Ligninolytic enzymes of the fungus isolated from soil contaminated with cow dung

Lignin is the complex polymer and very few microorganisms are able to degrade it. The study aimed at isolating lignin degrading fungi from soil contaminated with cow dung using ligninolytic screening media. The study was able to isolate one ligninolytic fungus by using lignin media. The strain was screened for  production of ligninolytic enzymes  using Rhemazol Brilliant blue R (RBBR) dye, 2,2-azino-bis (3- ethylbenzthiazoline)-6-sulfonate (ABTS) and guaiacol in a semi-solid medium. The isolate decolourized RBBR dye, ABTS and guaiacol in a semi solid media. The strain was further tested for lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP) and laccase (Lac) enzymatic activities in liquid media. It was found that; fungal filtrate had maximum LiP, MnP and Lac activities of 1.44, 0.30 and 0.28 U/ml. Therefore, it was concluded that soil contaminated with cow dung manure, is a good source of isolating ligninolytic fungi which can be used for different biotechnology applications including bioremediation of polluted soils and bio fuels.Keywords: Cow dung, lignin peroxidase, Manganese peroxidase, Laccas

Delineating the Jurassic to mid cretaceous part of the Pacific apparent polar wander path

The Jurassic to Mid-Cretaceous apparent polar wander path of the Pacific plate irrespective of ages have been delineated. Two poles have been established: one pole, which is relatively older than the other, is at 75.01°N/287.5°E (α = 6.9°) and the other pole is at 61.0°N°/304.7°E (!95 = 4.5°). These results indicate that the Pacific plate drifted southward during the Jurassic to Early-Cretaceous period. Additionally, the results demonstrate that there is an apparent consistent correspondence between changes of plate motion and significant shifts of the Jurassic to Mid-Cretaceous apparent polar wander path

Dental Practitioners' Attitudes, Subjective Norms and Intentions to Practice Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) in Tanzania.

The aim of this study was to describe the attitude and subjective norm of dental practitioners towards practicing the atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) in Tanzania. A pre-tested questionnaire on attitudes and subjective norms to practice ART was mailed to all 147 dental practitioners working in the regional and district government clinics. The independent variables were: gender, working experience, qualification and ever heard of ART. The dependent variables were: attitude, subjective norm and intention to practice ART. Chi-square tests and multiple regression analysis were used to test for effects between independent and dependent variables. Significance level was set at 5%. A total of 138 practitioners returned completed questionnaires. More experienced dental practitioners encountered moderate social pressure than less experienced dental practitioners, who met strong social pressure (p=0.045). A total of 73.2% of dental practitioners felt that ART was worth introducing in Tanzania, 92.8% recommended ART training for all dental practitioners and 97.8% recommended inclusion of ART in dental curricula. Positive attitude, strong subjective norm and high intention to practice ART were recorded in 76.3%, 28.1% and 90.6% of the practitioners, respectively. Only subjective norm had a statistically significant influence on the intention to practice ART (p<0.0001). The results indicated that dental practitioners were willing to have ART introduced in Tanzania and had positive attitudes towards practicing this technique. Nevertheless, their intention to perform ART was strongly influenced by social pressures. Therefore, in order to have a successful introduction of ART in Tanzania, people who matter in the daily practice of dental practitioners need to accept and appraise the ART approach positively

Antibacterial and Anti-HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Activities of Selected Medicinal Plants and Their Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and associated opportunistic infections are still global health concerns. Traditional medicines have been used for managing these infections, with little about their biological activities being known. This study evaluated antimicrobial and anti-HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase (RT) activities of medicinal plants; Harungana madagascariensis, Sapium ellipticum, Pseudospondias microcarpa, Capparis erythrocarpos, and Plectranthus barbatus; and activities of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized from aqueous extracts of H. madagascariensis. Results revealed that aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts of H. madagascariensis, S. ellipticum, P. microcarpa; and ethyl acetate extracts from P. barbatus exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 3.1 to 100 mg mL־1, while aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts from C. erythrocarpos showed no antibacterial activity. Furthermore, the study revealed that ethyl acetate extracts from P. barbatus, S. ellipticum, C. erythrocarpos and aqueous extract from H. madagascariensis have anti-HIV-1 RT inhibition greater than 50% at 10 mg mL־1. Aqueous crude extract of H. madagascariensis revealed higher anti-HIV-1-RT (IC50 = 0.9 mg mL־1) than all other extracts. On the other hand, zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized from aqueous extract of H. madagascariensis exhibited antibacterial activity greater than all the tested extracts and anti-HIV-1 RT activities comparable to aqueous extract of H. madagascariensis. The results provide scientific information towards drug discovery from medicinal plants. Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Nanoparticles, Plant extracts, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity, Antibacterial activit

