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The death of many people in tropical countries can be attributed to microbial infection, probably, because synthetic antibiotics are failing in the treatment of these microbial infections, attributed to the ability of the microorganisms to mutate and adapt to harsh conditions. This study evaluated, in vitro, the antimicrobial activities, antioxidant potentials, and the total phenolic contents of aqueous and ethanol extracts of the root of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (Lindl.) and the crude sap of Pycnanthus angolensis (Welw) using selected standard bacteria strains (S. aureus (ATCC 25923), S. saprophyticus (ATCC 15305), E. coli (ATCC 25922), S. typhi (ATCC 19430), P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and P. mirabilis (ATCC 49565). The modified agar well diffusion method was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of the plant extracts. Chloramphenicol and tetracycline were used as positive controls. The extracts were also screened for specific phytochemicals and using the Folin Ciocalteu reagent test, their total phenolic contents were determined. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, and saponins in both Cryptolepis sanguinolenta and Pycnanthus angolensis. For the antimicrobial activities, all the test bacteria were susceptible to the crude sap of Pycnanthus angolensis except P. mirabilis. In the case of the Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, only S. aureus was susceptible to both aqueous and ethanol extracts. The total phenolic content, expressed in g/100g GAE, recorded values of 55.427 ± 4.248 for the crude sap of Pycnanthus angolensis, and 11.642 ± 4.248 and 26.888 ± 4.248 for the aqueous and ethanol extracts of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, respectively. It was concluded that Cryptolepis sanguinolenta and Pycnanthus angolensis are excellent candidates for further development of antimicrobial agents in the fight against microbial infections given the pressing need for novel efficacious agents.

Background Poor Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) of food safety and hygiene by foodservice providers lead to food contamination and pose health threats to consumers. This study assessed the...

Aims: Acalypha inferno is an ornamental plant which has been shown to be a phytoremediator of zinc. Other species of this genus used traditionally have been proven to possess pharmacologically active constituents. The study sought to evaluate the phytochemical constituents, in vitro antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effect of Acalypha inferno crude extracts and fractions of leaves and stem. Place and Duration of Study: Study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology and the Central Laboratory of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana between October 2016 and May 2017. Methodology: Phytochemical constituents, DPPH assay, total phenolic content and antimicrobial effect were analyzed using standard methods. FT-IR and UV-VIS spectroscopy were used to identify functional groups and major constituents. Heavy metals in the plant were evaluated by wet digestion of sample and measurement using AAS. Results: Phytochemicals included triterpenoids, sterols, alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides and hydrolysable tannins. The Total Phenolic Content (TPC) of the leaf extract was 1.818 mg/ml ± 0.062 (EC50 = 0.03995 mg/ml ± 0.00084). The FTIR revealed the presence of alcohols, amines, aromatic compounds, amides, carboxylic acids, esters and alkynes. Iron and zinc were also detected. The stem and leaf fractions exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. typhi, P. aeroginosa and S. aureus. Conclusion: Acalypha inferno is rich in antioxidants and bioactive compounds which exhibit antimicrobial activity against some bacteria.

Honey is a natural source of food with countless health benefits. This study was to investigate the quality of honey from well-known honey extraction modes in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. 24 honey samples were taken from bee farms in two districts in the region and subjected to physicochemical and microbiology analysis. Moisture content of the honeys, their pH, water insoluble solids, and sugar were determined. ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 16140-1: 2016 methods of microbial assays were done to determine the presence of aerobes, coliforms, E.coli and fungi. Statistical analysis was carried out using the GraphPad Prism 5. The results indicated that moisture content of the honeys ranged from 14.46%-22.31%. The pH values were within the acidity range (4.1-4.3), whiles water insoluble solids ranged from 0.56% to 8.50%; sucrose level ranged from 2.64%-3.12%, but the pressed honey had the highest glucose+fructose (90%). There was significant differences (p