A chemotaxonomic approach to the alkane content of three species of Anthocleista Afzel. (Loganiaceae)

The chemotaxonomic significance of leaf wax n-alkanes was studied in three species of Anthocleista Afzel. Identification of alkane components were determined by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) data. In all, fourteen alkanes were identified, ranging from tetracosane (C24H50) to heptriacontane (C37H76). Tetracosane, pentacosane and heptriacontane were the major components in all the three species of Anthocleista. A. djalonensis and A. vogelii were characterized by high percentages of tetracosane (28.81 and 39.14%, respectively), whereas in A.nobilis heptriacontane (C37H76) was the major component being 24.76%. Significant correlation between A. djalonensis and A. vogelii (r = 0.884 and p = 0.000) at 0.01 implies a probable closeness between these species. However, the result obtained in this study provides further evidence of chemotaxonomic significance

Quinolone Resistance in Bacterial Isolates from Chicken Carcasses in Abeokuta, Nigeria: A Retrospective Study from 2005-2011

Quinolone resistance in bacteria from food animals is now globally recognized as a serious veterinary and public health problem. To determine the rate of quinolone resistance in pathogenic bacteria isolated from samples from dead chickens submitted for microbiological examination, a six-year retrospective study (April, 2005 – March, 2011) was carried out. Data from records of bacteriological investigations at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Nigeria were evaluated. Two hundred bacterial isolates including Escherichia coli (95; 47.5%), Salmonella serotypes (78; 38.0%), Klebsiella (17; 8.5%) and Staphylococcus aureus (12; 6.0%) were isolated from chicken carcasses within the six-year period. On the overall, the isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin (40.5%), enrofloxacin (21.0%), nalidixic acid (9.5%) and norfloxacin (44.0%). Overall, resistance to quinolones (except nalidixic acid) was highest in S. aureus (ciprofloxacin, 58.3%; enrofloxacin, 33.3%; and norfloxacin, 83.3%) followed by Klebsiella spp (ciprofloxacin, 41.2%; enrofloxacin, 29.4%; and norfloxacin, 64.7%), E. coli (ciprofloxacin, 40.0%; enrofloxacin, 23.2%; and norfloxacin, 41.1%) and least in Salmonella (ciprofloxacin, 38.6%; enrofloxacin,14.5%; and norfloxacin, 36.8%). However, resistance to nalidixic acid was highest in Klebsiella spp (23.5%) followed by S. aureus (16.7%), E. coli (9.5%) and least in Salmonella (5.3%). There was a general decline in quinolone resistance in the last three years (2009-2011) of this investigation. Quinolone resistance in avian pathogenic bacteria could lead to increase in economic loss from bacterial infection and refractory to treatment. Their possible transmission to humans is of public health significance.Keywords: Bacterial isolates, Commercial poultry chickens,QuinoloneresistanceNigerian Veterinary Journal, VOL:33 (2) 483-49

Micropropagation and Evaluation of Phenolic Content, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Vernonia cinerea (Linn.) Less

Vernonia cinerea, belonging to the family Asteraceae, is of wide medicinal application. This study investigated the antimicrobial, antioxidant activities and the total phenolic contents of wild plant of Vernonia cinerea with its respective shoot cultures.Nodal explants of V. cinerea were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various combinations of BAP (0.5-2.5 mg/L) and NAA (0.1-0.5 mg/L) including various concentrations of Gibberllic acid for subculturing. The antimicrobial activity of plant extracts was tested using agar well diffusion and macrodilution methods for zone of inhibition (ZI), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC).The free radical scavenging test was conducted using 2,2, diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) reagent while total phenolic contents (TPC) were measured by Folin–Ciocalteau reagent. Maximum shoot proliferation of 11.42 ± 2.26 cm was obtained from MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L BAP + 0.1 mg/L NAA. All extracts displayed moderate antimicrobial potential against the tested pathogens in the range of 9.0-13.1 mm ZI, with highest MIC of 0.78 mg/mL and 1.56 mg/mL fromMPE and WPE, respectively.The IC50 values of 4.49 and 5.10 μg/mL was obtained in WPE and MPE. The MPE had TPC of 6.66 ± 0.83 mg GAE/g compared to the WPE with TPC of 5.43 ± 1.31 mg GAE/g. The crude methanol extracts of wild and micropropagated plants of V. Cinerea showed high amounts of phenolic compounds, which could present them as candidates for future search for antimicrobial and antioxidant agents for different ailments.Keywords: Micropropagation, Antioxidant, DPPH, Phenolic Compound, Vernonia cinere

Antiulcer Activities of Securidaca longepedunculata Fres. (Polygalaceae) and Luffa cylindrica Linn. (Cucurbitaceae) in Wistar Rats

