Potential application of tetrapleura tetraptera and hibiscus sabdariffa (Malvaceae) in designing highly flavoured and bioactive pito with functional properties

Sorghum beer (pito) is an indigenous alcoholic beverage peculiar to northern Ghana and parts of other West African countries. It is overwhelmed with calories, essential amino acids (such as lysine, etc.), B-group vitamins, and minerals. In recent years, there has been a growing demand for highly flavoured yet functional pito in Ghana; however, the local producers lack the prerequisite scientific expertise in designing such products. We propose the utilization of Tetrapleura tetraptera (TT) and Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) as cheap and readily available materials in designing functional flavoured pito. The addition of TT and HS would not alter the fermentation profile but rather augment the starter with nutrients, thus improving the fermentation performance and shelf life of the final pito. In vitro and in vivo studies provide substantive evidence of antioxidant, nephro-and hepato-protective, renal/diuretic effect, anticholesterol, antidiabetic, and antihypertensive effects among others of the TT and HS, hence enriching the pito with health-promoting factors and consequently boosting the health of the consumer. Herein, we summarise the phytochemical, biological, pharmacological, and toxicological aspects of TT and HS as well as the technology involved in brewing the novel bioactive-flavoured pito. In addition, we also report the incidence of heavy metal in conventional pito. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.University of OtagoP.A. is grateful to the University of Otago for support via the University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship

Impact of herbal supplements nowadays: an overview

At present, people around the world are looking for more natural alternatives for treating all kinds of health conditions as well as improving the general wellbeing. As such, the consumption of herbal supplements has increased globally, generating billions in revenue. The use of these herbal products is firmly rooted in the traditional use of medicinal plants for disease prevention and treatment, practiced in several cultures. Although herbal products are recognized by the WHO as an essential component of the healthcare system, there have been increasing concerns regarding their quality and safety. Generally, herbal products are not strictly regulated as they are largely categorized under dietary supplements, thus escaping the rigorous scrutiny meted out to pharmaceuticals. Notwithstanding that many consumers generally perceive herbal products as benign and inherently safe, several reports have shown that herbal products can induce mild to acute adverse effects of clinical significance. Moreover, some herbal products on the market have been reported to be contaminated with microorganisms, environmental toxins, and adulterants. Furthermore, evidence regarding the efficacy of herbal supplements is extremely discrepant

Living with HIV in the time of COVID-19: A glimpse of hope

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Modern biotechnological methods in wastewater treatment: a review

Given that water is the main solvent in living organisms as well as in domestic and industrial activities, it must be treated as carefully as possible after multiple uses to get a harmless water quality. To remove the undesirable materials (e.g. organic matters, surfactants, petroleum products, unwanted metals, dyes, et.), the physicochemical water treatment process is used as the common method. This method of wastewater treatment uses flocculation – coagulation technique, which consists of mixing coagulant matters with water to collect, in solid clusters, the materials in suspension by gravity. Recently, environmental scientists have suggested biotechnology methods as the main alternatives in the treatment of wastewater, as they offer more benefits to the water quality and human health than chemical methods. This paper describes and assesses some modern biotechnology methods used in wastewater treatment

HIV/SARS-CoV-2 coinfection: A global perspective

Since its first appearance in Wuhan, China, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread throughout the world and has become a global pandemic. Several medical comorbidities have been identified as risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, it remains unclear whether people living with human immunodefeciency virus (PLWH) are at an increased risk of COVID-19 and severe disease manifestation, with controversial suggestion that HIV-infected individuals could be protected from severe COVID-19 by means of antiretroviral therapy or HIV-related immunosuppression. Several cases of coinfection with HIV and SARS-CoV-2 have been reported from different parts of the globe. This review seeks to provide a holistic overview of SARS-CoV-2 infection in PLWH. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LL

Red biotechnology: A healthy world

Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary field of engineering, physics, chemistry and biology. The present era of Biotechnology has reached to a stage of treating killer diseases like cancer, HIV; disorders like diabetes, cardiac diseases and even hereditary disease at the genetic level etc. This review emphasizes the applications of Biotechnology in the medicine field and the basic development of nanomedicine. © 2019 Author(s)

Biovalorization of industrial wastes and byproducts into astaxanthin via yeast fermentation

The research was supported by RFBR grant 18-29-12129mk

Transgenic animals: current state of research and prospects

The research work was partly supported by RFBR grant 18-29-12129mk