Antagonistic properties of microogranisms associated with cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) products

The antagonistic properties of indigenous microflora from cassava starch, flour and grated cassava were investigated using the conventional streak, novel ring and well diffusion methods. Antagonism was measured by zone of inhibition between the fungal plug and bacterial streak/ring. Bacillus species were more effective to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus, Fusarium moniliforme and Rhizoctonia sp. Pseudomonas fluorescens, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces sp. inhibited the growth of A. niger, A. flavus and F. moniliforme. There were considerable variations in inhibitory activity. The zone of inhibition was more apparent in the novel ring method. Percentage inhibition increased to 78% in the Ring method and 62% in streak method after 168 h of incubation. Lactobacillus brevis, L. acidophilus and Bacillus subtilis inhibited the growth of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Inhibition of the pathogenic microorganisms was probably due to the production of organic acids and bacteriocins.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (7), pp. 627-632, 200

Organoleptic Analysis of Doughs Fermented with Yeasts From A Nigerian Palm Wine (Elaeis guineensis) and Certain Commercial Yeasts

Yeasts isolated from a freshly tapped palm wine obtained from Akure, Nigeria were identified as Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Debaryomyces hansenii, Geotrichum lactis and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. Each of the isolates was used to ferment wheat flour dough and baked. Sensory analysis of the doughs was carried out on leavening, texture, aroma, taste and appearance. Saccharomyces cerevisiae performed best in leavening the dough while Debaryomyces hansenii produced doughs with the best taste and aroma. Appearances of the doughs made with all the isolated yeasts did not differ significantly (P<0.05) from that of the dough that lacked yeast

Isolation, Molecular Characterization and Antibiotics Susceptibility Pattern of Methylotrophic Bacteria Occuring in the Human Mouth

Methylotrophic bacteria are ubiquitous bacteria that are capable of using one carbon compounds such as methane, methanol, halogenated methane, and methylated amine as sources of carbon and energy for their diverse metabolic activities. Methylotrophic bacteria were isolated from the tongue, and supra-and subgingival plaque in the mouths of volunteers and patients with periodontitis. The isolation, identification, antibiotic susceptibility pattern and molecular characterization of methylotrophic bacteria from 150 volunteers and patients with periodontitis were done using standard method. Nutrient agar fortified with methylamine as a growth factor was used to aid the growth of these bacteria. The result show that a total of twelve (12) bacteria were identified. These are Bacillus licheniformis, Neisseria flava, Neisseria meningitis, Micrococcus flava, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Methylobacteria radiotolerance, Methylotrophic thiocynatum, Methylococcus capsulatum, Methylotrophic rubra and Branhamella catarhalis. The antibiotics susceptibility test showed that B. licheniformis, N. meningitis and P. aeruginosa exhibited the highest resistance against the antibiotics. The 12 bacteria were characterized molecularly with Polymerase chain reaction PCR amplified method using primers for the virulence genes of Methylotroph. The mxaF gene of methanol dehy-drogenase MxaF was detected in 3 bacteria: pilc of pilin gene in 3 bacteria, stx1 of shiga toxin nana of neuraminidase and pila of pilin gene was detected in all the bacteria. The results obtained in this research showed that methylotrophs may be responsible for periodontitis and that healthy people are carriers

Comparative antibacterial studies of mistletoes growing on two diffrent host plants in Akure North, Nigeria

The antibacterial activity of 60 % methanolic leaves extracts of mistletoes (Viscum album) growing on cocoa and cola trees were tested on Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi in vitro. Both the gram-positive and gramnegative organisms showed variable sensitivity to the extracts treatments. The results obtained indicated that extracts from both host plants had some antibacteria activities against the microorganisms when compared with standard antimicrobial agents (ciprofloxacin and sterptomycin) used as positive controls at P < 0.05 significant level. In general,extracts from cocoa (Theobroma cacao) plant showed more antimicrobial tendency than those from cola (Kola nitida) plant

An observational study of centrally facilitated pain in individuals with chronic low back pain

