Biofilms are multicellular communities of microorganisms held together by a self-produced extracellular matrix. The ability of microbes to form biofilm is a universal, ubiquitous, and dynamic process. This dynamic process of biofilms establishes an important strategy to withstand and survive harsh environmental conditions and antimicrobial agents. This review paper aims to give an overview of antibiotic resistance, intervention, and treatment of infections caused by biofilm-forming organisms. Moreover, it can also help to motivate scholars to search for new anti-biofilm strategies and most appropriate methods to tackle the effect of biofilm infections on healthcare services. This paper was written by reviewing recent research and review articles which are reporting about the antibiotic resistance, prevention, and treatment of biofilm-producing organisms. Bioprospecting for quorum quenching compounds can be an appropriate solution for controlling biofilm infections.

Objective. This study has investigated the antimicrobial activity of extracts of indigenous wild mushrooms against selected organisms. Methods. Thirty-five (35) indigenous wild mushrooms were collected from Arabuko-Sokoke and Kakamega National Reserve Forests, Kenya. All mushrooms were identified and their contents were extracted and screened for their antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli (clinical isolate), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 13883), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (clinical isolate), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), MRSA (ATCC 33591), Candida albicans (clinical isolate), and Candida parapsilosis (ATCC 90018) using tetrazolium microtiter plate bioassay method. Results. Of the 35 tested mushroom extracts, extracts of three (3) mushrooms, namely, Trametes spp. (Arabuko-Sokoke forest), Trametes, and Microporus spp. (Kakamega forest), have shown promising antimicrobial activities against the tested organisms. The S. aureus (ATCC 25923), P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (ATCC 33591) were the most susceptible to chloroform extract of Trametes spp. collected from Arabuko-Sokoke forest. Of the tested organisms, S. aureus (ATCC 25923) was the most susceptible whereas E. coli was the most resistant organism to the hot water extract of Trametes spp. collected from Arabuko-Sokoke forest. Chloroform extract of Microporus spp. has shown the highest antibacterial activity against S. aureus (ATCC 25923), MRSA (ATCC 33591), and K. pneumoniae (ATCC 13883) but limited activity against E.coli. All extracts of the three wild mushrooms have shown the most antibacterial activities against S. aureus (ATCC 25923). Conclusion. The present study has shown that the extracts of the three wild mushrooms have shown promising antimicrobial activities against the tested organisms.

Teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) (Poaceae) is an annual crop with a very tiny grain. The crop is mainly cultivated in Ethiopia and Eritrea where it is used in preparing a pancake-like staple food called injera. Teff grain is the smallest of all whole flour grains in the world with a length of about 1.0 mm and a width of about 0.60 mm. The popularity of the crop is rapidly increasing throughout the world because of its attractive nutritional and functional properties. Thus, the crop is being successfully introduced and cultivated in many parts of the world including the USA, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The growing global demand for the grain is due to its gluten-free nature, high level of essential amino acids (EAA), high mineral content, low glycemic index (GI), high crude fiber content, longer shelf life, and slow staling of its bread products compared to that of wheat, sorghum, rice, barley, and maize. The grain is linked to several health benefits including prevention and treatment of diseases such as celiac disease, diabetes, and anemia. These call for huge research opportunities to explore the nutritional and functional properties of the grain.

