ISOLATION OF CANDIDA SPECIES IN DOMESTIC CHICKEN (Gallus gallus) DROPPINGS IN KABIGERIET VILLAGE, NAKURU COUNTY KENYA

Over the last three decades, reports on yeast infections in humans have increased especially with respect to immunocompromised individuals. This is associated with increased morbidity and mortality especially in HIV/AIDS immunocompromised individuals. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize yeasts from domestic Chicken droppings. The droppings were collected from Kabigeriet Villages, Olenguruone Division, Nakuru County. Eighty four samples were collected by scooping and swabbing Chicken droppings and transported to the Mycology laboratory, Kenya medical research institute using a cool box for processing. Samples were inoculated onto Typan blue agar and further sub cultured on CHROM agar and Corn meal agar for presumptive identification of various Candida species. Analytical profile index test was used for confirmation. 35 (41.67%) Candida species (9 Candida lusitanie, 7 Candida glabrata, 5 Candida albicans, 5 Candida tropicalis, 3 Candida parapsilosis, 2 Candida lipolytica and 2 Candida krusei) were isolated. The results of this work demonstrated that domestic chicken harbor potentially pathogenic yeasts in their dropping

Characterization and antifungal drug susceptibility of clinical isolates of Candida species

Candida species are responsible for a wide spectrum of infections in man. They can be isolated from most sites of a human body. These mycoses are most common in immunocompromised patients as opportunistic infections. Azoles have been used in treatment, prophylaxis and currently as maintenance therapy for candidiasis in these patients. The aim of the study was to characterize Candida species from clinical sources and determine their susceptibilities to azoles in Kenya. The study was conducted in 2009 in a mycology laboratory at Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). A total of 50 isolates of Candida were characterized and correctly identified to species level by germ tube test, Pal’s agar, Chromogenic agar Candida, corn meal agar and Analytical Profile Index (API 20C AUX). 45 isolates were identified as Candida albicans, 1 as Candida glabrata, 1 as Candida famata and 3 as Candida parapsilosis. Susceptibilities of Candida = species to fluconazole, posaconazole, itraconazole and clotrimazole were determined using Epsilometer-test and disc diffusion method. Their Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC’s) were correlated. In Epsilometer test, 78% of Candida species were susceptible to clotrimazole and posaconazole, 60% to fluconazole and 50% to itraconazole. In disc diffusion method, 92% Candida species were susceptible to clotrimazole, 74% to itraconazole, 78% to posaconazole and 46% to fluconazole. There were no significant differences in susceptibility between E-test and disc diffusion methods for clotrimazole, itraconazole and posaconazole which had low significance levels (p<0.002). Fluconazole had the greatest difference between the two methods (p=0.002) and a kappa value of 0.329. There is emerging fungal resistance to fluconazole and itraconazole therefore further investigations on fungal resistance and rational use of antifungal drugs is necessary

Phenotypic characterization of Candida Albicans from clinical sources in Nairobi, Kenya

Objective: To isolate and carry out phenotypic characterization Candida species from clinical sources in Nairobi Kenya. Study design/setting: Laboratory Based Experiment at Mycology Laboratory, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. We studied 130 Candida s species isolated between 2000 - 2005. The isolates were from blood, stool, urine, CSF and swabs of patients from different health Institutions in Nairobi. Methods: Preliminary identification was done using morphological features and CHROMagar and confirmed using Analytical profile index (API 20 C aux). Results: Candida albicans were 130/150 (86.7%) whereas 13.3% were non albicans Candida and included; C. parapsilosis 4%, C. tropicalis 2.7%, C. krusei 2.7%, C. guilliemondii 1.3% and C. famata, 1.3%. Germ tube positive C. albicans were 96.1% while only 3.8% were germ tube negative. All the 130 isolates identified as C. albicans formed chlamydospores on Corn meal agar and all grew at both 370C and 45 °C ruling out the possibility of Candida dubliniensis. Conclusion: Non albicans candida are of clinical significance and may warrant the need speciate Candida species from clinical setting and constantly monitor for fungal resistance as some Candida species are intrinsically resistant to certain antifungal drugs especially in the context of opportunistic infections in HIV/AIDS

ANTIOXIDANT, ANTIMICROBIAL AND SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES OF TEA POLYPHENOLS

Microbial resistance to antibiotics has become an increasing global problem and there is a need to find out novel potent antimicrobial agents with alternative modes of action as accessories to antibiotic therapy. This study investigated the antioxidant, antimicrobial and synergistic properties of tea polyphenols. The tea germplasm from Kenya, China and Japan that are grown in Kenya were characterised for their biochemical profiles. The total phenolic content, theaflavins and thearubigins content of different tea products used in this study were determined spectrophotometrically according to Folin-Ciocalteus and flavognost methods, respectively. The individual catechin contents were characterised by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified according to their HPLC retention times, elution order and comparison with authentic standards. The antioxidant activity of tea polyphenols was determined spectrophotometrically on its ability to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The agar disc diffusion method was used to screen for antimicrobial and synergistic activities of the tea liquors. Black, green, purple coloured leaf and white (silvery tips) tea products differed significantly in the levels of total polyphenols, total catechins, catechins fractions, theaflavins and thearubigins (P<0.05). Green, purple coloured leaf (aerated) and black tea from terminal buds and white tea products analysed in this study exhibited slightly higher antioxidant activity than black tea. The different types of tea products exhibited significant influence on the inhibition zone diameters against bacteria and fungi exposed to the tea extracts. Methicillin and penicillinase resistant S. aureus ATCC 25923, C. albicans ATCC 90028 and a clinical isolate of C. neoformans were more susceptible to all tea extracts than E. coli and S. typhi . There was synergism between most tea extracts and penicillin G against methicillin and penicillinase resistant S. aureus ATTC 25923.La r\ue9sistance microbienne aux antibiotiques est devenue un probl\ue8me \ue9pineux au niveau global et il est n\ue9cessaire d\u2019identifier d\u2019autres agents antimicrobiens efficaces avec des modes alternatifs d\u2019action pour appuyer la th\ue9rapie antibiotique. Cette \ue9tude \ue9tait men\ue9e sur les antioxydants et les propri\ue9t\ue9s antimicrobiennes et synerg\ue9tiques des polyph\ue9nols du th\ue9. Les germoplasmes de th\ue9 en provenance du Kenya, de la Chine et du Japon cultiv\ue9s au Kenya ont fait l\u2019objet d\u2019une caract\ue9risation de leurs profiles biochimiques. La teneur ph\ue9nolique totale ainsi que les th\ue9aflavines et les th\ue9arubigines dans les diff\ue9rents produits de th\ue9 utilis\ue9s dans cette \ue9tude \ue9taient d\ue9termin\ue9e par spectrophotom\ue9trie respectivement sur base des m\ue9thodes dites de Folin-Ciocalteus et flavognost. Les teneurs individuelles en cat\ue9chine \ue9taient caract\ue9ris\ue9es par chromatographie liquide \ue0 haute performance (HPLC) et identifi\ue9es sur base de leurs temps de r\ue9tention de HPLC, de l\u2019ordre d\u2019\ue9lution en comparaison avec les standards normaux. L\u2019activit\ue9 antioxydante des polyph\ue9nols de th\ue9 \ue9tait d\ue9termin\ue9e par spectrophotom\ue9trie sur base de sa capacit\ue9 \ue0 capter le radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). La m\ue9thode de diffusion sur disque d\u2019agar \ue9tait utilis\ue9e pour tester les activit\ue9s microbiennes et synerg\ue9tiques des extraits du th\ue9. Les feuilles de th\ue9 de couleurs noir, verte, pourpre et les extraits du th\ue9 blanc diff\ue9raient significativement du point de vue niveaux de polyph\ue9nols totaux, des cat\ue9chines totales, des fractions de cat\ue9chines, des th\ue9aflavines et des th\ue9arubigines (P<0.05). Les feuilles de couleurs verte et pourpre ainsi que les th\ue9s noirs issues des bourgeons terminaux et extraits du th\ue9 blanc analys\ue9s dans cette \ue9tude ont montr\ue9 une activit\ue9 antioxydante l\ue9g\ue8rement sup\ue9rieure \ue0 celle du th\ue9 noir. Les diff\ue9rents types d\u2019extraits de th\ue9 ont montr\ue9 une influence significative sur les diam\ue8tres des zones de contamination une fois expos\ue9s \ue0 des bact\ue9ries ou des champignons. Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, C. albicans ATCC 90028 et un isolant clinique de C. neoformans r\ue9sistants \ue0 la m\ue9thicilline et \ue0 la p\ue9nicillinase \ue9taient les plus susceptibles \ue0 tous les extraits de th\ue9 en comparaison avec E. coli et S. typhi . Il y avait un synergisme entre la plupart d\u2019extraits de th\ue9 et la p\ue9nicilline G contre S. aureus ATTC 25923 r\ue9sistant \ue0 la m\ue9thicilline et \ue0 la p\ue9nicillinase