Background: Malaria remains a major cause of febrile illness in Nigeria and interventions to redu... more Background: Malaria remains a major cause of febrile illness in Nigeria and interventions to reduce malaria burden in Nigeria focus on the use of insecticide-treated nets. This study determined the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia and the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) for the control of malaria amongst under-five year old children in Calabar, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 270 under-5 year old children were recruited and structured questionnaires were used to obtain information on the background characteristics of the respondents from their caregivers. Capillary blood samples were collected from each of the patients through finger-pricking and tested for malaria parasites by Rapid Diagnostic Test and microscopy.
Nutrient deficiency in the soil poses enormous challenge to food production globally. The use of ... more Nutrient deficiency in the soil poses enormous challenge to food production globally. The use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer to boost crop yield is a common farming practice, despite its untoward effects and hazard to the environment and human population. This study was aimed at isolating and identifying Rhizobium species from root nodules of Arachis hypogaea L. and Telfairia occidentalis so as to explore and maximize their contributions to soil nitrogen fertilization in place of synthetic fertilizers. A total of ten nodulated healthy plants (five each of Arachis hypogaea L. and Telfairia occidentalis plants) were collected from Ihiala and Ezzamgbo, both in southeast Nigeria and processed using standard microbiological and biochemical techniques. The result revealed ten isolates of Rhizobium species. This shows that Arachis hypogaea L. and Telfairia occidentalis plants contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria, making them capable of self-nitrogen fertilization and valuable in crop rotations.
The rampant multi-drug resistance among human pathogenic microorganisms has necessitated a contin... more The rampant multi-drug resistance among human pathogenic microorganisms has necessitated a continuous search for new and potent antimicrobial substances, especially among plants. Also, the importance of herbal plants as sources of alternative medicine is documented worldwide. In this study, antimicrobial activities of extracts of seven edible mushrooms and two spices (ginger and garlic) against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans from Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA), Ebonyi State, Nigeria were investigated. Antimicrobial components from the mushrooms and spices were extracted with hot water and cold water, ethanol and diethyl ether; the antimicrobial activities were examined by agar well diffusion method. Zones of inhibition were seen mostly in hot water extracts of five mushrooms (Trichaptum sp, Flammulina sp, Boletus sp, Tricholoma sp, and Psalliota campestris) on culture plates inoculated with S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, S. Pyogenes, E. coli and C. albicans at 37 o C within 24hrs. The cold water extracts of the mushroom, P. campestris, gave the highest zone of inhibition of 25.0 mm, followed by 15.0 mm when used against P. aeruginosa. While for spices, the cold water extracts yielded the highest zones of inhibition of 25.0 mm followed by 20.0mm as were observed with ginger. The results obtained have shown clearly that the mushrooms (Trichaptum sp, Tricholoma nudum, Psalliota campestris, Flammulina sp, Boletus sp), garlic (Allium sativum) and ginger (Zingiber officianale) extracts contain phytochemicals with some antimicrobial activities while Cortinarius sp showed no antimicrobial activity. The water extracts of the mushrooms and spices showed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity much more than ethanol and diethyl ether extracts. Generally, hot water extracts of the mushrooms were more potent as antimicrobial agent than either ethanol or cold water extract. It is hereby recommended that these bioactive compounds in mushrooms, ginger and garlic which show antimicrobial activities should be harnessed, patented and circulated as alternative antimicrobials to curb the increasing menace of antimicrobial resistance.
Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli has become increasingly recogn... more Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli has become increasingly recognized as an emerging opportunistic pathogen of clinical importance. A total of 18 isolates comprising of 10 (55.6%) S. aureus, 6 (33.3%) P. aeruginosa and 2 (11.1%) E. coli were recovered from 15 pus samples of wound patients attending Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki I (FETHA I) and Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki II (FETHA II). All the isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar. S. aureus showed the highest susceptibility percentage of 80.0% to ciprofloxacin, followed by 60.0% to augmentin and 50.0% to streptomycin, while the highest resistance percentage was obtained with lincocin (100.0%), followed by ampiclox (80.0%). P. aeruginosa showed the highest susceptibility percentage of 83.3% to ciprofloxacin, followed by 66.6% to streptomycin and gentamycin (66.6%), while the highest resistance percentage was obtained with streptomycin (33.3%) and gentamycin (33.3%). E. coli showed the highest susceptibility percentage to gentamycin and streptomycin with 100% activity. The antibiotics with reasonable resistant profile was observed in 10 isolates (5 S. aureus, 5 P. aeruginosa and 1 E. coli) with isolate code which showed resistance to atleast 5 antibiotics, hence this isolates were subjected to plasmid profile analysis. Only three isolates (S 1 , S 4 and Ec 1) showed the presence of plasmids within the range of 1.8 kbp to 10.4 kbp. Hence antibiotic resistance of an organism does not always confer the presence of plasmid.
