Antibacterial Effect of Some Plant Extracts on Selected Enterobacteriaceae

Vernonia amygdalina (Bitterleaf), Eucalyptus citriodora (Eucalypt) and Phyllanthus amarus (Schum) were investigated for their antibacterial properties against pure cultures of clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp. The isolates were obtained from dept of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. Water and Ethanol were used in the crude extractions of the active constituents of the plants. Broth dilution and Agar diffusion methods were used in determining the antibacterial effects of the different plant extracts on the test organisms. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the water extracts on the test organisms was 50 mg/ml while that of the ethanolic extract ranged between 6.25 - 50 mg/ml. Similarly the diameters of zones of inhibition of the plant extracts at concentration of 100 mg/ml ranged between 3.0-14.0 mm and 3.0-18.0 mm for the water and ethanolic extracts respectively on the test organisms. Water extracts of vernonia amygdalina (Bitterleaf) and Schum (Phyllanthus amarus) were not effective on majority of the test organisms. Klebsiella sp. was not inhibited by the water extracts at the test concentrations. The Ethanolic extracts of Eucalyptus citriodora (Eucalypt) were most effective on all the test organisms. The least and the most susceptible organisms to the extracts were Shigella sp. and E. coli respectively. The results of this study suggest the possibility of using the ethanolic extracts of these plants in treating diseases caused by the test organisms

Concurrent use of prescription drugs and herbal medicinal products in older adults: a systematic review protocol

Background: There has been a global increase in the use of herbal medicinal products (HMPs). About a quarter of UK adults use HMPs, bought over the counter by self-prescription and often not disclosed to healthcare professionals. Potential herb-drug interaction is a clinical concern, with older people at greater risk because of co-morbidities and slower clearance of pharmacologically active compounds. While there is a good understanding of general herbal medicine use by older people, less is known about the extent and implications of concurrent use with prescription medicines. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the prevalence, patterns, safety issues and other factors associated with concurrent prescription and herbal medicines use among older adults. Methods/design: Systematic electronic searches of MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Web of Science and Cochrane from inception till present for studies reporting the concurrent use of prescription medicines with HMPs in older adults (≥65 years). Lateral searching via related citation (PubMed) and checking reference lists of identified studies will be performed. Two reviewers will independently screen studies, extract data and appraise methodological quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for prevalence data and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Qualitative and quantitative studies from all settings will be included. Non-empirical papers, in vitro experiments and animal studies will be excluded. Primary outcomes are prevalence and patterns of concurrent use, number and types of prescription and HMPs and adverse reactions reported. Secondary outcomes are disclosure of HMP use to healthcare professionals and cost of HMPs. A narrative synthesis of included studies will be performed to summarise the evidence. Discussion: This review will synthesise and critically appraise current knowledge on the concurrent use of drugs and HMPs by older adults and thus provide a better understanding of the issue. It will also identify any gaps in knowledge. By establishing safety issues associated with concurrent use, it will also inform strategies that can help practitioners to identify and manage older people at potential risk of herb-drug interactions. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD4201400909

Tradomedical Values of Cotton Leaf Plus Lemon Juice Against Clinical Bacterial Isolates

The antibacterial activity of the water and ethanolic extracts of cotton leaf (Gossypium spp.) plus lemon juice (Citrus limon) were tested against pure clinical isolates of Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., E. coli and Klebsiella sp. Cotton leaf is normally used in conjunction with lemon juice by the local populace in Nigeria for the treatment of enteric infections. Decoction method was used for the extraction of the active components from the plant in order to simulate the traditional method of extraction. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and the diameters of zones of inhibition were determined by broth dilution and Agar diffusion methods respectively. The ethanolic extracts are more effective than the water extracts on the test organisms. The MIC of the water and ethanolic extracts ranged between 1.25 -5.0 w/v on the test organisms. Similarly, the average diameter of zones of inhibition of the water extracts on the test organisms ranged between 3.0 to 13.0mm while that of the ethanolic extracts ranged between 12.0 to 21.0mm. The results of this study showed that E. coli was the most susceptible followed by Klebsiella sp., then Salmonella sp., and finally Shigella sp. at the concentrations used for both water and ethanolic extracts. This observation thereby justifies the traditional uses of these plant extracts among the Nigerian local populace for the treatment of some enteric infections such as dysentery and diarrhoea