Securidaca longepedunculata (SL) and Luffa cylindrica (LC) are medicinal plants commonly used in combination with other recipes in the treatment of many ailments in traditional medicine among the Yoruba ethnic group in Nigeria. In our recent survey, the two plants were among the most frequently mentioned plants for the treatment of gastric ulcer in Ado Odo local government area of Ogun state, Nigeria. This study was designed to examine whether the leaf extracts (methanol, ethylacetate and hexane extracts) of SL and LC possess antiulcer effect in rats. The antiulcer effects of the extracts were assessed using ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model of ulceration in rats. The vehicle, test drug or plant extracts were administered 50 min prior to ulcerogenic procedure. Ulceration was induced in animals with 1 mL absolute ethanol one hour before being sacrificed. Ulcer index, protein content and lipid peroxidation activity of the gastric tissues were determined. The standard antiulcer drug, Cimetidine (50 mg/kg b.w), used as negative control, has percentage protection of 59.4% and the methanol (150 and 300 mg/kg b.w), ethylacetate (150 and 300 mg/kg b.w) and hexane (150 and 300 mg/kg b.w) extracts of SL showed (68.8% and 78.1%) , (93.8% and 87.5%) and (71.9% and 75.0%), protection, respectively. Similarly, the 150 mg/kg b.w ethyl acetate extract of LC gave 78.1% inhibition while the 300 mg/kg ethyl acetate extract revealed 87.5% protection. Further, investigation showed that the extracts increased the protein content in the gastric tissues which suggests an ability to stimulate tissue regeneration. Lipid peroxidation levels were significantly (p<0.05) lowered in the pretreated groups. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that the leaf extracts of SL and LCare possible potent gastro protective and antiulcer agents against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer thus providing evidences that may justify their ethno medicinal uses as antiulcer agentsKeywords: Securidaca longepedunculata, Luffa cylindrica, Ethanol-induced, Ulceration, Gastro Protectiv

Acute Respiratory Disease Associated with Mannheimia Haemolytica Infection in a Herd of West African Dwarf Sheep

An acute severe fibrinonecrotic bronchopneumonia suggestive of Mannheimia haemolytica infection was diagnosed histopathologically in West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep submitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. Mannheimia spp was isolated from the nasal swab and lymph node and lung samples of the affected sheep. The isolated organism was found to have cultural, morphological and biochemical properties consistent with those of Mannheimia haemolytica biotype A. The organism was resistance to ampicilin, streptomycin, gentamcycin, oxytetracyclin and trimethoprim in agar disc diffusion method. It was however sensitive to furazolidone, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin. The present finding is consistent with the view that M. haemolytica may occur in a proportion of small ruminants that exhibit respiratory problem. It is therefore suggested that in the present natural outbreak, climatic condition, environmental and/or transportation stress could have resulted in the break down of the defense barrier of the sheep resulting in eventual susceptibility to infection by Mannheimia haemolytica.Une bronchopneumonie fibrinonécrotique aiguë sévère, évocatrice d’une infection à Mannheimia haemolytica, a été diagnostiquée par examen histopathologique chez des moutons nains d’Afrique de l’Ouest (WAD: West African Dwarf) soumis à l’Hôpital d’enseignement vétérinaire (VTH) de l’Université d’Agriculture d’Abeokuta au Nigeria. Mannheimia spp a été isolée dans des écouvillons nasaux et des ganglions lymphatiques et des échantillons pulmonaires des moutons affectés. On a découvert que l’organisme isolé avait des spécificités de culture et des caractéristiques morphologiques et biochimiques correspondant à celles de Mannheimia haemolytica biotype A. L’organisme a montré une résistance à l’ampicilline, à la streptomycine, à la gentamcycine, à l’oxytétracycline et au triméthoprime dans la méthode de diffusion en gélose. Cependant, l’organisme a montré une sensibilité à la furazolidone, à la ciprofloxacine et à la norfloxacine. Le présent résultat concorde avec l’opinion selon laquelle M. haemolytica peut être présente dans une proportion de petits ruminants ayant un problème respiratoire. Il est donc sous-entendu que, dans les épidémies actuelles survenant naturellement, les conditions climatiques, le stress environnemental et / ou le stress du transport ont probablement été à l’origine de la dégradation de la barrière de défense des moutons, avec comme conséquence une sensibilité éventuelle à l’infection par Mannheimia haemolytica.Mots-clés: Pathologie des organes; Mannheimia haemolytica biotype A; Bronchopneumonie fibrinonécrotique aiguë; Moutons nains d’Afrique de l’Oues