Central pain facilitation can hinder recovery in people with chronic low back pain (CLBP). The aim of this observational study was to investigate whether indices of centrally facilitated pain are associated with pain outcomes in a hospital-based cohort of individuals with CLBP undertaking a pain management programme. Participants provided self-report and pain sensitivity data at baseline (n=97), and again 3-months (n=87) after a cognitive behavioural therapy-based group intervention including physiotherapy. Indices of centrally facilitated pain were; Pressure Pain detection Threshold (PPT), Temporal Summation (TS) and Conditioned Pain Modulation (CPM) at the forearm, Widespread Pain Index (WPI) classified using a body manikin, and a Central Mechanisms Trait (CMT) factor derived from 8 self-reported characteristics of anxiety, depression, neuropathic pain, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, pain distribution, catastrophizing and sleep. Pain severity was a composite factor derived from Numerical Rating Scales. Cross-sectional and longitudinal regression models were adjusted for age and sex. Baseline CMT and WPI each was associated with higher pain severity (CMT: r=0.50, p<0.001, WPI: r=0.21, p=0.04) at baseline as well as at 3 months (CMT: r=0.38, p<0.001, WPI: r=0.24, p=0.02). High baseline CMT remained significantly associated with pain at 3 months after additional adjustment for baseline pain (β=2.45, p=0.04, R2=0.25, p<0.0001). QST indices of pain hypersensitivity were not significantly associated with pain outcomes at baseline or at 3 months. In conclusion, central mechanisms beyond those captured by QST are associated with poor CLBP outcome and might be targets for improved therapy

Quantitative sensory testing and predicting outcomes for musculoskeletal pain, disability, and negative affect: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Hypersensitivity due to central pain mechanisms can influence recovery and lead to worse clinical outcomes, but the ability of quantitative sensory testing (QST), an index of sensitisation, to predict outcomes in chronic musculoskeletal disorders remains unclear. We systematically reviewed the evidence for ability of QST to predict pain, disability and negative affect using searches of CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL and PubMed databases up to April 2018. Title screening, data extraction, and methodological quality assessments were performed independently by 2 reviewers. Associations were reported between baseline QST and outcomes using adjusted (β) and unadjusted (r) correlations. Of the 37 eligible studies (n=3860 participants), 32 were prospective cohort studies and 5 randomised controlled trials. Pain was an outcome in 30 studies, disability in 11 and negative affect in 3. Metaanalysis revealed that baseline QST predicted musculoskeletal pain (mean r=0.31, 95%CI: 0.23 to 0.38, n=1057 participants) and disability (mean r=0.30, 95%CI: 0.19 to 0.40, n=290 participants). Baseline modalities quantifying central mechanisms such as temporal summation (TS) and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) were associated with follow-up pain (TS: mean r=0.37, 95%CI: 0.17 to 0.54; CPM: r=0.36, 95%CI: 0.20 to 0.50), whereas baseline mechanical threshold modalities were predictive of followup disability (mean r=0.25, 95%CI: 0.03 to 0.45). QST indices of pain hypersensitivity might help develop targeted interventions aiming to improve outcomes across a range of musculoskeletal conditions

Traits associated with central pain augmentation in the Knee Pain in the Community (KPIC) cohort

This study aimed to identify self-report correlates of central pain augmentation in individuals with knee pain. A subset of participants (n=420) in the Knee Pain and related health In the Community (KPIC) baseline survey undertook pressure pain threshold (PPT) assessments. Items measuring specific traits related to central pain mechanisms were selected from the survey based on expert consensus, face validity, item association to underlying constructs measured by originating host questionnaires, adequate targeting and PPT correlations. Pain distribution was reported on a body manikin. A `central pain mechanisms’ factor was sought by factor analysis. Associations of items, the derived factor and originating questionnaires with PPTs were compared. Eight self-report items measuring traits of anxiety, depression, catastrophizing, neuropathic- like pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain distribution and cognitive impact, were identified as likely indices of central pain mechanisms. PPTs were associated with items representing each trait and with their originating scales. Pain distribution classified as “pain below the waist additional to knee pain” was more strongly associated with low PPT than were alternative classifications of pain distribution. A single factor, interpreted as “central pain mechanisms”, was identified across the 8 selected items and explained variation in PPT (R² = 0.17) better than did any originating scale (R² = 0.10 to 0.13). In conclusion, including representative items within a composite self-report tool might help identify people with centrally augmented knee pain

