Organisms producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) have been reported in many countries, but there is no information on the prevalence of ESBL-producing members of the family Enterobacteriaceae in Cameroon. A total of 259 Enterobacteriaceae strains were isolated between 1995 and 1998 from patients at the Yaounde Central Hospital in Cameroon. Enterobacterial isolates resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporin and monobactam were screened for ESBL production by the double-disk (DD) synergy test. Thirty-one (12%) of these Enterobacteriaceae strains were shown to be positive by the DD synergy test, suggesting the presence of ESBLs. Resistance to oxyimino-cephalosporins and monobactams of 12 (38.7%) of the 31 strains-i.e., 6 Klebsiella pneumoniae, 4 Escherichia coli, 1 Citrobacter freundii, and 1 Enterobacter cloacae strain-was transferred to E. coli HK-225 by conjugation. Resistance to gentamicin, gentamicin plus trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was cotransferred into 6, 2, and 1 of these transconjugants, respectively. All 12 transconjugants were resistant to amoxicillin, piperacillin, all of the cephalosporins, and aztreonam but remained susceptible to cefoxitin and imipenem. Crude extracts of beta-lactamase-producing transconjugants were able to reduce the diameters of inhibition zones around disks containing penicillins, narrow- to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins or monobactams when tested against a fully susceptible E. coli strain but had no effect on such zones around cefoxitin, imipenem, and amoxicillin-clavulanate disks. The beta-lactamases produced by the 12 tranconjugants turned out to be SHV-12 by DNA sequencing. Therefore, the ESBL SHV-12 is described for the first time in Cameroon.
Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
In efforts to find new bioactive beta-lactamase inhibitors, this study investigated 16 Cameroonian plants belonging to 10 families which were evaluated for anti-beta-lactamase activity. The investigation showed that extracts 2, 6, 3 and 5 of the 16 plants investigated presented interesting in vitro beta-lactamase inhibition (over 90%), respectively, of the beta-lactamases TEM-1, OXA-10, IMP-1 and P99. These extracts were from Mammea africana (all beta-lactamases), Garcinia lucida, G. kola (OXA-10, IMP-1 and P99), Bridelia micrantha (OXA-10, P99), Ochna afzelii (OXA-10, P99), Prunus africana (IMP-1) and Adenia lobata (TEM-1). After elimination of tannins (according to the European Pharmacopoeia) the extracts from B. micrantha, G. lucida and M. africana were tested further for their anti-beta-lactamase activity. The extracts from B. micrantha and G. lucida exhibited potent inhibitory activity, respectively, of beta-lactamase OXA-10 (IC(50) = 0.02 mg/mL) and P99 (IC(50) = 0.01 mg/mL). The anti-beta-lactamase activity of M. africana extract was weak. The isolation and the structural elucidation of the active constituents of G. lucida and B. micrantha will provide useful leads in the development of beta-lactamase inhibitors.
ABSTRACT CTX-M-15-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli emerged recently in Cameroon. CTX-M-15 was encoded by two different multiresistance plasmids, of which one carried an IS Ecp1 - bla CTX-M-15 element flanked by a 5-bp target site duplication and inserted within a Tn 2 -derived sequence. A truncated form of this element in the second plasmid was identified.
There is no information regarding the resistance mechanisms of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae in community setting in Cameroon. The current study aimed to determine the proportion of ESBLs in Enterobacteriaceae isolated in the community and to analyse some risk factors associated with ESBL carriage.Faecal samples were collected from 208 different outpatients and 150 healthy student volunteers between 3 January and 3 April 2009. Enterobacterial isolates resistant to third-generation cephalosporins were screened for ESBL production by the double-disk synergy test. Presumptive ESBL-producing isolates with positive synergy test were identified by Mass Spectrometry using the BioTyper MALDI-TOF. For such ESBL positive isolates, antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the Vitek 2 system. PCR and sequencing were performed for the detection of different types of ESBL genes in presumptive ESBL-producing isolates. Statistical methods were used for the univariate calculation of risk factors.During the study period, a total of 358 faecal samples were analysed; 58 of such samples (16%) showed an ESBL phenotype and were confirmed by PCR. The proportion of ESBL producers in faecal carriage was statistically different between outpatients and student volunteers (23.1% vs. 6.7%: p < 0.000). According to a univariate analysis, previous use of antibiotics (ciprofloxacin) appeared to be a risk factor for ESBL carriage (p < 0.05).Escherichia coli was the species most frequently isolated among the ESBL producers in outpatients (66.7%) and student volunteers (90%). Isolates showed additional resistance to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole but none of them was resistant to temocillin, amikacin or meropenem. Most of the strains (97%) produced a CTX-M group 1 enzymes [CTX-M-15 (98%) or CTX-M-1 (2%)] and the remaining strains produced SHV-12 enzyme (3%).The use of drugs such as amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole does not seem appropriate for empirical treatment because of emerging resistance. The implementation in Cameroon or in other African countries of methods of screening ESBL-producing organisms in routine laboratories is of great importance in order for us to offer patients appropriate treatment and for infection control efforts to succeed.
Background: In effort to identify novel bacterial agents, this study was initiated to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of 17 crude extracts from 12 medicinal plants against beta-lactam-resistant bacteria. Methodology: The antimicrobial activities of plant extracts were evaluated against clinically proved beta-lactam-resistant bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens, Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus sp.) and reference strains of bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 35218, Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 29751, E. aerogenes ATCC 13048, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Enterococcus hirae ATCC 9790) by using disc-diffusion and agar-dilution assays. Results: The crude plant extracts demonstrated broad spectrum activity against all bacteria tested with inhibition zones in the range of 8-30 mm. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of different plant extracts against the tested bacteria were found to range from ≤ 0.3 to ≥ 10 mg ml-1. The most active plant extracts were from Dortenia picta and Bridelia micrantha (MIC: 1.25-10 mg ml-1) on beta-lactam-resistant Gram-negative bacilli and the extracts from B. micrantha, Mallotus oppositifolius, Garcinia lucida, Garcinia. kola, Campylospermum densiflorum (leaves) and C. zenkeri (root) on beta-lactam-resistant Gram-positive cocci (MIC: ≤ 0.3-5 mg ml-1). Conclusion: Of the 17 plant extracts studied, seven showed good antimicrobial activity against the tested bacteria. The stem bark of B. micrantha and the leaves of D. picta were most active towards beta-lactamase producing Gram-negative bacilli. This study shows that medicinal plants could be sources of compounds which can be used to fight against beta-lactam resistant bacteria.
The antimicrobial activities of 10 plant species (Voacanga africana, Crepis cameroonica, Plagiostyles africana, Crotalaria retusa, Mammea africana, Lophira lanceolata, Ochna afzelii, Ouratea elongata, Ou. flava and Ou. sulcata), each of which is currently used in the traditional medicine of Cameroon, were investigated in vitro. The activities of a methanol extract of each plant were tested, in disc-diffusion assays, against 37 reference or laboratory strains of seven species of microorganism (Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Enterococcus hirae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans). The minimal inhibitory concentrations of each extract were then estimated, against each of the more susceptible microorganisms (i.e. those giving an inhibition zone measuring at least 9 mm in diameter in the disc-diffusion assays), by agar dilution. Although, in the disc-diffusion assays, each of the 10 methanol extracts investigated displayed some degree of antimicrobial activity against at least one species of microorganism, no activity against the Gram-negative bacteria (Es. coli, K. pneumoniae and Ps. aeruginosa) was observed. The extract with the greatest antimicrobial activity was that of Pl. africana (Euphorbiaceae).