SMU Medical Journal

I. B. Onajobi ¹, A. I. Adam ², S. A. Adeyemi ³, A. B. Agbaje ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Microbiology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, NG
2 Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515 Ilorin, NG
3 Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, P.M.B. 1601, Adewole Ilorin, Kwara State, NG

Abstract

Dental plaque has become a major problem in Africa and the world and current antibiotics has almost become ineffective for its treatment. Hence there is a need to find alternative ways of treatment for dental plaque. Anacardium occidentale is used for this purpose in many parts of Africa. Bacteria were isolated from dental plaque and identified using morphological and biochemical characteristics of the isolates. The study of the activity of Anacardium occidentale leaf extracts dissolved in four solvents (Ethanol, Ethyl acetate, Dichloromethane, Hexane) on some bacteria isolated from patients with dental plaque were investigated using the agar well diffusion and the broth dilution method. The bacteria isolated were Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Serratia marcescens, Neisseria sicca, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacterium matruchotii. The results obtained showed that the ethanolic extracts had the highest antibacterial activity on the test bacteria with zones of inhibition ranging from 2.0mm to 13.0mm, and a minimum inhibitory concentration ranging from 5mg/ml to 10mg/ml. The dichloromethane extracts had the lowest activity with a zone of inhibition ranging from 1.0mm to 4.0mm and a minimum inhibitory concentration ranging from 10mg/ml-20mg/ml while they had no activity on some of the test bacteria. Anacardium occidentale leaf can act as a good alternative to standard drugs as a treatment for dental plaque and other infections caused by these bacteria.

Keywords

Anacardium occidentale, MIC, MBC, Morphology, Biochemical, Isolates.

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I. B. Onajobi ¹, A. I. Adam ², O. J. Adeyemi ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Microbiology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, NG
2 Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, P.MB. 1515, Ilorin, NG

Abstract

This study aims at examining the prevalence of microbial contamination of human jewelries and determining the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates. Fifty pieces of gold jewelries comprising 25necklaces and wristwatches each that have not been washed for over four months pre-study were swabbed from volunteer students. Total viable bacteria, coliforms and fungal count were obtained on nutrient agar, MacConkey agar and potato dextrose agar respectively. Pure isolates obtained were characterized in accordance with standard procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of the bacterial isolates were determined using Kirby-Bauer. Necklace samples recorded total viable bacteria count (TVBC) ranged from 1.4 x 10⁴ to 4.3 x 10⁴ cfu/ml while total coliform counts ranged from 0 to 2.9 x 10³ cfu/ml. Fungal counts ranged from 1.1 x 10³ to 3.1 x 10³ cfu/ml. In wristwatch samples, TVBC ranged from 1.3 x 10⁴ to 3.6 x 10⁴ cfu/ml and TCC ranged from 0 to 1.8 x 10⁴ cfu/ml while fungal counts ranged from 1.2 x 10³ to 2.7 x 10³ cfu/ml. Bacteria isolates include; Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella species, while fungi include Aspergillus niger, Alternaria species, Penicillus species and Epidermophyton species. Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus species were resistance to septrin, amoxicillin, gentamicin and tarivids while Klebsiella species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella species and Proteus species were susceptible to sparfloxacin. All isolates were susceptible to augmentin and perfloxacin. This study revealed that pieces of necklaces and wristwatches could be colonized by pathogenic microorganisms. It is therefore very pertinent to regularly sanitize jewelries.

Keywords

Jewelry, Antibiotic, Susceptible, Isolates, Pathogens.

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