Free radical scavenging activity of some fungi indigenous to Tanzania

The objective of this study was to evaluate free radical scavenging capacity of crude extracts from forest basidiomycetous fungi, domestic zygomycetous fungi and marine ascomycetous fungi. Lethal concentration values that kill 50% of the brine shrimps (LC50) were determined from 19 fungal extracts using brine shrimp test (BST). The LC50 values of fungal extract ranged between 0.28&ndash;40&micro;g/ml. The basidiomycetous (Lactarius volemoides) was the most toxic fungi with LC50 of 0.28&micro;g/ml while ascomycete Pichia guilliermondii showed the least toxicity with LC50 of 40&micro;g/ml. The concentrations of eleven fungal extracts were further evaluated on their ability to scavenge free radical using 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (&alpha;,&alpha;-diphenyl-&beta;-picrylhydrazyl) (DPPH) as a dye reagent for spectrophotometric assay at 517nm. The extract concentrations that decreased the initial DPPH radical by 50% (EC50) were determined. The EC50 values ranged from 19&ndash;60.4&micro;g/ml ascorbic acid equivalents. Extracts from an edible but undomesticated basidiomycetous fungus isolated from Miombo forest and identified as Termitomyces microcarpus showed the highest scavenging effect with EC50 at 19&micro;g/ml while that from ascomycete Candida tropicalis showed the least EC50 at 60.4&micro;g/ml. These results draw attention to wild undomesticated Miombo fungi as potential source of nutritional supplements worth further investigation

Dermatological Malignancies at a University Teaching Hospital in north-western Tanzania: A Retrospective Review of 154 Cases

Dermatological malignancies are among the most common form of cancers and the global incidence has been increasing at an alarming rate. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence, histopathological pattern, anatomical distribution and treatment outcome of dermatological malignancies at Bugando Medical Centre in North-western Tanzania. Data were collected from patients’ files kept in the Medical record department; the surgical wards, operating theatre and histopathology laboratory and analyzed using Statistical package for social sciences system. A total of 154 patients with a histopathological diagnosis of dermatological malignancy were studied. Generally, males outnumbered females by a ratio of 1.4:1. The majority of patients were in the 5th and 6th decades of life. Malignant melanoma was the most common dermatological malignancy (67.5%) followed by Kaposi’s sarcoma (10.4%), Squamous cell carcinoma (8.4%) and Basal cell carcinoma(7.8%). The lower limbs were the most frequent site accounting for 55.8%. Wide local excision was the most common surgical procedure performed in 79.2% of cases. Post-operative wound infection was the most common complication in 58.3% of patients. Mortality rate was 3.8%. Dermatological malignancies are more prevalent in our setting. A high index of suspicion is needed to avoid labelling malignancies “chronic ulcers” and all suspected lesions should be biopse

In vitro antioxidant activities of ascomycota fungi isolated from marine environment

Marine Ascomycota (Pichia sp and Candida sp) extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant activities. Different antioxidant assays were employed, namely, free radical scavenging, chelating activity on Fe 2+ , reducing power activity, superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities. The polyphenols including total phenols, flavonoids, β-carotene and lycopene were investigated. The results were compared with natural and synthetic antioxidants include ascorbic acid, catechin, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), ethylenediaminetraacetic acid (EDTA) and quercetin. Pichia extract exhibited a strong free radical scavenging of EC 50 value of 0.15 ± 0.01 µg/ml, chelating activity on Fe 2+ with EC 50 value of 58 ± 5.2 µg/ml, reducing power with EC 50 value of 71.2 ± 3 µg/ml, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity with EC 50 value of 243.84 ± 3.2 µg/ml and superoxide radical scavenging activity with EC 50 value of 52.2 ± 1.4 µg/ml. The study showed that Pichia extract exhibited a potent antioxidant activity in all assays; suggesting that strain could be helpful in preventing or slowing the progress of various oxidative stress-induced diseases

Prevalence and Predictors of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia among HIV Infected women at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza-Tanzania.

