocations in the Republic of Yemen

We have studied and analyzed 4320 cases of accidental fractures and dislocations seen and treated at a busy trauma center in the Republic of Yemen. The aims were to identify the patterns of fractures and its relationship to age, sex, mechanism of injury, and other factors. The study confirmed that males were subjected much more than females to injuries and that the first two decades of life were more prone to accidental fractures than other age groups. Fall from a height [FFH] was recognized as a major cause of accidental injury [46% of cases]. It is possible to postulate some recommendations that might help to reduce the incidence of accidental fractures. We also recommend that a similar analytical study be conducted for our society for proper estimation of the size of the problem and concluding the possible policy to control and limit the grave social and economic impact of these injuries

Genotypic and phenotypic relationship in Burkholderia pseudomallei indicates colonization with closely related isolates.

Seven isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei from cases of melioidosis in human (2 isolates) and animal (2 isolates), cat (one isolate) and from soil samples (2 isolates) were examined for in vitro sensitivity to 14 antimicrobial agents and for presence of plasmid DNA. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to type the isolates, using two arbitrary primers. All isolates were sensitive to chloramphenicol, kanamycin, carbenicillin, rifampicin, enrofloxacin, tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. No plasmid was detected in all the isolates tested. RADP fingerprinting demonstrated genomic relationship between isolates, which provides an effective method to study the epidemiology of the isolates examined.

HBV as a cause of acute hepatitis in Abu Dhabi

73 patients with acute hepatitis were studied during a 12 month period and 57.5% were found to be due to HBV. 57.5% of all the cases and 60% of those with HBV seemed to have contracted the disease outside the United Arab Emirates [mainly from Indo-Pakistan]. The mode of transmission was not known in 84.6% of HBV cases and blood transfusion did not seem to have played a major role in transmitting HBV among these patiens