Antibacterial effect of Ocimum gratissimum against bacteria from paediatric diarrhoeal stool samples in the tropics

The upsurge in the prevalence of side effects of many synthetic antimicrobial agents and incidence of multidrug resistant bacteria has spurred scientists on the research for plant based antimicrobial of therapeutic potentials. Ocimum gratissimum presents such potential of high medicinal value. This plant is used in Nigeria traditionally as condiments and for the treatment of various ailments such as pyorrhea, dysentery and bronchitis. Aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of O. gratissimum was screened for antibacterial activity against bacteria recovered from paediatric diarrhoea stool samples. Both extracts were found to exhibit selective inhibition against the isolates. The diameter zones of inhibition exhibited by the extracts were between 2.50±0.50mm – 26.00±1.00mm. The ethanolic and aqueous extracts had minimum inhibitory concentrations that ranged between 15 and 25mg/ml, the extracts were bacteriostatic. Ethanolic extract showed more inhibitory effects compared to the aqueous extracts. The phytochemical analysis of both extracts revealed the presence of saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, tannins and glycosides, volatile oils, proteins and amino acids and terpernoids. In view of the efficacy of these extracts in inhibiting the growth of diarrhoea- causing organisms in paediatric stool samples, the utilization of the extracts in the formulation of new antibacterial drugs for the treatment of gastroenteritis caused by these organisms is strongly recommended especially when the availability and low cost of this medicinal plant are put into strong consideration.Keywords: Ocimum, diarrhoea, paediatric, stool, antibacteria

Optimization of amylase produced from bacteria isolated from cassava peel dumpsite using submerged fermentation

The present investigation aimed at optimizing amylase production from amylolytic bacteria isolated from cassava peel dumpsite using submerged fermentation. Amylase production was carried out with four fermentation media designated as I, II, III and IV using all the bacteria isolated under static and non-static incubation condition for 24 h, at 37oC and pH 7. Fermentation conditions were optimized by varying the following parameters: pH (5-9), inoculum size (0.5-4.0%v/v), temperature (27-75ºC), substrate concentration of maize flour (medium I) (0.5-4.0 % w/v), starch concentration of medium III (0.5-4% w/v), incubation time (18-72 h), effect of carbon source on medium III (basal medium). The highest enzyme activity was exhibited by Enterobacter hormaechei SR3 and Bacillus cereus MR1. The effect of different media and the incubation condition on the amylase production were found to be significant (P˂ 0.05). Amylase production was found optimum at; pH of 7 and 8, and temperature of 50OC and 60OC, for a period of 48 and 72 h of incubation, 2.0 and 3.0 %w/v concentration of maize flour and starch respectively. Maximum enzyme produced in maize flour by Bacillus cereus MR1 was 2.668 ±0.003U/mL/min and 2.718±0.001 U/mL/min by Enterobacter hormaechei SR3 in basal medium III. The results showed that maize flour is a good substrate for amylase production and enzymes produced by this study can be used for industrial purposes

Optimization of bacteria pectinolytic enzyme production using banana peel as substrate under submerged fermentation