Plant‐based traditional medicine is practiced in Raya Kobo district, Amhara Regional State, Northeastern Ethiopia, to manage different human and livestock ailments. However, the formal ethnobotanical survey that documented such knowledge is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to document the traditional knowledge on the use of medicinal plants to manage human and livestock ailments in the district. The study was conducted from January to July 2017 in five purposefully selected kebeles of the district. Ethnobotanical data were collected mainly using semistructured interviews conducted with 150 informants. In the five kebeles, 30 informants (15 males and 15 females) were selected using the stratified random sampling method from a list of traditional practitioners and knowledgeable individuals. Data were analyzed by employing descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The study documented a total of 91 medicinal plant species (distributed in 51 families) used in managing 38 human and 12 livestock ailments. Out of the total recorded plants species, 74 and 17 were used in managing human and livestock ailments, respectively. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts in the preparation of remedies, accounting for 53.1% of the total preparations. The three most common methods of remedy preparation were grinding/pounding (23.5%), crushing (19.8%), and boiling (14.5%). Preference ranking conducted by selected informants on eight medicinal plants used in treating human febrile illness locally called “mich” revealed that Ocimum urticifolium is the most preferred medicinal plant—an indication of its high potency against the disease, and therefore needs to be prioritized for future scientific investigation. The result of this study demonstrated the rich traditional knowledge and practices in the district on the use of medicinal plants in treating various human and livestock ailments. Deforestation and drought were reported to be the major factors in the district threatening the medicinal plants and the associated knowledge. Thus, concerted efforts have to be made to conserve this important heritage using every possible means.

Medicinal plants and plant remedies have been in use in Ethiopia for centuries. Studies on ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, and ethnoveterinary estimate that nearly 80% of Ethiopians use some type of medicinal plants and plant remedies. Medicinal plants are regarded as the most important and sometimes the only source of therapeutics in the country. Some 800 plant species are used as sources of medicine to treat about 300 physical and mental disorders. However, because these plant species are not adequately studied, there is a big limitation in their documentation, profiling, and management. Moreover, there is a continuous loss of knowledge about medicinal plants because the communities and people are adopting new lifestyles. Hence, this article reports the finding of a study aimed at providing the gross phytochemical characteristics and antimicrobial activities of ethanol and aqueous extracts of fruit, leaf, and stem of Solanum incanum L. against two Gram‐negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi) and two Gram‐positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria for developing gross antimicrobial profile of the plant. Phytochemical screening of fruit, leaf, and stem extracts of S. incanum has shown that it is the source of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, and steroids. According to agar disc‐diffusion tests, 100 mg/mL extracts of the plant produced bacterial growth inhibition zones of 0.00 to 16.06 mm. Ethanol and aqueous leaf extracts produced inhibition zones ranging from 11.34 to 16.06 mm against all bacterial species. The greatest inhibition zone of 16.06 mm was recorded in E. coli subjected to ethanol leaf extract. The same extract resulted in a growth inhibition zone of 16.04 mm in S. aureus. The greatest growth inhibition zones in B. subtilis (13.34 mm) and S. typhi (11.56 mm) were observed with ethanol leaf and fruit extracts, respectively. Aqueous leaf extracts produced growth inhibition zones ranging from 10.45 mm (for S. typhi) to 14.02 mm (for E. coli). Ethanol leaf extracts resulted in the lowest Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) of 1.56 mg/mL in E. coli and S. aureus. Therefore, fruits, leaves, and stems of S. incanum can be regarded as good sources of some bioactive compounds. The findings are important for taking measures for conservation and sustainable use of the plant as well as for further elucidation of its phytochemistry and antimicrobial efficacy of its constituents.

Maize is one of the most important staple food crops in many parts of Ethiopia. However, it is not used extensively due to its poor nutritional quality and low productivity. It lacks two essential amino acids, namely, lysine and tryptophan. Knowledge of the interrelationships of grain yield and its various causal (contributory) components is very helpful to improve the efficiency of breeding programs using appropriate selection indices. This article reports the findings of a study conducted to determine the nature of relationships of grain yield and its contributing components and to identify those components with significant effects on yield with the intention of using them as selection criteria using path coefficient analysis (PCA). Therefore, PCA has shown that yield per hectare had a significant and positive phenotypic correlation with plant height, ear height, number of kernels per row, and 100-grain weight. Moreover, PCA had a significant and positive genotypic correlation with days to 50% tasseling, plant height, ear height, and 100-grain weight. The highest direct positive effect on yield per hectare was exhibited by ear height. The findings of this study showed that most genotypes are early maturing and are suitable for areas with short rainy seasons and prone to drought.