Evaluation of the physicochemical quality and antimicrobial performance of amoxicillin and amoxicillin + clavulanic acid discs used in Burkina Faso

Antibiotic discs used in medical analysis laboratories are sourced from multiple manufacturers and suppliers and must meet stringent quality requirements. This study aimed to assess the quality and performance of amoxicillin and amoxicillin + clavulanic acid discs used in Burkina Faso. An evaluation of the use of antibiotic discs was initially conducted in the 20 sentinel laboratories for antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Burkina Faso. Then, various brands of amoxicillin and amoxicillin + clavulanic acid discs samples were collected from medical laboratories and local distributors. Quality control tests (identification and assay) were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography according to the validated method adapted from the USP monograph. The performance of the discs was assessed by testing their efficacy against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 strains. Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 were resistant to 30% of amoxicillin + clavulanic acid discs and to 55.6% of amoxicillin discs collected. In addition, only 22.2% and 45.5% of amoxicillin and amoxicillin + clavulanic acid discs tested met the specifications for amoxicillin contents. No brand of amoxicillin + clavulanic acid discs collected met the specifications for clavulanic acid content. Extending this study to a larger number of antibiotics would enable better documentation of the antibiotic disc quality.

Phytochemical Screening, Polyphenol and Flavonoid Contents, and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of <i>Opilia amentacea</i> Roxb. (Opiliaceae) Extracts

Dermatoses are essentially caused by infection or free radical aggression, immunoallergic disorders, or can be secondary to general diseases. Management of dermatoses by modern medicine is complex and costly, and the development of alternative treatments is urgent. Opilia amentacea Roxb. is a woody climber plant traditionally used in Burkina Faso for treatment of bad skin diseases. This study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of extracts of O. amentacea and to characterize potent fractions. The antimicrobial activity was determined using the disc diffusion and microdilution methods, while antioxidant activity was assessed using the 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The content of the plant extracts in polyphenols and flavonoids was also studied. The results revealed several secondary metabolites in the leaves, stems and root bark extracts of the plant, including sterols, triterpenes, and flavonoids and tannins, and a generally high total polyphenol and total flavonoid content. Dichloromethane fractions of leaves (FDFe) and stem barks (FDET) exhibited the best antioxidant activity and were the most active on Gram-positive bacilli. Hexane leaves (FHFe) and hexane root bark (FHER) fractions exhibited the best antifungal activity against Candida tropicalis. High correlation (R2 = 0.932) was found between the total flavonoid content of extracts and ferric-reducing antioxidant power. In view of these results, the present study describes O. amentacea as a potential source of antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant agents and justifies the traditional uses of the plant as an anti-dermatosis plant