Cancer patterns in four districts of the Transkei region 1991-1995

Background. Oesophageal cancer (OC) is an important public health problem among the Xhosa-speaking people of the Transkei region in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, with incidence rates for males among the highest in the world.Objectives. To record the occurrence of cancer among men and women of all ages in four districts in the Transkei during the period 1991 - 1995, to identify common cancers and to compare the variations in cancer incidences in this region with incidences in Africa and the rest of the world.Design. Cancer registration of cases reported from all clinics and hospitals was conducted in the four selected districts.Setting. The districts included Centane (Kentani), Butterworth, Bizana and Lusikisiki in the Transkei region.Methods. Active and passive methods were used to collect data, which were analysed using the Statistical Analyses Systems (SAS) package.Results. The mean annual number of all cancer cases reported was 310, with age-standardised incidence rates (ASIRs, world standard) of 98.2/100 000 and 74.3/100 000 for males and females, respectively. The most frequently reported cancer was OC, with mean annual ASIRs of 76.6/100 000 and 36.5/100 000 for males and females, respectively, with a male/female ratio of 2:1.Conclusion. The present data confirm previous reports that OC rates in Centane have consistently remained very high, whereas time-dependent changes in the incidence of OC have occurred in Butterworth, Bizana and Lusikisiki suggesting changes in the risk determinants in these districts

Controversies in fumonisin mycotoxicology and risk assessment

Fusarium verticillioides causes several animal diseases and the contamination maize suggests that it could adversely affect human health. The fumonisin B mycotoxins were characterized from the fungal culture material and shown to be the causative principle responsible for the major mycotoxicological effects of the fungus in experimental and farm animals. The main focus was on the toxicological effects in rats and mice, the outcome of which played an important role in setting risk assessment parameters for exposure of the fumonisins to humans. The International Agency for Research on Cancer characterized the fumonisins as Group 2B carcinogens. Several controversial findings regarding the toxicological effects of the culture material of the fungus, the genotoxicity and carcinogenicity of pure fumonisin B1 (FB1) in rats have been reported that should be clarified prior to assessing the risk in humans. The underlying differences between the diets with the high protein levels are likely to sensitize the kidneys to FB1-induced toxic and carcinogenic effects. Several other dietary factors, such as plant extracts (antioxidants) and dietary Fe, could either stimulate or inhibit cancer induction of FB1, which complicates the comparison of toxicological effects in experimental animals. Cognisance should be taken of the modulating role of dietary constituents as it will determine the outcome of toxicological assays and determine the threshold of an adverse effect in a specific target organ to be used in determining risk assessment parameters. © SAGE Publications 2012

Food processing to reduce mycotoxins in Africa

Mycotoxins have both economic and health impacts because they contaminate human food and animal feeds. A central question is whether there are food processing strategies that reduce mycotoxin levels in food products. In this chapter we critically review food processing methods tested in Africa for their efficacy in reducing mycotoxin contamination in maize and peanut. These methods include cleaning, separation of screenings, washing, steeping, aqueous extraction, dehulling, milling, fermentation, cooking and roasting. Some methods reduced mycotoxin levels significantly while others were less effective. Encouraging the widespread use of the toxin-reducing processing techniques would lower consumption of contaminated food products in Africa, and improve food quality and human health

Philatelic Mycology: Families of Fungi

Philately, the study of postage stamps, and mycology, the study of fungi, are seldom connected by those that practice these very different activities. When associated, philatelic mycology would be considered as the study of fungi on stamps. The Fungi touch every aspect of our daily lives, most importantly as the ultimate degraders of organic tissue. They occur in every conceivable environment and importantly, they represent a huge proportion of the yet undiscovered biodiversity on earth. Fungi vary greatly in morphology, ranging from minute, inconspicuous organisms to the large mushrooms and bracket fungi on trees. They also include a wide variety of biological functions such as being human, animal and plant pathogens, saprobes as well as symbionts and mutualists in fascinating and largely unexplored interactions. Fungi also form an important component of our daily diet allowing bread to rise, bringing zest to cheeses, adding alcohol and gas to beers and wines and many are simply delicious in their own right. In this book, the fungi are classified in two major phyla, e.g. Ascomycota (ascopores in asci; the sac fungi) and Basidiomycota (basidiospores on basidia; mushrooms, bracket fungi, puffballs, rusts and smuts). The book catalogues 1000 stamps depicting fungi from various countries. Unusually for philately, these stamps are organised mycologically and thus based on the current phylogenetic classification of the fungi depicted on them. In many cases information is provided regarding the biology of the fungi, the countries in which they occur and the derivations (etymology) of their names. While perhaps somewhat eclectic, this book is a celebration of the beauty of the fungi and the art of philately