Sustainable mushroom production in Africa: A case study in Ghana

This study investigated a sustainable alternative to grow crops using organic wastes as biofertilizers. Fresh fish waste (FFW) and cooked fish waste (CFW) mixed with sawdust from Tryplochyton scleroxylon wood species (Wawa) were made into compost heaps. Control compost from rice bran (CRB) was also prepared. Higher temperatures were recorded from compost heaps prepared from both FFW (38 -52°C) and CFW (37 - 52°C) than from CRB (33 - 45°C); with reduction in composting time and generation of large numbers of microorganisms in the fish-based compost heaps. Mycelial colonization of compost bags and subsequent growth of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus species) were faster in fish-based substrates (FFW and CFW) as compared to CRB. P.eous and P. oestreatus exhibited uniform spread of mycelia in the compost bags than P. eous hybrid. However, P. eous hybrid produced the fastest rate of mycelial growth, completely colonizing thesubstrate within 26 days. Growth of each species of mushroom investigated was independent of the substrate in which it was grown. Irrespective of the substrate used to grow the mushroom, the pattern ofutilization and growth remained the same. Oyster mushrooms grown on fish-based substrates produced bigger and firmer fruiting bodies. This alternative could be very attractive to small farmers throughout the world, who are known to operate under adverse conditions and limited resources

Physiological Comparison of Two Salt-Excluder Hybrid Grapevine Rootstocks under Salinity Reveals Different Adaptation Qualities

Like other plant stresses, salinity is a central agricultural problem, mainly in arid or semi-arid regions. Therefore, salt-adapted plants have evolved several adaptation strategies to counteract salt-related events, such as photosynthesis inhibition, metabolic toxicity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. European grapes are usually grafted onto salt-tolerant rootstocks as a cultivation practice to alleviate salinity-dependent damage. In the current study, two grape rootstocks, 140 Ruggeri (RUG) and Millardet et de Grasset 420A (MGT), were utilized to evaluate the diversity of their salinity adaptation strategies. The results showed that RUG is able to maintain higher levels of the photosynthetic pigments (Chl-T, Chl-a, and Chl-b) under salt stress, and hence accumulates higher levels of total soluble sugars (TSS), monosaccharides, and disaccharides compared with the MGT rootstock. Moreover, it was revealed that the RUG rootstock maintains and/or increases the enzymatic activities of catalase, GPX, and SOD under salinity, giving it a more efficient ROS detoxification machinery under stress

Treatment of Tuberculosis Using a Combination of Sustained-Release Rifampin-Loaded Microspheres and Oral Dosing with Isoniazid

Previously, we reported on the use of rifampin-loaded microspheres to effectively treat Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages and mice. Using similar biocompatible polymeric excipients of lactide and glycolide copolymers, we have increased the rifampin loading of small microsphere formulations (1 to 10 μm) by fourfold. Improved formulations were evaluated individually and in combination with oral regimens of isoniazid for the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv-infected mice. Groups (10 mice per group) consisted of mice that received (i) oral dosages of isoniazid (25 to 0.19 mg/kg of body weight/day), (ii) two intraperitoneal injections of rifampin-loaded microspheres on days 0 and 7, (iii) a combination of small rifampin-loaded microspheres on days 0 and 7 and isoniazid orally for 25 days (12.5 to 0.39 mg/kg/day), (iv) placebo injections, and (v) no treatment. Treatment with rifampin-loaded microspheres alone resulted in significant reductions in the numbers of CFU in the lungs and spleens by day 26. A bioassay revealed that plasma rifampin levels from the microspheres exceeded the MICs by more than twofold throughout the 26-day experimental period. Susceptibility testing demonstrated continued sensitivity to rifampin during the treatment period. Whereas isoniazid alone significantly reduced the numbers of CFU for dosages ranging from 12.5 to 1.56 mg/kg, combination therapy with rifampin-loaded microspheres increased the effective range to 0.39 mg/kg. In many cases, complete elimination of CFU was obtained with the combination therapy, something not achieved with most of the single therapies. These results demonstrate the ability to use small microsphere formulations alone to achieve significant results in a murine tuberculosis model and also the ability to use them safely in combination with another antimycobacterial agent