Abstract

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This study was carried out in order to isolate and identify MDRs ETEC from vegetable samples, and test for the synergistic effect of umbrella leaves extract with some selected antibiotics on the resistant strains. Fifty (50) vegetables samples were collected which includes Cabbage, Lettuce, Spinach, Cucumber and Carrots, (10 samples each). Samples were chopped into smaller pieces using a sterile stainless steel knife prior to weighing and were then vigorously shaken in sterile peptone water in order to dislodged the bacteria cells from the vegetables samples; the suspension was spread-plated on both Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) and MacConkey agars. The plates were incubated. Colonies exhibited metallic sheen on EMB agar and pink color on MacConkey agar were sub cultured to obtain pure culture, which were then subjected to Gram staining technique and biochemical tests prior to antibiotic sensitivity testing using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. The isolates were then inoculated in skimmed milk media and was sent for Molecular detection of ETEC toxins. The results obtained showed that out of the 50 samples collected from different markets within Kano metropolis, Escherichia coli was isolated from 23 isolates representing 46% of the samples. Out of the 23 isolates of E. coli, (11) samples were found to be MDRs out of which seven (7) ETEC toxigenic genes were detected. With which two isolates responded to the synergistic activity of resisted antibiotics with the plant extract. The plant extract was screened for the presence of active secondary metabolites where: Alkaloid, Flavanoid, Steroid, Tannin were present and Saponins was absent.

Keywords: Escherichia coli, ETEC toxins, MDRs, EMB, MacConkey, Muller-Hinton.