The pharmaceutical industry is an essential element of health care system all over the globe, in as much as discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals for human health is of paramount importance. This research was conducted to evaluate the microbiological quality of syrups and water used in pharmaceutical industries selected in Kano State, Nigeria. The selected industries are coded as: Industry A and B. Parameters such as aerobic mesophilic bacterial and fungal count, coliform count and identifications were carried out. Data obtained from the study showed that all the syrup sampled were bacteriologically safe. All plate count of syrups did not exceed the United States Pharmacopoeia acceptable criteria, negative for Salmonella, Shigella, Pseudomonas, and Escherichia coli. The levels of coliform contamination in all the analyzed samples (water and syrup) were within the acceptable limit of Most Probable Number (MPN) £10. Analyzed water samples also did not exceed the World Health Organization suggested microbial limit for facility water except one which gave 2 1.2 × 10 , but yet, within the limit for alert. Objectionable organisms were as well not detected except Alcaligenes faecalis and Providencia sp. Fungi isolated from this study includes Aspergillus niger, A. amstelodami, Mucor racmosios, Penicillium spinulosum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It can be concluded that the microbial limit of the industries assessed are within the limit stipulated by pharmacopoeia.

Background: Carbapenems are drugs of last resort and resistance to them is considered a great public health threat, especially in notorious nosocomial pathogens like Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa infections in Sub Saharan Africa. Methods: Databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and African Journal Online) were systematically searched following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and meta analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2020 statements for articles reporting carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) prevalence between 2012 and 2022. Pooled prevalence was determined with the random effect model in R. Results: A total of 47 articles were scanned for eligibility, among which 25 (14 for carbapenem-resistant A. baumanii and 11 for carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa) were included in the study after fulfilling the eligibility criteria. The pooled prevalence of CRPA in the present study was estimated at 8% (95% CI; 0.02 to 0.17; I2=98%; P <0.01). There was high heterogeneity (Q=591.71, I2=98.9%; P<0.0001). The pooled prevalence of CRAB in the present study was estimated at 20% (95% CI; 0.04 to 0.43; I2=99%; P <0.01). There was high heterogeneity (Q=1452.57, I2=99%; P<0.0001). Carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii prevalence based on sample source gave estimates of 24% (95% CI; 6 to 49; I2=99%; P<0.01). The carbapenamse genes commonly isolated from A. baumanii in this study include blaOXA23, blaOXA48, blaGES., blaNDM, blaVIM, , blaOXA24, blaOXA58, blaOXA51, blaSIM-1, blaOXA40, blaOXA66, blaOXA69, blaOXA91, with blaOXA23 and blaVIM being the most common. On the other hand, blaNDM, blaVIM, blaIMP,, blaOXA48, blaOXA51, blaSIM-1, blaOXA181, blaKPC, blaOXA23, blaOXA50 were the commonly isolated carbapenemase genes in P. aeruginosa, among which blaVIM and blaNDM genes were the most frequently isolated. Conclusion: Surveillance of drug-resistant pathogens in sub-Saharan Africa is essential in reducing the disease burden in the region and this study has shown that the region has significantly high multidrug resistant pathogen prevalence. This is a wakeup call for policymakers to put in place measures to reduce the spread of these critical priority pathogens.

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Aims: This review presents valuable information on the contribution of probiotics to the improvement of health and quality of life. Background: Due to their roles in normal physiology and impacts on human health, probiotics have become a subject of great interests especially in the field of Microbiology. The results of several well-designed clinical studies have shown probiotics to be reliable therapeutic option for the prevention, treatment and control of various health conditions; gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory diseases, neurological disorders, depressive symptoms and autoimmune disorders. Probiotics enhance gastrointestinal tract (GIT) health via vitamins production and supply to the human host and have also been reported to improve immune function thus, inhibiting pathogen invasion and colonization/development. Some show direct/indirect immune modulating capabilities by enhancing mucosal barrier functions, modulating sensory motor functions and delivering antigens. Many probiotic foods possess antioxidant properties that enable them to withstand oxidative stress and strengthen hosts’ anti oxidative defense mechanism. Findings/Conclusion: The potential application of probiotics in functional foods and pharmaceuticals could demonstrate the improvement of health and quality of life.

Objective: Majority of the current antibiotics have become less effective due to widespread of multidrug-resistant microorganisms. Medicinal plants are promising candidates that could be used to manage this menace. Therefore, phytochemical, toxicological and antimicrobial potentiality of Lawsonia inermis extracts against MDR clinical bacteria were carried out. Material-Method: Henna leaf and seed were extracted by cold maceration technique using methanol and water and screened phytochemically. Eight MDR isolates, four of which are ESβL-producers were used for this study. In vitro antimicrobial efficacy and quantitative antimicrobial potency of extracts were estimated. MIC and MBC were determined using broth macrodilution technique. Cytotoxicity test was conducted using brine shrimp lethality assay and LC50 was determined. Results: The findings of this study revealed that aqueous leaf extract possesses maximum percentage yield of 25.58%. Tannins and phenolic compounds were detected in all extracts, while steroid was absent. Methanol seed extract showed the highest antimicrobial efficacy against all bacteria with 100 percent activity. The highest and lowest zones of inhibition were recorded at 30.0±0.00 and 10.0±0.00 mm, respectively. The zones of inhibition of extracts differed significantly. All extracts displayed highest activity index against the ESβL-producing Enterobacter aerogenes 196 that was isolated from wound with highest value at 4.28. Pseudomonas aeruginosa U109 showed maximum susceptibility index (93.75%); majority of MIC values recorded were within the range of 1.95-62.5 mg/mL. Cytotoxicity test of methanol and aqueous extracts displayed 10001000, respectively. Conclusion: Findings from this study elucidate the efficacy of Lawsonia inermis as a potential remedy to manage MDR-related infectious bacteria.