The indiscriminate use of antibiotics by individuals as well as in food production has been tagged one of the major reasons for the spread of antibiotic resistance in pathogens. Thus, there is a concern that foodborne bacteria may act as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes when distributed in large doses with food. This study aimed at determining the antibiotic susceptibility, plasmid isolation and curing of foodborne bacteria isolated from ready to eat (RTE) foods and salads in eating centers at the Benson Idahosa University, Benin City. Isolates were Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp., Micrococcus sp. and Salmonella sp with S. aureus occurring most frequently. Total resistance to cefuroxime and augmentin as well as considerable resistance to ceftazidime and cefixime were observed in all isolates in antimicrobial susceptibility tests were done on Mueller-Hinton agar. Relative sensitivity to gentamicin, ofloxacin, nitrofurantoin and ciprofloxacin were observed. Plasmid profiling indicated that all isolates possess plasmids ranging from 100 bp to 1 kbp. Plasmid curing using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) improved the sensitivity of isolates to antibiotics they were previously sensitive to but most isolates remained resistance to ceftazidime, cefuroxime, cefixime, and augmentin. This study shows that foodborne bacteria can possess and possibly transfer persistent antibiotic resistance plasmids thus calling for more caution in the use of antibiotics in food production and reduced antibiotics abuse. Further research is currently ongoing to cure the isolates of all plasmids and to elucidate how these plasmids are being transferred.

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Plants have been used worldwide for the treatment of various human ailments for centuries. 1 Their use is still quite prevalent, especially in developing countries in the form of traditional medicine. 2 Extensive chemical and antimicrobial studies on several medicinal plants during the last decades have led to the validation of traditional claims in many cases and have facilitated the identification of their active components. 3 Medicinal plants are the richest source of natural antimicrobial agents. 4,5 Traditional healer's claim that some plants are more efficient to treat infectious diseases than synthetic antibiotics. From ancient times, different parts of plants have been used to cure specific ailments. The plants are widely used because of their availability and cost-effectiveness. 6,7 "Aju Mbaise" is a very popular decoction native to the Igbo people of SouthEast Nigeria, which is used in treating a variety of conditions and diseases. Traditionally it is believed to be a strong remedy for weight loss, ovarian cyst, diabetes, irregular menstrual cycle, and eczema. It is a combination of leaves and stem of various plants, tied together with twine and administered after boiling as tea or soup. 8 According to Ogueke et al, 8 the plants that makeup Aju Mbaise are Jatropha curcas (Barbados nut, purging nut), Cnestis ferruginea, Combretum racemosum (Bushwillow tree), Chrysophyllum albidum

Many strains of E. coli have been identified as food borne pathogens inducing serious gastrointestinal diseases and even causing death in humans. Amongst these are those referred to as Shiga or Vero toxin producing E. coli. Bobozi is an Indigenous Nigerian ready to eat snack food made from cassava and is widely consumed in most parts of the country. The objective of this study was to Isolate and Identify E. coli from Bobozi, analyze their Shiga toxin (stx) gene profile and thereafter determine their verotoxin capabilities. A total of 248 samples of Bobozi were purchased from hawkers in the metropolis of Benin City, Edo state, Nigeria. Isolation and Identification was done using standard microbiological methods. Analysis for the presence of Shiga toxin (stx1 and stx2) genes was done using PCR technique and for their verotoxigenic potentials using tissue culture assay on Vero cells. Result of the investigation reveals that of the total 248 samples collected, 107(43.15%) had E. coli isolated from them. Total number of E. coli isolated from the 107 samples was 386.Shiga toxin gene analysis of the isolates reveal that 169(43.78%) had stx1 gene alone, 112 (29.02%) had stx2 gene alone, 3(0.78%) had both stx 1 and stx 2 genes while 102 (26.42%) had none of the two genes. Tissue culture assay on Vero cells indicate that there is a strong relationship between the presence of stx genes and their degree of cytotoxic effect on vero cells as over 80% isolates without the genes exhibited weak cytotoxic effect whereas over 80% of those with the genes exhibited more than strong cytotoxic effect.

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