Background: Malaria remains a major cause of febrile illness in Nigeria and interventions to redu... more Background: Malaria remains a major cause of febrile illness in Nigeria and interventions to reduce malaria burden in Nigeria focus on the use of insecticide-treated nets. This study determined the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia and the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) for the control of malaria amongst under-five year old children in Calabar, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 270 under-5 year old children were recruited and structured questionnaires were used to obtain information on the background characteristics of the respondents from their caregivers. Capillary blood samples were collected from each of the patients through finger-pricking and tested for malaria parasites by Rapid Diagnostic Test and microscopy.
Nutrient deficiency in the soil poses enormous challenge to food production globally. The use of ... more Nutrient deficiency in the soil poses enormous challenge to food production globally. The use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer to boost crop yield is a common farming practice, despite its untoward effects and hazard to the environment and human population. This study was aimed at isolating and identifying Rhizobium species from root nodules of Arachis hypogaea L. and Telfairia occidentalis so as to explore and maximize their contributions to soil nitrogen fertilization in place of synthetic fertilizers. A total of ten nodulated healthy plants (five each of Arachis hypogaea L. and Telfairia occidentalis plants) were collected from Ihiala and Ezzamgbo, both in southeast Nigeria and processed using standard microbiological and biochemical techniques. The result revealed ten isolates of Rhizobium species. This shows that Arachis hypogaea L. and Telfairia occidentalis plants contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria, making them capable of self-nitrogen fertilization and valuable in crop rotations.
The rampant multi-drug resistance among human pathogenic microorganisms has necessitated a contin... more The rampant multi-drug resistance among human pathogenic microorganisms has necessitated a continuous search for new and potent antimicrobial substances, especially among plants. Also, the importance of herbal plants as sources of alternative medicine is documented worldwide. In this study, antimicrobial activities of extracts of seven edible mushrooms and two spices (ginger and garlic) against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans from Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA), Ebonyi State, Nigeria were investigated. Antimicrobial components from the mushrooms and spices were extracted with hot water and cold water, ethanol and diethyl ether; the antimicrobial activities were examined by agar well diffusion method. Zones of inhibition were seen mostly in hot water extracts of five mushrooms (Trichaptum sp, Flammulina sp, Boletus sp, Tricholoma sp, and Psalliota campestris) on culture plates inoculated with S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, S. Pyogenes, E. coli and C. albicans at 37 o C within 24hrs. The cold water extracts of the mushroom, P. campestris, gave the highest zone of inhibition of 25.0 mm, followed by 15.0 mm when used against P. aeruginosa. While for spices, the cold water extracts yielded the highest zones of inhibition of 25.0 mm followed by 20.0mm as were observed with ginger. The results obtained have shown clearly that the mushrooms (Trichaptum sp, Tricholoma nudum, Psalliota campestris, Flammulina sp, Boletus sp), garlic (Allium sativum) and ginger (Zingiber officianale) extracts contain phytochemicals with some antimicrobial activities while Cortinarius sp showed no antimicrobial activity. The water extracts of the mushrooms and spices showed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity much more than ethanol and diethyl ether extracts. Generally, hot water extracts of the mushrooms were more potent as antimicrobial agent than either ethanol or cold water extract. It is hereby recommended that these bioactive compounds in mushrooms, ginger and garlic which show antimicrobial activities should be harnessed, patented and circulated as alternative antimicrobials to curb the increasing menace of antimicrobial resistance.
Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli has become increasingly recogn... more Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli has become increasingly recognized as an emerging opportunistic pathogen of clinical importance. A total of 18 isolates comprising of 10 (55.6%) S. aureus, 6 (33.3%) P. aeruginosa and 2 (11.1%) E. coli were recovered from 15 pus samples of wound patients attending Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki I (FETHA I) and Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki II (FETHA II). All the isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar. S. aureus showed the highest susceptibility percentage of 80.0% to ciprofloxacin, followed by 60.0% to augmentin and 50.0% to streptomycin, while the highest resistance percentage was obtained with lincocin (100.0%), followed by ampiclox (80.0%). P. aeruginosa showed the highest susceptibility percentage of 83.3% to ciprofloxacin, followed by 66.6% to streptomycin and gentamycin (66.6%), while the highest resistance percentage was obtained with streptomycin (33.3%) and gentamycin (33.3%). E. coli showed the highest susceptibility percentage to gentamycin and streptomycin with 100% activity. The antibiotics with reasonable resistant profile was observed in 10 isolates (5 S. aureus, 5 P. aeruginosa and 1 E. coli) with isolate code which showed resistance to atleast 5 antibiotics, hence this isolates were subjected to plasmid profile analysis. Only three isolates (S 1 , S 4 and Ec 1) showed the presence of plasmids within the range of 1.8 kbp to 10.4 kbp. Hence antibiotic resistance of an organism does not always confer the presence of plasmid.
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