In vitro antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of different Senna didymobotrya (Fresen.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby plant parts

Background: Herbal medicines have been in use for many years and remain widespread in developing countries; whereas, the use of complementary alternative medicine is on the increase in developed countries. Senna didymobotrya is important for its medicinal benefits among most communities in treating a wide range of ailments.Materials and methods: Plants were collected from a cluster in Siaya, Nandi and Nakuru counties (Kenya). Stem bark, root bark, leaves, flowers and immature pods were obtained; air-dried and ground into fine powder. Methanol was used to extract the plant extracts. The extracts were reconstituted in water and incorporated into growth media to obtain 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10%. Bioassays were carried out on T. tonsurans (ATCC 28942) and C. albicans (14053). The growth of cultures on the plates was measured over a period of sixteen days. The area under disease progress stairs was determined and subjected to ANOVA and comparison of means using LSD.Results: Results indicated that the growth of C. albicans was not significantly affected by the plant extracts. Growth of T. tonsurans was completely inhibited by immature pods extract at 10%, the leaves and flowers extracts inhibited the growth at 7.5%. The stem and root bark extracts inhibited growth at low dosages of 2.5- 5 %.Conclusion: There is need to carry out research on root and stem barks to identify the active phytochemicals that contribute to their high efficacies. On species conservation, harvesting of roots may lead to depletion of S. didymobotrya.Keywords: Senna didymobotrya, ringworms, candidiasis, tinea capiti

What's normal? Oligosaccharide concentrations and profiles in milk produced by healthy women vary geographically.

Background: Human milk is a complex fluid comprised of myriad substances, with one of the most abundant substances being a group of complex carbohydrates referred to as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). There has been some evidence that HMO profiles differ in populations, but few studies have rigorously explored this variability.Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that HMO profiles differ in diverse populations of healthy women. Next, we examined relations between HMO and maternal anthropometric and reproductive indexes and indirectly examined whether differences were likely related to genetic or environmental variations.Design: In this cross-sectional, observational study, milk was collected from a total of 410 healthy, breastfeeding women in 11 international cohorts and analyzed for HMOs by using high-performance liquid chromatography.Results: There was an effect of the cohort (P 4 times higher in milk collected in Sweden than in milk collected in rural Gambia (mean ± SEM: 473 ± 55 compared with 103 ± 16 nmol/mL, respectively; P < 0.05), and disialyllacto-N-tetraose (DSLNT) concentrations ranged from 216 ± 14 nmol/mL (in Sweden) to 870 ± 68 nmol/mL (in rural Gambia) (P < 0.05). Maternal age, time postpartum, weight, and body mass index were all correlated with several HMOs, and multiple differences in HMOs [e.g., lacto-N-neotetrose and DSLNT] were shown between ethnically similar (and likely genetically similar) populations who were living in different locations, which suggests that the environment may play a role in regulating the synthesis of HMOs.Conclusions: The results of this study support our hypothesis that normal HMO concentrations and profiles vary geographically, even in healthy women. Targeted genomic analyses are required to determine whether these differences are due at least in part to genetic variation. A careful examination of sociocultural, behavioral, and environmental factors is needed to determine their roles in this regard. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02670278

Variation in Human Milk Composition Is Related to Differences in Milk and Infant Fecal Microbial Communities.

Previously published data from our group and others demonstrate that human milk oligosaccharide (HMOs), as well as milk and infant fecal microbial profiles, vary by geography. However, little is known about the geographical variation of other milk-borne factors, such as lactose and protein, as well as the associations among these factors and microbial community structures in milk and infant feces. Here, we characterized and contrasted concentrations of milk-borne lactose, protein, and HMOs, and examined their associations with milk and infant fecal microbiomes in samples collected in 11 geographically diverse sites. Although geographical site was strongly associated with milk and infant fecal microbiomes, both sample types assorted into a smaller number of community state types based on shared microbial profiles. Similar to HMOs, concentrations of lactose and protein also varied by geography. Concentrations of HMOs, lactose, and protein were associated with differences in the microbial community structures of milk and infant feces and in the abundance of specific taxa. Taken together, these data suggest that the composition of human milk, even when produced by relatively healthy women, differs based on geographical boundaries and that concentrations of HMOs, lactose, and protein in milk are related to variation in milk and infant fecal microbial communities

Corrigendum: What's Normal? Microbiomes in Human Milk and Infant Feces Are Related to Each Other but Vary Geographically: The INSPIRE Study

A correction has been made to the Materials and Methods section, subsection Extraction of DNA fromMilk, paragraph 2, The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated

What's Normal? Microbiomes in Human Milk and Infant Feces Are Related to Each Other but Vary Geographically: The INSPIRE Study

