ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE

The search for new therapeutic agents derived from natural sources has intensified due to the global rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Medicinal plants remain a significant source of bioactive compounds with diverse pharmacological potentials. This study examined the phytochemical components and bacterial inhibitory property of the dichloromethane (DCM) fraction of the stem bark of Antiaris toxicaria var. africana, a plant widely used in African ethnomedicine for treating various infections. The stem bark was extracted using 70% ethanol and subsequently fractionated with DCM using column chromatography. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) were employed for chemical characterization. GC–MS analysis revealed the presence of bioactive compounds with known antibacterial and antioxidant properties, including 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (18.86%), hexadecanoic acid (14.35%), benzoic acid (7.39%), and methyl stearate (6.66%). HPLC profiling confirmed the presence of important phytochemicals such as flavonoids (11.36 µg/mL), proanthocyanidins (13.99 µg/mL), flavanones (9.93 µg/mL), tannins (3.70 µg/mL), cardiac glycosides (5.53 µg/mL), sapogenins (7.96 µg/mL), and steroids (4.70 µg/mL), indicating a rich diversity of secondary metabolites. Antimicrobial testing showed that the extract exhibited inhibitory activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19 mm), Bacillus subtilis (18 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (19 mm), Escherichia coli (20 mm), and Enterobacter cloacae (17 mm), but not against Bacillus cereus. Although the extract demonstrated lower activity than the positive control, ciprofloxacin, it displayed broad-spectrum antibacterial potential. Overall, the findings provide scientific validation for the traditional use of A. Toxicaria var. africana in treating bacterial infections.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a critical global public health crisis, significantly driven by antimicrobial misuse in livestock production, with the meat value chain serving as a primary route for resistance transmission to humans. This study employed a descriptive design involving a self-administered questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding the emergence, spread and management of AMR in meat products' value chain in Edo State, Nigeria. A total of 100 participants were used, including livestock farmers, meat sellers/distributors, meat processors, suya vendors, veterinary doctors and meat consumers, drawn from the three Senatorial Districts of Edo State using a stratified random sampling technique. Data collected were coded and analyzed using the IBM SPSS (version 27, 2025). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize respondents’ characteristics and key study variables. Inferential analyses were employed, incorporating chi-square testing to explore associations between categorical variables. Results revealed a 61% awareness of AMR but poor understanding of resistance mechanisms, with 16% unable to name any antimicrobial drug. A critical attitude-practice gap was evident.