Carbapenems are considered to be the last resort antibiotics for the treatment of infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains. The purpose of this study was to assess antimicrobial resistance profile of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) isolated from cattle faeces and determine the presence of carbapenemase and ESBL encoding genes. A total of 233 faecal samples were collected from cattle and analysed for the presence of CRE. The CRE isolates revealed resistance phenotypes against imipenem (42%), ertapenem (35%), doripenem (30%), meropenem (28%), cefotaxime, (59.6%) aztreonam (54.3%) and cefuroxime (47.7%). Multidrug resistance phenotypes ranged from 1.4 to 27% while multi antibiotic resistance (MAR) index value ranged from 0.23 to 0.69, with an average of 0.40. Escherichia coli (E. coli), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) and Salmonella (34.4, 43.7, 1.3 and 4.6%, respectively) were the most frequented detected species through genus specific PCR analysis. Detection of genes encoding carbapenemase ranged from 3.3% to 35% (blaKPC, blaNDM, blaGES, blaOXA-48, blaVIM and blaOXA-23). Furthermore, CRE isolates harboured ESBL genes (blaSHV (33.1%), blaTEM (22.5%), blaCTX-M (20.5%) and blaOXA (11.3%)). In conclusion, these findings indicate that cattle harbour CRE carrying ESBL determinants and thus, proper hygiene measures must be enforced to mitigate the spread of CRE strains to food products.

Introduction: Antimicrobial drug resistance and unwanted side effects of conventional medicines necessitate research on medicinal plants’ use as alternatives. This study investigated the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of Carissa spinarum, Diospyros mespiliformis, Euclea crispa, Ficus thonningii, Strychnos madagascariensis, and Strychnos spinosa. Methods: Hexane, acetone, and methanol leaf extracts were tested for antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using disc diffusion and microdilution assays, and for antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric-reducing power assays. Results: Methanol yielded the highest quantities of crude. The extracts of D. mespiliformis, E. crispa, and F. thonningii showed strong antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa with inhibition zones up to 28 mm and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) from 0.781–1.563 mg/mL. The acetone extract of D. mespiliformis also exhibited activity against K. pneumoniae (MIC: 3.125 mg/mL). The methanol extract of E. crispa displayed potent antioxidant activity, achieving a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.42 µg/mL, which was comparable to ascorbic acid at concentrations of 62.5–250 µg/mL (P > 0.05). Acetone extracts of S. spinosa and methanol extracts of C. spinarum demonstrated good ferric-reducing power; however, all the plant extracts were significantly different from ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene at 250 µg/mL (P˂0.05). Conclusion: The leaves of wild plant species exhibited significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, making them possible sources of novel compounds for combating infections and oxidative stress.