Antibacterial and Antifungal Effects of Carica papaya and Cucurbita specie Seed Extracts on Escherichia coli and Aspergillus flavus

Objective: In this work, we studied the antifungal and anti-bacterial properties of seeds of Carica papaya and Curcubita specie using selected bacteria and fungi. Methods: Modified cold extraction method with ethanol and n-hexane was conducted. Antimicrobial properties of the extracts were done using agar block dilution for fungi and agar diffusion method for the bacteria. Measurement of the mean growth rate (MGR) for the fungi isolate and the inhibition zone diameter (IZD) for the bacteria were used as parameters. Results: Significant antifungal property was observed in ethanolic extract of Carica papaya at a concentration of 6% at four days of its exposure, while n-hexane extract of Carica papaya and ethanolic extract of Curcubita specie show fungistatic action. Ethanolic extract of Carica papaya at 6% concentration showed more antifungal property than the control drug. Antibacterial action for all the test extracts was poor, with the control drug showing more significant action than the extracts. There was a statistical significance difference between the ethanolic extract of Carica papaya and Curcubita specie (p< 0.05). Conclusion: This is an indication that ethanolic extract of Carica papaya can be used in the treatment of some of the fungal infection caused by Aspergillus flavus likewise n-hexane extracts. Keywords: Antifungal, Anti-bacterial, Carica papaya, Curcubita specie, ethanolic extract, n-hexane extract

Shared genetic risk between major orofacial cleft phenotypes in an African population

Nonsyndromic orofacial clefts (NSOFCs) represent a large proportion (70%–80%) of all OFCs. They can be broadly categorized into nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) and nonsyndromic cleft palate only (NSCPO). Although NSCL/P and NSCPO are considered etiologically distinct, recent evidence suggests the presence of shared genetic risks. Thus, we investigated the genetic overlap between NSCL/P and NSCPO using African genome-wide association study (GWAS) data on NSOFCs. These data consist of 814 NSCL/P, 205 NSCPO cases, and 2159 unrelated controls. We generated common single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) association summary statistics separately for each phenotype (NSCL/P and NSCPO) under an additive genetic model. Subsequently, we employed the pleiotropic analysis under the composite null (PLACO) method to test for genetic overlap. Our analysis identified two loci with genome-wide significance (rs181737795 [p = 2.58E−08] and rs2221169 [p = 4.5E−08]) and one locus with marginal significance (rs187523265 [p = 5.22E−08]). Using mouse transcriptomics data and information from genetic phenotype databases, we identified MDN1, MAP3k7, KMT2A, ARCN1, and VADC2 as top candidate genes for the associated SNVs. These findings enhance our understanding of genetic variants associated with NSOFCs and identify potential candidate genes for further exploration.</p