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The emergence of antimicrobial resistance, coupled with the availability of fewer antifungal agents with fungicidal actions, prompted this present study to characterize Candida species in our environment and determine the effectiveness of virgin coconut oil as an antifungal agent on these species. In 2004, 52 recent isolates of Candida species were obtained from clinical specimens sent to the Medical Microbiology Laboratory, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Their susceptibilities to virgin coconut oil and fluconazole were studied by using the agar-well diffusion technique. Candida albicans was the most common isolate from clinical specimens (17); others were Candida glabrata (nine), Candida tropicalis (seven), Candida parapsilosis (seven), Candida stellatoidea (six), and Candida krusei (six). C. albicans had the highest susceptibility to coconut oil (100%), with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 25% (1:4 dilution), while fluconazole had 100% susceptibility at an MIC of 64 microg/mL (1:2 dilution). C. krusei showed the highest resistance to coconut oil with an MIC of 100% (undiluted), while fluconazole had an MIC of > 128 microg/mL. It is noteworthy that coconut oil was active against species of Candida at 100% concentration compared to fluconazole. Coconut oil should be used in the treatment of fungal infections in view of emerging drug-resistant Candida species.

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Introduction: Production of beta-lactamases is the predominant cause of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in Gram-negative bacteria. We investigated the diversity of plasmid-borne beta-lactamase genes and replicon type of the plasmids carrying the respective genes in Gramnegative bacteria recovered from clinical infection in Nigerian hospitals. Methodology: A total of 134 Gram-negative bacteria of 13 species were analyzed for antimicrobial susceptibility, phenotypic and genotypic detection of various beta-lactamases, and plasmid analysis, including replicon typing. Results: Of the 134 isolates, 111 (82.8%) contained beta-lactamases, while 28 (20.9%) carried extended-spectrum beta-lactamases. PCR and sequencing identified TEM-1 in 109 isolates (81.3%), SHV-1 in 33 isolates (24.6%), OXA-1 in 15 isolates (11.2%) and CTX-M enzymes (24 CTX-M-15 and 1 CTX-M-3) in 25 isolates (18.7%). Multiplex PCR showed that 6 isolates carried plasmidic AmpCs (ACT-1, DHA-1 and CMY-2); these enzymes were detected only in isolates possessing CTX-M beta-lactamases. Of 13 (76.9%) representative plasmids investigated in detail, 9 (69.2%) were self-transferable when selected by a beta-lactam and the plasmids once transferred coded for betalactam resistance. Replicon typing indicated IncF as the common vector encoding for beta-lactamases. Conclusions: The study showed a diversity of beta-lactamase genes disseminated by conjugative IncF plasmids in Gram-negative bacteria; TEM-1, SHV-1, OXA-1, CTX-M-15, CTX-M-3and plasmidic AmpC enzymes are in common circulation in Nigeria.

This study further confirms high level resistance to many antimicrobials in different species of Gram-negative bacteria including fluoroquinolones and spread of PMQR genes in Southern Nigeria.