COMPARATIVE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF FIVE BRANDS OF CIPROFLOXACIN SOLD IN LAGOS STATE

he antimicrobial activity of five brands (A, B, C, D and E) of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride tablets commonly sold in Lagos Nigeria, were compared and assessed against susceptible clinical isolates (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serotypetyphi). Susceptibility test, minimum inhibitory concentration test and the bactericidal activity were determined. All sampled brands were within their shelf life. Most (60%) of the sampled brands were made in India while the remaining 40% were made in Nigeria. All the brands complied with the official specification in British Pharmacopeia (BP) for uniformity of weight as they show less than 5% deviation in weight. The mean antibacterial activities of the brands at 25µg/ml were found to be within the range of 38.0mm to 42.2mm zone of inhibition while the MICs range between 0.012µg/ml to 1.5µg/ml.All the sampled brands were effective against all the test organisms to varying degree with brands A and E been more potent while brand D was the least effective. The order of MICs (decreasing order of potency) was D>B>C>A>E for Staphylococcus aureus and D>C>B>E>A for Escherichia coli while that of Salmonella enterica serotypeTyphiwas D>B>C>A>E. The bactericidal activity of each ciprofloxacin brand D and E are concentration-dependent; with brand E more active at all tested concentrations.

ASTROVIRUS INFECTION IN CHILDREN IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

A preliminary investigation was conducted to screen for astrovirus in Lagos. Two hundred and fifteen (215) faecal samples collected from children under 5 years old with diarrhoea (161) and without diarrhoea (54) admitted at paediatric clinics in Lagos State were studied. The stool specimens were examined for the presence of human astrovirus antigen using a monoclonal antibody-based ELISA (Astrovirus RIDASCREEN® r-Biopharm, Germany) technique. Astrovirus was detected in 40.4 percent (65/161) of the diarrhoeal stools compared to 11.1 percent (6/54) of the control specimens. Astrovirus was found to infect younger children and about three quarter of the children infected was under 12 months of age. The prevalence of infection decreases with age group and was statistically significant (P = 0.0470). Although, prevalence of infection is more in males than females but this is not significant. This study shows that astrovirus is an important agent of acute gastroenteritis among children in Lagos state

SCREENING OF CRUDE EXTRACTS OF TWELVE MEDICINAL PLANTS AND “WONDER-CURE” CONCOCTION USED IN NIGERIA UNORTHODOX MEDICINE FOR ACTIVITY AGAINST MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS ISOLATED FROM TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS SPUTUM

The antimicrobial activity of extracts of twelve Nigerian medicinal plant species and a “wonder cure” concoction [Epa –Ijebu]; used in traditional medicine for the treatment of tuberculosis and cough were screened for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from tuberculosis patient sputum and the control strains of M. tuberculosis (H37RV). Both ethanolic and aqueous solution of the extract of Allium ascalonicum, Terminalia glaucescens, Allium cepa and Securidaca longepedunculata (ethanolic extract only) at 0.05g/ml as well as aqueous solution of “wonder cure” concoction at same concentration inhibited the growth of M. tuberculosis. However at lower concentration of 0.2 µg/ml (critical proportion level of the control drug (isoniazide), M. tuberculosis was resistant to both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the plants as well as the aqueous solution of the wonder-cure concoction. The phytochemical analysis of the plant extract and the Epa-Ijebu showed the presence of bioactive compounds: tannin, flavonoid, alkaloids, phlobatannin, anthocyanin, reducing sugar, saponin and anthraquinone. Our results offer a scientific basis for the traditional use of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Allium ascalonicum, Terminalia glaucescens, Allium cepa, Securidaca longepeducunlata (ethanolic extract only) and aqueous solution of the “wonder cure” concoction at higher concentration against M. tuberculosis. However local herbs such as Nicotiana tabacum, Allium sativum, Aframomum melegueta, Aprus precatorius, Xylopia aethiopica, Tetrapleura tetraptera, Crinium jagus, and Garcinia kola were ineffective

Antimicrobial and toxicological studies of Epa-Ijebu, a "wonder-cure" concoction used in South West Nigeria.

‘Epa-ijebu’ is regarded as a “wonder cure” concoction used in curing many diseases and as an antidote to scorpion and snake bites among the Yoruba’s in South West, Nigeria. Initial report had indicated antibacterial activity of the concoction against some common bacterial pathogens. This present study screened for fungicidal activity against Candida albicans, Microsporum spp, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Aspergillus fumigatus as well as bactericidal activity against Helicobacter pylori, Salmonella Typhi, Salmonella Enteritidis, Shigella flexneri, and Enteroheamorrhagic Escherichia coli . Toxicity of the concoction was also tested . The disc diffusion method and the Agar well diffusion technique were employed for screening the Epa-Ijebu against clinical isolates of the four fungi .Both the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) were also determined. A comparison between the MFC of the Epa-Ijebu and three marketed antifungal drugs (Griseofulvin, Nystatin and Itraconazole) was made. Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Bacterial Concentration (MBC) were determined using serially diluted Epa-Ijebu concoction. Acute toxicity of the Epa- Ijebu was also tested by feeding it to one week old laboratory mice. The Epa-Ijebu concoction at 25.0 – 50.0 mg/ml inhibited the growth of the fungi and was recorded to be fungicidal at 50.0 – 100.0 mg/ml for all the fungi screened. These figures compare favorably with the known antifungals. The concoction inhibited the growth of all the bacteria at the concentration used and was found to have an MIC of between 15.6 - 125 mg/ml and MBC of between 31.25 and 250mg/ml. However, toxicological assays showed that the concoction was toxic to the animals at high concentrations of 0.2 -0.8 g/ml leading to the deaths of the animals within 24hrs of being fed. Histological examination of the stomach, liver and kidney showed that profound erosion of the tissues with marked area of karyolysis and karyorrhesis. The study confirms the antifungal and antibacterial properties of the “wonder cure” concoction but its use as an antidote to many ailments need to be moderated because of its toxicity