Evaluation of the antibacterial properties of the extracts and fractions of Ipomoea triloba l. (Convolvulaceae) on selected enteric diarrheagenic bacteria

Diarrhoea is a leading killer of young children accounting for approximately 8% of all deaths among children ˂ 5 years worldwide and causes neonatal mortality and hospitalization in geriatrics. Ipomoea triloba L. has been claimed to have antidiarrheal properties. This study evaluated antibacterial properties of the ethanol / aqueous extracts and fractions of I. triloba on diarrheagenic bacteria to validate its use in trado-medical treatment of diarrhoea. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of pulverized I. triloba were prepared by cold maceration and phytochemical screening was performed using standard procedures. Diarrheagenic bacteria were isolated from twenty (20) composite diarrhoeal stool samples by community bioprospecting using appropriate selective and differential media. In vitro antibacterial activity of extracts and fractions of I. triloba was determined by the modified agar-well diffusion technique, while minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was determined by reference standard agar-dilution technique (ADT) after re-incubation of MIC samples at 37o C for 24 h. A total of 74 isolates, belonging to six genera, were identified with their numbers and percentages of occurrence as follows: Escherichia coli, 26 (35.1%), Staphylococcus aureus, 4 (5.4 %), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 9 (12.2%), Shigella dysenteriae, 18 (24.3%), Salmonella typhi, 8 (10.8%) and Vibrio cholera, 9 (12.2%). Flavonoids, saponins, terpenes, carbohydrates and steroids were detected in both extracts. Ethanol extracts (≥30 mm) showed more potent broad-spectrum antibacterial activity than aqueous extract (≥18 mm). The MIC and MBC values ranged from 250 to 500 mg/mL and 500 to 1000 mg/mL respectively, thus establishing a time-dependent bactericidal mode of antibacterial activity. The best antibacterial activity was elicited by dichloromethane fraction. From the study, I. triloba possesses antibacterial potentials and may be exploited in the chemotherapy of bacterial diarrhoea

Role of plasmids in antibiotic resistance in clinical infections and implications for epidemiological surveillance: a review

The global upsurge in antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) is putting immense pressure on healthcare. The spreading of antimicrobial resistance is facilitated by mobile genetic elements, most especially plasmids. The widespread use of antibiotics in clinical and veterinary environments creates selective pressure that drives the evolution of ARB. Plasmids contribute to the propagation of AR in different types of clinical infections. The role plasmids play in this evolution necessitates their utilization in molecular surveillance to detect the emergence of ARB and track the spread of AR plasmids. Recent technologies like replicon typing and whole genome sequencing (WGS) have become the gold standard for molecular epidemiology of plasmids for the detection and control of epidemics in clinical settings. Unfortunately, access to such technologies is limited in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The major aim of this review is to examine the specific contributions of plasmids to the upsurge of AR in clinical settings and elucidate the various replicon types that have been attributed to specific antibiotic-resistant infections in healthcare settings. Healthcare in LMICs should be supported to build capacity in WGS and molecular surveillance to effectively prevent and control AR bacterial infections

Asymptomatic Candiduria among Type 1 and 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: Risk and Sociodemographic Factors, Prevalence, Virulence Markers and Antifungal Susceptibility

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been considered as one of the predisposing factors for candiduria and Candida urinary tract infections. The study determined the socio-demographic characteristics, risk factors of DM patients with asymptomatic candiduria and ascertained the prevalence, virulence factors and antifungal susceptibility of Candida isolated. Socio-demographic and risk factors were obtained via questionnaires. Microscopic, macroscopic and chemical analysis of mid-stream urine (MSU) samples were determined by microbiological method and dipsticks. The characterization, virulence factors, antibiotic susceptibility of Candida isolates were determined by conventional, mycological media and disc diffusion techniques, respectively. Of the 51 MSU samples, ≥ 31.4% were amber and clear in colour, contained yeast cells and leukocytes; between 5.9 to 25.5% had hyaline casts, urobilinogen, epithelial cells, red blood cells, pus cells and nitrite, while the specific gravity was ≥ 1.015. The prevalence of candiduria among subjects with respect to age, types and duration of diabetes, gender, tobacco and alcohol consumption were not significant (p ≥ 0.005). Candida dubliniensis and C. parapsilosis prevalence was highest in subjects with random blood sugar (mg/dL) of ≥ 400 and 300-399, respectively. Of the 39 isolates, 64.1% were Fluconazole sensitive, 10.3% were dose dependent susceptible to Ketoconazole, 74.4% exhibited Voriconazole sensitivity, 100% C. dubliniensis were Clotrimazole sensitive, ≤ 28.6% C. tropicalis and C. glabrata were resistant to Amphotericin B and Itraconazole, while between 23.1% and 71.8% isolates produced hydrolytic enzymes and biofilm. This study revealed the socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors among subjects and the necessity to continuously investigate pathogenic Candida against antifungal agents for effective treatments of asymptomatic candiduria in diabetes mellitus patients