Background: Globally, and particularly in developing countries, the menace of anti-microbial resistance is an accelerating problem. In Nigeria, increase in bacterial resistance has been phenotypically established but due to high cost, few molecular studies have been reported. Objectives: This study screened for presence of transferable resistance genes and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as integron among multi-drug resistant (MDR) P. mirabilis. Methods: A total of 108 P. mirabilis strains collected from five tertiary hospitals in SouthWest Nigeria were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility study using disc-diffusion method. Transferable resistance genes and MGEs were amplified using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and amplicons sequenced. Results: Varied resistance was observed against all the antibiotics tested. About 56% of the isolates were MDR including those from 0-12 years old children. PCR analysis revealed the presence of aac(6')-Ib (33.3%), plasmid mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes [qnrA (36.7%), acc(6')-Ib-cr (5%)], TEM (48.3%), CTX-M (6.7%) and integrons class 1 (58.3%) and class 2 (26.7%). Sequencing analysis revealed bla TEM-1 , bla CTX-M-15 associated with ISEcp1 and eight different arrays of gene cassettes: aadA1, aadA1-qacH, aadB-aadA2, aadA5, dfrA7, dfrA15, dfrA17, dfrA17-aadA5. Conclusion: Transferable resistance genes in association with MGEs are present in Nigerian P. mirabilis thus their potential in disseminating resistance.

Ready-to-eat roasted beef popularly called ‘Suya’ in Nigeria is a highly nutritive food and hence, prone to microbial contamination when handled in an unhygienic manner by the vendors. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus have been reported in both community and hospital settings in Nigeria. This study investigated their occurrence as microbial contaminants in ready-to-eat roasted beef in Ibadan North local government area (LGA) of Oyo state, Nigeria. Fifty (50) samples were purposively collected randomly in four different locations in Ibadan North LGA from 1st to 31st of November, 2019. Aerobic and coliform bacterial counts, isolation, identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing were done using standard microbiological techniques. Phenotypically, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus was detected by cefoxitin-disc-diffusion and ESBL-producers by double-disc synergy. MecA/C and selected ESBL (TEM, SHV and CTX-M) genes were detected by PCR technique. The mean total aerobic and coliform bacterial counts ranged from 1.5 × 106 to 7.8 × 106 cfu/g and 0.8 × 102 to 1.3 × 103 cfu/g respectively. Thirty-eight (38) bacteria were isolated: Staphylococcus aureus (15.8%), Pseudomonas spp. (42.1%), Klebsiella spp. (36.8%) and Bacillus spp. (5.3%). Four (66.7%) of the Staphylococcus aureus were MecA mediated methicillin-resistant strains and 20 (66.7%) of the Gram-negatives were ESBL-producers with 9 (30%) harbouring TEM and SHV and 15 (50%) CTX-M genes. Occurrence of MRSA and ESBL-producers in ready-to-eat roasted beef in Ibadan north is of serious public health concern.

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Background: Solanum dasyphyllum is a plant with several ethno-medicinal uses as food and medicine in treatment of fever, skin diseases, inflammation, stomach ache and some systemic infections. To date there is little scientific validation of the folkloric claims of S. dasyphyllum compared to other species of the Solanaceae family. This study determined the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of methanol extract and fractions of the leaves of S. dasyphyllum and analysed the phyto-constituents using GC-MS technique.Methods: The dried leaves of S. dasyphyllum were extracted by Soxhlet apparatus with 80% methanol and the crude extract subjected to Phytochemical screening and liquid-liquid fractionation. Crude extract and fractions were subjected to antimicrobial screening, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentrations (MBC/MFC) determination and time-kill kinetics study. Crude extract was assayed for antioxidant activity and analysed by GC-MS.Results: Percentage yield of S. dasyphyllum was 12.5% and tested positive for flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, cyanogenic glycosides, tannins and reducing sugars. The crude extract and fractions were active on all the isolates at concentrations >0.5 mg/mL. MICs of the crude extract and fractions ranged between 0.25 and >4 mg/mL, MBC ranged between 1 and >4 mg/mL and MFC ranged between 0.5 and >4 mg/mL. The MBC/MIC ratio was >4 for dichloromethane fractions against S. aureus (ratio 8) and MFC/MIC ratio ethylacetate fraction against the fungi isolates (ratio 8). The time-kill kinetics study showed dichloromethane and ethylacetate fractions to be bactericidal with zero viable count at 4 - 6hours against the isolates. The crude extract displayed moderate antioxidant with weak DPPH radical scavenging activity. The GC-MS analysis showed 29 metabolites including the phenols and polyphenols derivatives, eucalyptol, levomenthol, benzofuranone derivative, diethyl phthalate, neophytadiene, 1-Docosene, 17-Pentatriacontene, Phytol, Thunbergol and esters of decanoic acid derivatives all of which are known to have anti-infective and anti-oxidant properties.Conclusion: This study therefore confirmed the ethno-medicinal claim of S. dasyphyllum and thus elucidates the potentials of the plant as a good source of bioactive compounds including those with strong anti-infective and antioxidant properties.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) represent bacterial incursion into various parts of the urinary tract including the kidney (pyelonephritis), ureter (ureteritis), urinary bladder (cystitis) and urethra (urethritis). They are now one of the commonest microbial infections globally constituting a significant burden in terms of morbidity and medical costs. 1 While UTIs, complicated or uncomplicated, may be caused by a number of uropathogens which include (but not limited to) Escherichia coli (one of the predominant causative agent), Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Klebsiella species, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus species. 2 However, with the emergence of resistant strains of uropathogens coupled with the high rate of recurrent UTIs, research