Posted on

Antifungal resistance pattern of Candida species isolated from clinical specimens of patients in selected healthcare facilities in Yenagoa, Nigeria

[1]Baraikio, D., [2]Daokoru-Olukole, C., and 3Abdu, A. B.

1Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce-Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

2Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce-Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

3Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce-Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

*Correspondence to: simply4didi@yahoo.com; +2348035391089 Abstract:

Background: Candida species are normal flora of humans that can be pathogenic and cause candidiasis. Candidiasis is a public health problem due to its high prevalence, mortality, and increased costs of care associated with serious systemic Candida infections. This study was designed to identify the antifungal resistance pattern of Candida species isolated from different clinical specimens in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, and to detect resistant genes associated with the Candida species. Continue reading “Antifungal resistance pattern of Candida species isolated from clinical specimens of patients in selected healthcare facilities in Yenagoa, Nigeria”

Posted on

Antifungal properties of methanolic extracts of some medical plants in Enugu, south east Nigeria

N. Onyemelukwe, P. Ndam, S. Ogboi, U. Maduakor, D. Nwakile

 

Abstract

Objective: The current study evaluated the anti-fungal activities of  methanolic extracts of the leaves and fruits of some medicinal plants of health value in Enugu, southeast Nigeria.
Materials and methods: Volumes of the different extracts into molten  Sabouraud Dextrose Agar to make up for concentrations of 25 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml respectively. Concentrations of 125 ag/ml, 250  ag/ml and 500 ag/ml of Miconazole were incorporated to serve as a positive control while 0.5 ml of DMSO served as a negative control. The  plants extracts employed were from Azadirachta indica (Neem), Anacardium occidentale (Cashew), Euphorbia hirta (Asthma weed),Jatropha curcas (Physic nut), Acantus montanus (Mountain thistle) and Picralima nitida  (òsúigwe in Igbo). A 2 mm agar disc cut out from the margin of actively growing cultures of each dermatophyte (Trichophyton soudanense, T.mentagrophytes, Cladosporium sp, T.rubrum and Fusarium sp) were inoculated on the agar plates containing varying concentrations of the different plant extracts, the standard antifungal agent and negative control in triplicates and incubated at 28 ºC.
Results: All the extracts exhibited antifungal activities of varying degrees with radial growth inhibitions (RGIs) ranging from 0-0.45 mm radius. Fifty percent (50 %) of the plants extracts comprising of Picralima nitida, Euphorbia hirta and Acantus montanus exhibited complete inhibition at 100 mg/ml against all the clinical isolates under investigation (p < 0.05).  Picralima nitida seed was the only plant extract with complete inhibition at 25 mg/ml against T.soudanense and T.rubrum. Picralima nitida was the closest in activity to miconazole. Azadirachta indica (Neem) did not exhibit complete inhibition against any of the clinical isolates at 100 mg/ml yet exhibited a significantly lower RGI at the lowest concentration of 25 mg/ml better than others.
Conclusion: Antifungal activities showed that leaves extract of fruits plants against the clinical isolates are good source of medicinal applications

Key words: Antifungal agents, medical plants, Enugu, Nigeria.

Download full journal in PDF below

Antifungal properties of methanolic extracts of some medical plants in Enugu, south east Nigeria

Posted on

Oral Candidiasis amongst cancer patients at Qods Hospital

SH Afraseyabi, A Afkhamzadeh, H Sabori, F Verdi, N Khaksar, B Mosavei, E Kalantar

 

Abstract

Background: Within the past two decades, Candida species have emerged as major human pathogens and are currently the fourth most common cause of nosocomial infection. Propose of this study was to determine the occurrence of oral Candidiasis among cancer patients at Qods hospitals in Sanandaj.
Materials and Methods: Sixty cancer patients were examined for oral candidiasis. For all patients, the clinical diagnosis had to be confirmed microbiologically by the presence of yeasts and / or hyphae or pseudohyphae on potassium hydroxide–treated smears of oral swabs. Oral samples were obtained and cultured on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar and CHROMagar.
Results: 25 out of the 60 patients (41.7%) were males and 35 (58.3%) were females ranging in age from 15 to 79 years. Gastrointestinal cancer and Breast cancer were the most frequent cancer in the studied group, accounting for 65 % and 18.4 % respectively. The mean weight of the patients was 52.67 Kg (range, 38– 80 Kg). Similarly, the mean of hospital stay was 3.58 days (range; 1-9 days). From these patients, 19 Candida spp were isolated; C. albicans alone outnumbered other species and accounted for 73.68% episodes of trash. For C. albicans isolates, the MIC values ranges from 1 to 9 Z g / ml μg / ml for polyenes and from 0.03 to 16 Z g / ml for the azole antifungals. All the Candida albicans had closely related MFCs values.
Conclusion: In conclusions, the finding of our study strongly suggest that oral candidiasis is a frequent complication among cancer patients, being C. albicans the main etiological agent.

Keywords: Cancer, Oral candidiasis, Candida albicans, Antifungal agents

Download full journal in PDF below

Oral Candidiasis amongst cancer patients at Qods Hospital