The current upsurge in resistance to conventional antibiotics, as well as high cost of orthodox medical treatment, called for the use of medicinal plants as an alternative therapy. This research was aimed at determining the antibacterial activity of Artocarpus heterophyllus seed extracts (Jackfruit as it is locally called) in the treatment of diarrhoea. Ethanolic and hexanolic seed crude extracts of the plant were screened for antidiarrhoeal activity against bacteria isolated from clinical samples (methicillin-resistant and susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ciprofloxacin-resistant Salmonella typhimurium, and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli). Plant phytochemical screening was conducted using standard methods. The antibacterial activity was carried out using the agar well diffusion method and compared to the standard antibiotics ceftriaxone and vancomycin. The minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by the microbroth dilution method, whereas the minimum bactericidal concentration was determined by plating out from microtitre plates with no visible growth. The results of phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, reducing sugars, cardiac glycosides, saponins, and steroids from the prepared crude extracts. The ethanolic and hexanolic extracts had activity on multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus with the mean and standard error zone of inhibition that ranged from 8.5 ± 0.5 to 16.5 ± 0.25 mm; however, the extracts were found not to have activity on resistant E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium. The ethanolic crude extract had the lowest MIC and MBC values of 31.25 and 125 mg/ml, respectively, compared to the hexane extract which had the MIC and MBC values of 62.50 and 250 mg/ml, respectively. This provides the evidence for its usage as an alternative herbal remedy for the treatment of diarrhoea caused by susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Introduction Superbugs are pathogenic micro-organism and especially a bacterium that has developed resistance to the medications normally used against it. As the superbug family increases, the need for appropriate diagnostic, treatment, prevention and control strategies cannot be over emphasized. Therefore, this work determined the distribution of superbug bacteria among patients on prolonged hospital admissions in three tertiary hospitals of Kano state, Nigeria. Methods A descriptive cross sectional study was undertaken among 401 patients from medical, surgery, orthopedic and burn centre wards in a three tertiary hospitals in Kano state. A sample collected comprises wound/pus, urine, urine catheter and nasal intubation and were analysed using standard microbiological methods for Acinetobacter spp and other related nosocomial bacterial pathogens. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results One hundred and thirty eight (138) isolates were recovered, from the studied participants. More than 80% of the nosocomial infections (NIs) were caused by Gram-negative bacteria, predominantly Escherichia coli, Klebseilla spp, Proteus spp, Pseudomona spp and Acinetobacter spp. In-vitro antibiotic susceptibility test revealed that acinetobacter were 100% resistant to amoxicillin, co-trimoxazole, perfloxacin and imipenem. Conclusion Superbugs (Acinetobacter species) significantly contributed to delayed hospital admissions through observed 100% resistance to used antibiotics. The healthcare managers of these hospitals and the ministry of health need to take measures against this resistant bacteria ( Acinetobacter spp) especially on prescribing antibiotics that showed 100% resistant from these studied hospitals.

Aims: Bidens pilosa is an extraordinary source of phytochemicals particularly flavonoids especially in leaves which have been attributed in various studies due to its antibacterial properties. The present study aimed at addressing bio-burden of chronic wound through proving a possible source of new antimicrobial product for wound healing. Methodology: Solvent-solvent extraction method was used to isolate crude flavonoid fraction from leaves of B.  pilosa using ether, chloroform, ethylacetate and methanol (1:1:1). Thin-layer chromatography was used to identify crude flavonoid fraction using methanol/n-hexane (1:2: v/v) as mobile phase solvents. Agar well diffusion method was used to determine anti-bacterial activity of crude flavonoid against bacterial pathogens: Susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC®27853™, resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa susceptible Staphylococcus aureus ATCC®25923™, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum bactericidal contrition (MBC) were also determined using broth dilution and culture methods. Results: Thin-layer chromatographic profiling revealed an identity of three different spots with flavonoids from B. pilosa leaves showing three bands with Rf values 0.51, 0.60 and 0.63. The mean and standard deviation zone of inhibition of crude flavonoids ranged from 11.50±0.50 mm to 17.50±1.50 mm. The mean and standard deviation of positive controls (Ciproflaxacin, Co-Amoxiclay and Voncomycin) ranged from 0.00±0.00 to 22.50±0.50 mm. MIC and MBC of crude flavonoids ranged from 12.5-25.0 mg/mL and 50 to 200 mg/mL respectively. The flavonoid fraction was more effective against gram positive bacteria than on gram negative bacteria and it exhibited bactericidal effect on Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, resistant P. aureginosa, sensitive P.aureginosa and S. pneumonia. Conclusion: B. pilosa leaves could be a potential source for future drug development from flavonoid to address the issue of need for new antibiotics due to alarming burden of antimicrobial resistance in last resort antibiotics.

Due to the increasing rates of multidrug resistance (MDR) among the Enterobacteriaceae that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs), selection of antimicrobial agents for empirical therapy is becoming a major challenge. This study determined the antimicrobial resistance profiles, multidrug resistance profiles, multiple antibiotic resistance indices (MARI), factors associated with MDR UTIs and the phylogenetic groups of MDR Escherichia coli strains isolated from the urinary tract among patients attending hospitals in Bushenyi District, Uganda. In this crosssectional study, a total of 86 bacterial uropathogens isolated from 267 study participants suspected to have UTIs were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests using the Kirby Bauer Disk diffusion method. Data for the factors associated with MDR were obtained by the use of questionnaires. Phylogenetic groups of the MDR E. coli were determined using the new Clermont method for phylotyping E. coli. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression statistical tools were used to determine phylogenetic groups, and assess for statistically significant relationship between MDR UTIs and factors suspected to be associated with MDR UTIs respectively. The isolates assigned as group B2 9/12 (75.0%), B1 2/5 (40.0%) and A 2/7 (28.6%) by using the old Clermont method could not be phylotyped using the new Clermont method and were grouped as non-typeable strains of E. coli. Our study demonstrated high prevalence of the non-typeable strains of MDR E. coli, we therefore recommend the use of modern DNA sequencing-based approaches which is the gold standard for genotyping bacteria, that this current study could not afford.