The investigation was based on optimizing the cultural conditions of bacteria pectinolytic enzymes indigenous to soil of banana peel dump site. Optimization of cultural conditions was carried out by changing the physico-chemical environment such as pH, temperature, inocula size and substrate concentration of the production medium by testing for one factor at a time. Highest pectinase activity was observed at pH 6.0 which gave 1.455±0.095 U/mL and 1.695±0.01 U/mL for Bacillus subtilis TYg4-3 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SW106 respectively. The optimized temperature for better yield was obtained at 370C with 0.955±0.006 U/mL for Bacillus subtilis TYg4-3 and 1.098±0.012 U/mL for Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SW106. Lactose yielded 1.655±0.046 U/mL and NH4Cl 1.603±0.005 U/mL activity for Bacillus subtilis TYg4-3, while maltose yielded 1.343±0.062 U/mL and KNO3 1.075±0.077 U/mL activity for Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SW106. Bacillus subtilis TYg4-3 produced best at 72 h of incubation giving 1.275±0.006 U/mL and at 36 h incubation for Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SW106 giving 1.345±0.033 U/mL activity. Bacillus subtilis TYg4-3 yielded 2.083±0.008 U/mL and 2.015±0.036 U/mL at 1.5% and 2.0% of inoculum size and substrate concentration respectively. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SW106 produced best enzyme activity at 2.0% of inoculum and substrate concentration and gave 2.193±0.175 U/mL and 2.256±0.067 U/mL enzyme activities respectively

Psychiatric morbidity in a Nigerian neurology clinic

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and nature of psychiatric morbidity among patients attending a neurology outpatient clinic.Design: A two-stage screening procedure with General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) was used to assess psychological disorders over a one year period. Psychiatric diagnosis was based on ICD-10 criteria.Setting: University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin- NigeriaSubjects: Two hundred and thirty-five (235) patients aged 18 years and above attending the neurology outpatient clinic.Results: Overall prevalence of psychiatric morbidity was 26.0% (61/235). The most frequent diagnoses were depression (14.9%), generalised anxiety disorder (5.5%), dementia (2.6%) and substance use disorder (1.3%). Significantly more patients with stroke had psychiatric morbidity.Conclusion: The study supports previous reports that psychiatric disorders are quite common among patients with neurological disorders. Efforts should, therefore, be directed at identifying and treating neurological patients with psychiatric morbidity since this will ensure improved outcome. In this regard, mental health professionals would need to provide liaison services for the neurologists and train them in the use of simple screening instruments for detecting associated psychiatric disorders with appropriate referral where necessary

Concurrent use of prescription drugs and herbal medicinal products in older adults: A systematic review

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.The use of herbal medicinal products (HMPs) is common among older adults. However, little is known about concurrent use with prescription drugs as well as the potential interactions associated with such combinations. Objective Identify and evaluate the literature on concurrent prescription and HMPs use among older adults to assess prevalence, patterns, potential interactions and factors associated with this use. Methods Systematic searches in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, Web of Science and Cochrane from inception to May 2017 for studies reporting concurrent use of prescription medicines with HMPs in adults (≥65 years). Quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. The Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre) three stage approach to mixed method research was used to synthesise data. Results Twenty-two studies were included. A definition of HMPs or what was considered HMP was frequently missing. Prevalence of concurrent use by older adults varied widely between 5.3% and 88.3%. Prescription medicines most combined with HMPs were antihypertensive drugs, beta blockers, diuretics, antihyperlipidemic agents, anticoagulants, analgesics, antihistamines, antidiabetics, antidepressants and statins. The HMPs most frequently used were: ginkgo, garlic, ginseng, St John’s wort, Echinacea, saw palmetto, evening primrose oil and ginger. Potential risks of bleeding due to use of ginkgo, garlic or ginseng with aspirin or warfarin was the most reported herb-drug interaction. Some data suggests being female, a lower household income and less than high school education were associated with concurrent use. Conclusion Prevalence of concurrent prescription drugs and HMPs use among older adults is substantial and potential interactions have been reported. Knowledge of the extent and manner in which older adults combine prescription drugs will aid healthcare professionals can appropriately identify and manage patients at risk.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Genetic, environmental and stochastic factors in monozygotic twin discordance with a focus on epigenetic differences

PMCID: PMC3566971This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited