Is There an Association between Socioeconomic Status and Body Mass Index among Adolescents in Mauritius?

There are no documented studies on socioeconomic status (SES) and body mass index (BMI) among Mauritian adolescents. This study aimed to determine the relationships between SES and BMI among adolescents with focus on diet quality and physical activity (PA) as mediating factors. Mauritian school adolescents (n = 200; 96 males, 104 females) were recruited using multistage sampling. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire. Height and weight were measured and used to calculate BMI (categorised into underweight, healthy-weight, overweight, obese). Chi-square test, Pearson correlation, and Independent samples t-test were used for statistical analysis. A negative association was found between SES and BMI (χ2 = 8.15%, P < 0.05). Diet quality, time spent in PA at school (P = 0.000), but not total PA (P = 0.562), were significantly associated with high SES. Poor diet quality and less time spent in PA at school could explain BMI discrepancies between SES groups

Oral dysbacteriosis in type 2 diabetes and its role in the progression to cardiovascular disease.

Background: Salivary changes and proliferation of specific bacterial communities are known to result in oral disease which may adversely impact on systemic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.Objectives: This study reports on the changes in oral ecology of healthy and diseased adults and the possible role in disease causation.Methods: The study comprised 150 participants divided into control (healthy), diabetic and cardiac groups. After dental examination for (Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DMFT) and Oral Rating Index (ORI), stimulated saliva was sampled to determine flow rate and buffering capacity. Salivary microbial load of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli were subsequently quantified.Results: DMFT, ORI, buffering capacity and flow rate were inferior for both diabetic and cardiac patients, who had higher bacterial counts (p&lt;0.05). Long standing diabetics harboured a higher load of  treptococcus mutans. The microbial load of Streptococcus mutans in cardiac patients was double that of diabetics.Conclusion: Disruption in the salivary environment and changes in microbial ecology with increased load of cariogenic bacteria were found in diabetic and cardiac patients. This study brings forward new evidence of a markedly higher load of Streptococcus mutans in cardiac patients which may underlie the progression of diabetes to cardiovascular disease in this population.Keywords: Oral ecology, saliva, bacteria, dental caries, diabetes

A Scientific Assessment of Sociodemographic Factors, Physical Activity Level, and Nutritional Knowledge as Determinants of Dietary Quality among Indo-Mauritian Women

A healthy diet is of particular concern throughout the life of women to avoid many chronic illnesses especially during their 30s to 50s. There are published data on dietary quality and its determinants among women, but there is a lack of similar data regarding women in Mauritius. This study aimed to investigate the association between age and dietary quality in relation to sociodemographic factors, physical activity level (PAL) and nutritional knowledge (NK). A survey-based study was conducted in 2012 among Indo-Mauritian women including 117 young (21.35±1.98), 160 reaching middle age (34.02±5.09) and 50 middle-aged (37.85±8.32). Validated questionnaires were used to elicit information on the determinants. A food frequency table consisting of 18 food items was used to assess dietary quality. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the association between various factors and dietary quality. The mean dietary score of middle-aged women (18.70±2.67) was closer to recommended dietary guidelines compared to young women (17.22±3.40), and women reaching middle age (17.55±3.29). Educational level, PAL, NK, and age were main determinants of dietary quality among Indo-Mauritian women (P<0.05). Younger women with low educational level, PAL, and NK are at risk of poor dietary quality

Effectiveness of a Theory-Driven Nutritional Education Program in Improving Calcium Intake among Older Mauritian Adults

Background. Low calcium intake, a risk factor of osteoporosis and subsequent fractures, has been previously reported among post-menopausal women in Mauritius. Objective. To assess the effectiveness of a theory-based educational intervention in improving the calcium intake, self-efficacy, and knowledge of older Mauritians. Methodology. The study was conducted as a pre- and post-test design which was evaluated through a baseline, immediate postintervention, and 2-month follow-up assessments. Participants were adults (n=189) aged ≥40 years old from 2 urban community-based centres. The intervention group (IG) (n=98) participated in 6 weekly interactive lessons based on the health belief model (HBM). The main outcome measures were calcium intake, HB scale scores, knowledge scores, and physical activity level (PAL). Anthropometric measurements were also assessed. Results. The IG significantly increased its baseline calcium intake, knowledge and self-efficacy (P<0.001) at post-assessments. A significant decrease in waist circumference in the IG was noted (P<0.05) after intervention. PAL significantly increased by 12.3% at post-test and by 29.6% at follow-up among intervention adults when compared to the CG (P<0.001). Conclusion. A theory-driven educational intervention is effective in improving the dietary calcium intake, knowledge, self-efficacy, and PAL of older community-based Mauritian adults

Application of rep-PCR as a molecular tool for the genetic diversity assessment of Jatropha curcas

Jatropha curcas L., a non-edible Euphorbiaceae oil-rich crop cultivated in subtropical/tropical countries, has gained global attention as a promising renewable resource for biodiesel production. Rep polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to investigate the genetic diversity of 15 populations of J. curcas L. Distinct populations of the plant growing wildly in Mauritius were characterised using three molecular markers random-amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP), and BOX. Furthermore, to confirm that the amplicons obtained with rep-PCR were derived from mitochondrial genomes, six randomly chosen bands were cloned and sequenced to demonstrate that the amplified products were mitochondrial genome-specific. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) values were 0.329 and the average percentage of polymorphic loci obtained were 89.28 for BOX primer, followed by RAPD (83.41), and REP (55.81) among the different populations with the percentage polymorphic loci ranging from 13.95 to 100. The homology recorded clearly indicated that the amplified products were mitochondrial genome-specific. Rep-PCR provides a quick and cheap method to study diversity at the mitochondrial level in plants.Keywords: Genetic diversity, Jatropha curcas, rep-polymerase chain reaction (PCR

A systematic review of factors affecting energy intake of adolescent girls.

Background: Adolescence is considered a critical period marked by an increase in energy intake to meet the body\u2019s physiological needs especially during puberty. This study reviews existing literature and critically analyses factors associated with eating habits and energy intake of adolescent girls. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify at least 200 peer reviewed articles which dealt with the factors affecting energy intake (EI) and eating habits of adolescent girls. Studies were identified using a reference period between 1994 and 2016, based primarily on the PubMed/ CINL/ Science Direct/Google Scholar databases using keywords adolescent/ teenagers, factors/determinants and energy intake. Results: No studies investigated all factors affecting energy intake among adolescents. Some studies found mixed association among the determinants of EI in adolescent girls. However, a number of reviews confirm that many factors namely physical activity level, socio-economic status, diet, individual and social factors do contribute to either a higher or a lower EI of adolescents. Conclusion: There is a dire need to consider factors associated with EI when designing nutritional intervention programs to prevent health problems in adulthood. The goal is not to change behavior of all but to increase the percentage of people adopting healthier lifestyle

Ribosomal and Protein Gene Phylogeny Reveals Novel Saprobic Fungal Species FromJuglans regiaandUrtica dioica

During an ongoing investigation of Ascomycetes from plant substrates, three saprobic species were found from plant substrates. Two new species,Leptosphaeria regiaeandNeomicrosphaeropsis juglandiswere isolated from dead branches ofJuglans regiafrom Turkey. Another species is introduced herein asSubplenodomus urticaesp. nov within the family Leptosphaeriaceae found onUrtica dioicain Italy. Multigene phylogenies based on combined LSU, ITS, SSU, and beta-tubulin DNA sequence data generated from maximum likelihood and MrBayes analyses indicate thatLeptosphaeria regiaeis related toL. slovacicaand forms an independent lineage within the genusLeptosphaeria.Subplenodomus urticaeis basal toS. iridicolaand its establishment as a new species is strongly supported.Neomicrosphaeropsis juglandisforms a moderately supported lineage in betweenN. italicaandN. elaeagniin the Didymellaceae. Full morphological details are provided herein and phylogenetic relationships of the three new species are also discussed

Early bacterial biofilm colonizers in the coastal waters of Mauritius

Background: The past years have witnessed a growing number of researches in biofilm forming communities due to their environmental and maritime industrial implications. To gain a better understanding of the early bacterial biofilm community, microfiber nets were used as artificial substrates and incubated for a period of 24 h in Mauritian coastal waters. Next-generation sequencing technologies were employed as a tool for identification of early bacterial communities. Different genes associated with quorum sensing and cell motility were further investigated. Results: Proteobacteria were identified as the predominant bacterial microorganisms in the biofilm within the 24 h incubation, of which members affiliated to Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria were among the most abundant classes. The biofilm community patterns were also driven by phyla such as Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. The functional analysis based on KEGG classification indicated high activities in carbohydrate, lipid and amino acids metabolism. Different genes encoding for luxI, lasI, agrC, flhA, cheA and cheB showed the involvement of microbial members in quorum sensing and cell motility. Conclusion: This study provides both an insight on the early bacterial biofilm forming community and the genes involved in quorum sensing and bacterial cell motility

Bacterial Endo-Symbiont Inhabiting Tridax procumbens L. and Their Antimicrobial Potential

Bacterial symbionts inhabiting Tridax procumbens L. were screened for antimicrobial potential with the aim to isolate potent bacteria bearing significant activity against test pathogens. The selected isolate was subjected to large scale fermentation to extract antimicrobial metabolite. The organic phase was reduced under vacuum pressure and crude ethyl acetate extract (10 mg/mL) was evaluated for antimicrobial activity against panel of test pathogens. The antibacterial activity was measured as a zone of inhibition and compared with standard antibiotics, gentamicin and tetracycline. Similarly, antifungal activity was compared with miconazole and bavistin. Significant activity was conferred against Shigella flexneri (MTCC 731) with 27±1.5 mm zone across the disc. Partially, purification of antimicrobial metabolite with TLC-bioautography and HPLC resulted in active fraction bearing activity at Rf 0.65 and eluting between 4 and 5 retention times. The obtained results are promising enough for future purification and characterization of antimicrobial metabolite. Thus, the study attributes to the growing knowledge on endophytes as one of the rich sources of antimicrobial potentials

Morphological and phylogenetic characterisation of novel Cytospora species associated with mangroves

Mangroves are relatively unexplored habitats and have been shown to harbour a number of novel species of fungi. In this study, samples of microfungi were collected from symptomatic branches, stem and leaves of the mangrove species Xylocarpus granatum, X. moluccensis and Lumnitzera racemosa and examined morphologically. The phylogeny recovered supports our morphological data to introduce three new species, Cytospora lumnitzericola, C. thailandica and C. xylocarpi. In addition, a combined multi-gene DNA sequence dataset (ITS, LSU, ACT and RPB2) was analysed to investigate phylogenetic relationships of isolates and help in a more reliable species identification