Background: Microbial communities in human milk and those in feces from breastfed infants vary within and across populations. However, few researchers have conducted cross-cultural comparisons between populations, and little is known about whether certain “core” taxa occur normally within or between populations and whether variation in milk microbiome is related to variation in infant fecal microbiome. The purpose of this study was to describe microbiomes of milk produced by relatively healthy women living at diverse international sites and compare these to the fecal microbiomes of their relatively healthy infants. Methods: We analyzed milk (n = 394) and infant feces (n = 377) collected from mother/infant dyads living in 11 international sites (2 each in Ethiopia, The Gambia, and the US; 1 each in Ghana, Kenya, Peru, Spain, and Sweden). The V1-V3 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was sequenced to characterize and compare microbial communities within and among cohorts. Results: Core genera in feces were Streptococcus, Escherichia/Shigella, and Veillonella, and in milk were Streptococcus and Staphylococcus, although substantial variability existed within and across cohorts. For instance, relative abundance of Lactobacillus was highest in feces from rural Ethiopia and The Gambia, and lowest in feces from Peru, Spain, Sweden, and the US; Rhizobium was relatively more abundant in milk produced by women in rural Ethiopia than all other cohorts. Bacterial diversity also varied among cohorts. For example, Shannon diversity was higher in feces from Kenya than Ghana and US-California, and higher in rural Ethiopian than Ghana, Peru, Spain, Sweden, and US-California. There were limited associations between individual genera in milk and feces, but community-level analyses suggest strong, positive associations between the complex communities in these sample types. Conclusions: Our data provide additional evidence of within- and among-population differences in milk and infant fecal bacterial community membership and diversity and support for a relationship between the bacterial communities in milk and those of the recipient infant's feces. Additional research is needed to understand environmental, behavioral, and genetic factors driving this variation and association, as well as its significance for acute and chronic maternal and infant health

Seed Abortion and Numerical Components of Seed Yield of Soyabean (Glycine max L. Merr.) in Three Contrasting Agroecologies

ABSTRACT Two trials were conducted to study the components of yield. In one trial three genotypes were planted in three blocks with the objective of studying the dynamics of seeds/pod during seed maturation. Pods were dissected to reveal the developing seed 20 days after flowering (DAF) and at harvesting. In another trial, 14 genotypes were planted in RCBD in three contrasting environments: Bureti, Njoro and Lare with the objective of studying the components of yield. Seeds/pod was significantly different, both at 20 DAF and at harvesting. Although there were more pods at harvesting compared to 20 DAF, 3-seeded pods was the mode 20 DAF while the mode was 1-seeded pod at harvesting which may be explained by seed abortion. Seeds/pod was significantly different at the three sites. Yield and its components were highest at Bureti compared with Lare. It is apparent that seeds per pod are influenced by seed abortion

Comparison Between Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) and Culture Method in the Detection of Pasteurella multocida in Organs of Indigenous Birds

A total of forty-eight indigenous birds were intratracheally infected with Pasteurella multocida, paired and sacrificed at specified times. Seven organs from each of the four pairs were swabbed for culture and tissues taken for FISH test to detect the presence of the bacterium in these birds. Oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were collected, for culture method and bacteria characterized by biochemical tests. While for FISH test, tissues were processed for histology after fixation in formalin for 24 hours and later preserved in 70% alcohol before in situ hybridization test. At any sacrificial time between 1hour and 14 days post inoculation P. multocida FISH signals were observed in 47 to 75% while the bacterium was isolated on culture in 7 to 50% of the organs of the indigenous birds. During the same period four (lung, trachea/oropharynx, liver and spleen) organs on FISH test and one (trachea/oropharynx) on culture were throughout positive for P. multocida. The large intestine/cloaca and pruning gland showed P. multocida FISH signals at various times but were negative for the bacterium on culture. Both tests were positive for P. multocida immediately after inoculation. FISH signals were found in a decreasing manner in the lung, trachea/oropharynx, liver, spleen, caecal tonsils, large intestine/cloaca, and pruning gland. On culture, the bacteria were found in a decreasing manner in the trachea/oropharynx, lung, spleen, liver and caecal tonsils. Most cultured isolates were made between 1 - 24 hours, few and intermittent ones thereafter, and none at all after the 10th day post infection. These results show that FISH test is more sensitive than the culture method for detection of P. multocida in tissues of infected birds. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 29 2005: pp. 53-5

Comparison of the Carrier Status of P. multocida Between Farm and Live Market Indigenous Birds

A total of one hundred and seventy one indigenous birds from smallholder farms and those traded in market centers in Nairobi were examined for the presence of Pasteurella multocida. Of these, 135 were farmed and 36 were market birds. They comprised of 117 indigenous chickens and 54 ducks. Three hundred and forty two oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were collected from them and cultured onto blood agar and other media. The recovered isolates were characterized using colonial morphology, biochemical and other tests. Twenty three P. multocida isolates were recovered: 11/135 (8%) from farm and 12/36 (33%) from the market birds. Majority of the P. multocida isolates were Pasteurella multocida gallicida 11/23 (48%), followed by Pasteurella multocida multocida 7/23 (30%) and Pasteurella multocida septica 5/23 (22%). Pasteurella multocida gallicida isolates were encountered more in the market birds, while Pasteurella multocida multocida isolates were more in farm birds. Ducks had more isolates than chickens. The concentration of the birds at market areas appeared to favor the maintenance of P. multocida in the cages, crates and pens. Market birds may, therefore, play a major role in the spreading of P. multocida. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 29 2005: pp. 45-4