Cancer of the cervix rank the second most common cause of cancer related deaths among women in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that 529, 409 new cases are diagnosed annually with a mortality rate approaching 274,883 per year. Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) precedes almost all cervical cancers. The incidence rate of CIN among HIV infected women is five times higher as compared to the rate in HIV negative women. The screening for cervical dysplasia and an appropriate management in women with CIN are effective methods for preventing cervical cancer. This study was done to determine the prevalence and predictors of CIN among a HIV infected women attending Care and Treatment centre (CTC) at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC). A cross sectional survey was undertaken among HIV infected women aged 18 years and above attending at BMC CTC clinic between February and March 2013. Visual Inspection with Acetic acid (VIA) was used as the screening method for detection of CIN. Socio-demographic, reproductive and clinical information was obtained from participants and the blood was collected for CD4 lymphocyte count. Cervical punch biopsy for histological examination was performed for those who had VIA positive test. Data were entered and analyzed using STATA Version 12.0 soft ware. A total number of 95 (26.8%) participants had positive VIA test among three hundred and fifty-five (355) HIV infected women. Histology results showed; 4(4.2%) were normal, 26 (27.4%) had an inflammatory lesion, 58(61.1%) had CIN and 7(7.3%) had invasive cervical cancer. CIN was found to be associated with a history of multiple sexual partners (P<0.001), a history of genital warts (P<0.001), and a history of STI (P = 0.010). The Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia is a problem among HIV infected women. A history of multiple sexual partners, a history of genital warts, a history STI and a low baseline CD4 T lymphocyte were significant predictors for CIN. Screening for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia is recommended for all women with HIV

Subjective prosthodontic treatment need, tooth loss and associated factors among dental patients in Dar es salaam, Tanzania

Background: A full complement of teeth has been shown to be a prerequisite for a healthy masticatory system and satisfactory function and having tooth loss can be undesirable.Objective: To determine the subjective prosthodontic treatment need, tooth loss and associated factors among patients attending dental clinics in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among subjects with tooth loss aged 18 years and above attending public dental clinics in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. A questionnaire and clinical examination were used to obtain data. Chi-Square test and logistic regression analyses were performed and a p-value of ≤0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: Majority of the 402 participants were aged 18-34 years (52.2%), females (64.9%) and with primary level of education or less (52.2%). Subjective prosthodontic treatment need was indicated by more than half of the participants 54.2%) and those who lost 4 or more teeth and those who lost teeth upper anterior had higher odds of expressing subjective treatment need (OR=2.6; CI=1.5-4.3 &amp; OR=4.9; CI=2.2-10.8 respectively).Conclusions: This study highlights that having four or more missing teeth and having tooth loss in the anterior location of the upper jaw were significant contributing factors in expressing patient’s subjective prosthodontic treatment need. Keywords:&nbsp;Subjective prosthodontic treatment need; tooth loss; dental patients; Dar es salaam; Tanzania

Gastric Cancer at a University Teaching Hospital in Northwestern Tanzania: A Retrospective Review of 232 Cases.

Despite marked decreases in its incidence, particularly in developed countries, gastric cancer is still the second most common tumor worldwide. There is a paucity of information regarding gastric cancer in northwestern Tanzania. This study was undertaken to describe our experience, in our local setting, on the management of gastric cancer, outlining the clinicopathological and treatment outcome of these patients and suggesting ways to improve the treatment outcome. This was a retrospective study of histologically confirmed cases of gastric cancer seen at Bugando Medical Centre between January 2007 and December 2011. Data were retrieved from patients' files and analyzed using SPSS computer software version 17.0. A total of 232 gastric cancer patients were enrolled in the study, representing 4.5% of all malignancies. The male to female ratio was 2.9:1. The median age of patients was 52 years. The majority of the patients (92.1%) presented late with advanced gastric cancer (Stages III and IV). Lymph node and distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis was recorded in 31.9% and 29.3% of cases, respectively. The antrum was the most frequent anatomical site (56.5%) involved and gastric adenocarcinoma (95.1%) was the most common histopathological type. Out of 232 patients, 223 (96.1%) patients underwent surgical procedures for gastric cancer of which gastro-jejunostomy was the most frequent performed surgical procedure, accounting for 53.8% of cases. The use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy was documented in 56 (24.1%) and 12 (5.1%) patients, respectively. Postoperative complication and mortality rates were 37.1% and 18.1%, respectively. According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, preoperative co-morbidity, histological grade and stage of the tumor, presence of metastases at the time of diagnosis was the main predictors of death (P <0.001). At the end of five years, only 76 (32.8%) patients were available for follow-up and the overall five-year survival rate was 6.9%. Evidence of cancer recurrence was reported in 45 (19.4%) patients. Positive resection margins, stage of the tumor and presence of metastasis at the time of diagnosis were the main predictors of local recurrence (P <0.001). Gastric cancer in this region shows a trend towards relative young age at diagnosis and the majority of patients present late with an advanced stage. Lack of awareness of the disease, poor accessibility to health care facilities and lack of screening programs in this region may contribute to advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. There is a need for early detection, adequate treatment and proper follow-up to improve treatment outcome