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Purpose: Biosurfactants are applied in drug formulations to improve drug solubility and in some cases, treat diseases. This study is focused on generating, extracting, purifying and then characterizing biosurfactants from bacterial isolates of palm oil wastes and abattoir soil origins. Methods: Eight bacteria were isolated from the soil and sludge samples, out of which four (50%) were found to produce biosurfactants. Bacillus subtilis (37.5%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (50%) were isolated and identified from these samples using mineral salt medium, nutrient agar and Cetrimide agar. Mutant isolates of B. subtilis BS3 and P. aeruginosa PS2 were used to produce biosurfactants using mineral salt medium as enrichment medium and extraction was done using membrane filter. Results: The mutant strains B. subtilis BS3 and P. aeruginosa PS2 generated biosurfactants that displayed significant solubility and dissolution properties by enhancing the percentage solubility of piroxicam to 62.86 and 54.29% respectively, and achieved 51.71 and 48.71% dissolution of the drug in 0.1N HCl. Conclusion: From the results obtained, the produced biosurfactants could serve as a better alternative to conventional surfactants. Notably, the study indicated that the biosurfactant produced by mutant strain of B. subtilis produced more potent activities (surface tension reduction ability, high emulsification) than those of P. aeruginosa.
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AIM: This study tries to prospect for new antimicrobial agents using some Nigerian plants Background: Antimicrobial compounds from fungi endophytes have shown great promise in mitigating the threats of resistant pathogens. OBJECTIVE: The study evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial property of secondary metabolites of endophytic fungi isolated from Newbouldia laevis and Cassia tora leaves. METHODS: Ten endophytic fungi were isolated from the two plants' leaves and later fermented on local rice for 21 days. Thereafter, their secondary metabolites were extracted using ethyl acetate. The antibacterial activity of the extracts on the test organisms were determined using agar diffusion and agar dilution methods, while the bioactive constituents were identified using High performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detector. RESULTS: Nine of the crude extracts (NL1, NL3, NL6, NL10, NL12, CT2, CT7, CT9 and CT10) of the fungi isolates inhibited at least one of the microorganisms studied with maximum and minimum Inhibition-Zone-Diameter of 14 mm and 2 mm respectively while CT1 did not inhibit any of the tested microorganisms at tested concentrations. The extracts exhibited good antifungal activity, inhibiting the growth of both C. albicans and Trichophyton tested with an InhibitionZone-Diameter ranging between 4-8 mm and 7-14 mm respectively. The endophytic fungi extracts- CT2 and NL1- exhibited the best antimicrobial activity, inhibiting most of the tested microorganisms. HPLC-DAD analysis of the endophytic fungal extracts identified some classes of compounds such as catechin derivatives, benzoic acid derivatives and apigenin, which were previously reported to have antimicrobial potentials. CONCLUSION: Newbouldia laevis and Cassia tora leaves house endophytic fungi capable of yielding secondary metabolites with potential as anti-infective agents.
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The emergence and spread of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is seriously posing threats in effective healthcare delivery. The aim of this study was to ascertain the emergence of CRE at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH) Awka. Biological samples were collected from 153 consenting patient from 5 clinics in the hospital. The isolates were identified using standard microbiological protocols. Susceptibility to meropenem was done using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Mueller Hinton Agar. A total of 153 patients were recruited in this study. About one half of those from rural, 63.64% from Sub-urban and 42.27% from urban areas had significant E. coli and Klebsiella spp infections. The male: female ratio of the Enterobacteriaceae infection was 1:1. Almost as much inpatient as outpatient study participants had the infections. The infections were observed mostly on participants with lower educational status. The unmarried individuals were most infected compared to their married counterparts. Enterobacteriaceae infection rate was 50.98%. Of this, 28.21% had CRE infection while the overall prevalence of the CRE in the studied population was 14.38% (22/153). This study shows that CRE is quickly emerging in both community and hospital environments. Klebsiella spp was the most common CRE in this hospital especially Klebsiella oxytoca. Hospitalization was a strong risk factor in the CRE infections. Rapid and accurate detection is critical for their effective management and control.