The Central Aspects of Pain in the Knee (CAP-Knee) questionnaire; a mixed-methods study of a self-report instrument for assessing central mechanisms in people with knee pain

OBJECTIVES: Pain is the prevailing symptom of knee osteoarthritis. Central sensitisation creates discordance between pain and joint pathology. We previously reported a central pain mechanisms trait derived from 8 discrete characteristics: neuropathic-like pain, fatigue, cognitive-impact, catastrophising, anxiety, sleep disturbance, depression, and pain distribution. We here validate and show that an 8-item questionnaire, Central Aspects of Pain in the Knee (CAP-Knee) is associated both with sensory and affective components of knee pain severity.METHODS: Participants with knee pain were recruited from the Investigating Musculoskeletal Health and Wellbeing study in the East Midlands, UK. CAP-Knee items were refined following cognitive interviews. Psychometric properties were assessed in 250 participants using Rasch-, and factor-analysis, and Cronbach’s alpha. Intra-class correlation coefficients tested repeatability. Associations between CAP-Knee and McGill Pain questionnaire pain severity scores using linear regression.RESULTS: CAP-Knee targeted the knee pain sample well. Cognitive interviews indicated that participants interpreted CAP-Knee items in diverse ways aligned to their intended meanings. Fit to the Rasch model was optimised by rescoring each item, producing a summated score from 0-16. Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha=0.74) and test–retest reliability excellent (ICC2,1=0.91). Each CAP-Knee item contributed uniquely to one discrete `Central Mechanisms trait’ factor. High CAP-Knee scores were associated with worse overall knee pain intensity and with each of sensory and affective McGill Pain Questionnaire scores.CONCLUSION: CAP-Knee is a simple and valid self-report questionnaire, which measures a single `Central Mechanisms’ trait, and may help identify and target centrally-acting treatments aiming to reduce the burden of knee pain

Central Aspects of Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis (CAP-RA): protocol for a prospective observational study

Background: Pain and fatigue are persistent problems in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Central sensitisation (CS) may contribute to pain and fatigue, even when treatment has controlled inflammatory disease. This study aims to validate a self-report 8-item questionnaire, the Central Aspects of Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis (CAP-RA) questionnaire, developed to measure central pain mechanisms in RA, and to predict patient outcomes and response to treatment. A secondary objective is to explore mechanisms linking CS, pain and fatigue in people with RA. Methods/design: This is a prospective observational cohort study recruiting 250 adults with active RA in secondary care. The CAP-RA questionnaire, demographic data, medical history, and patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) of traits associated with central sensitization will be collected using validated questionnaires. Quantitative sensory testing modalities of pressure pain detection thresholds, temporal summation and conditioned pain modulation will be indices of central sensitization, and blood markers, swollen joints and ultrasound scans will be indices of inflammation. Primary data collection will be at baseline and 12 weeks. The test-retest reliability of CAP-RA questionnaire will be determined 1 week after the baseline visit. Pain and fatigue data will be collected weekly via text messages for 12 weeks. CAP-RA psychometric properties, and predictive validity for outcomes at 3 months will be evaluated. Discussion: This study will validate a simple self-report questionnaire against psychophysical indices of central sensitization and patient reported outcome measures of traits associated with CS in a population of individuals with active RA. The application of this instrument in the clinical environment could provide a mechanism-based stratification tool to facilitate the provision of targeted therapy to individuals with pain and fatigue in RA, alongside treatments that target joint inflammation. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04515589. Date of registration 17 August 2020