Activités antimycobactériennes, Cytotoxicité et Screening phytochimique des extraits de trois plantes du Kenya

peer reviewedTuberculosis (TB), an airborne disease, is among the ten leading deadly diseases worldwide. Despite the efforts of WHO and its partners to eradicate it, it is still a public health issue especially with the rise of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug- resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). Commiphora species (Burseraceae family) are known in the Kenyan traditional medicine to treat respiratory diseases including TB. In the search of new anti-TB alternative drugs, plant materials from Commiphora mildbraedii Engl. (root bark and stem bark), Commiphora edulis (Klotzsch) Engl. (stem bark and leaves) and C. ellenbeckii Engl. (Stem bark and leaves) were tested for antimycobacterial activity, cytotoxicity and phytochemistry. 100 g of the powdered plant materials were macerated using the serial method with solvents of increasing polarity. Aqueous extraction was carried out by decoction. The microbroth dilution method was used to determine the antimycobacterial activity (MIC) against a model Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC607 while the cytotoxicity evaluation (CC50) was carried out using the MTT assay. The most active extract was fractionated using preparative TLC and fractions were analysed by GC-MS. Thirty extracts were obtained from the 6 different plant materials and eleven of them exhibited the antimycobacterial activity with the methanolic extracts of the stem and root bark of C. mildbraedii, and the aqueous extract of the C. ellenbeckii leaves exhibiting high activities (MIC= 0.39, 0.78 and 0.78 mg/L respectively). The MTT assay showed no or low cytotoxicity. The GC-MS analysis of the preparative TLC fractions from the methanolic extract of C. mildbraedii revealed the presence of 42 compounds belonging to 10 different classes of phytochemicals. Lup-20(29)-en-3-one and o-xylene were the most abundant. Except o-xylene and α-terpineol, all the compounds were detected for the first time in the Commiphora genus. These findings justify the ethnomedicinal uses of Commiphora species in TB treatment

Rapid epidemic expansion of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in southern Africa

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic in southern Africa has been characterised by three distinct waves. The first was associated with a mix of SARS-CoV-2 lineages, whilst the second and third waves were driven by the Beta and Delta variants, respectively1-3. In November 2021, genomic surveillance teams in South Africa and Botswana detected a new SARS-CoV-2 variant associated with a rapid resurgence of infections in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Within three days of the first genome being uploaded, it was designated a variant of concern (Omicron) by the World Health Organization and, within three weeks, had been identified in 87 countries. The Omicron variant is exceptional for carrying over 30 mutations in the spike glycoprotein, predicted to influence antibody neutralization and spike function4. Here, we describe the genomic profile and early transmission dynamics of Omicron, highlighting the rapid spread in regions with high levels of population immunity

Retraction.

This is a retraction of 'Gradual emergence followed by exponential spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Africa' 10.1126/science.add873

Comparative efficiency for in vitro transfection of goat undifferentiated spermatogonia using lipofectamine reagents and electroporation

INTRODUCTION: Spermatogonial stem cells (SSC), also referred to as undifferentiated spermatogonia, are the germline stem cells responsible for continuous spermatogenesis throughout a male’s life. They are, therefore, an ideal target for gene editing. Previously, SSC from animal testis have been isolated and transplanted to homologous recipients resulting in the successful reestablishment of donor-derived spermatogenesis. METHODS: Enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene transfection into goat SSC was evaluated using liposomal carriers and electroporation. The cells were isolated from the prepubertal Galla goats testis cultured in serum-free defined media and transfected with the eGFP gene. Green fluorescing of SSC colonies indicated transfection. RESULTS: The use of lipofectamine(TM) stem reagent and lipofectamine(TM) 2000 carriers resulted in more SSC colonies expressing the eGFP gene (25.25% and 22.25%, respectively). Electroporation resulted in 15% ± 0.54 eGFP expressing SSC colonies. Furthermore, cell viability was higher in lipofectamine transfection (55% ± 0.21) as compared to electroporation (38% ± 0.14). CONCLUSION: These results indicated that lipofectamine was more effective in eGFP gene transfer into SSC. The successful transient transfection points to a possibility of transfecting transgenes into male germ cells in genetic engineering programs

Lessons from a behavior change intervention to improve provider-parent partnerships and care for hospitalized newborns and young children in Kenya

Enhancing respectful, responsive, integrative, and nurturing care for hospitalized newborns and young children (aged 0–24 months) is globally recognized but under-researched in low- and middle-income countries. Responsive, family-centered interventions target providers and parents and emphasize partnership in caring roles. From February 2020 to August 2021, we engaged in a participatory co-creation process with parents, providers, and newborn and child health stakeholders in Kenya to develop a comprehensive provider behavior change intervention and implemented it across 5 hospitals in Nairobi and Bungoma counties in Kenya. The multifaceted intervention included a 7-module orientation, feedback meetings, job aids, and psychosocial support—leveraging in-person and remote modalities—for providers working in newborn and pediatric units. We used a mixed-methods evaluation drawing on a pre-post provider survey, pre-post qualitative interviews with providers and parents, and a follow-up parental survey. There were significant post-intervention improvements in provider knowledge on safeguarding sleep, positioning and handling, and protecting skin. However, there were also significant reductions in providers’ knowledge in identifying a child’s pain, parental stress, and environmental stress. Among parents who received coaching from providers, there were higher levels of interpersonal communication between parent and provider, parental empowerment, and improved ability to provide integrated, responsive care to their child. Despite the challenges of implementing a provider-focused intervention to improve care for hospitalized newborns and young children during the global COVID-19 pandemic, we have demonstrated that it is feasible to implement a hybrid virtual and in-person process to influence several outcomes, including provider knowledge and practice, improved provider partnerships with parents, and parents’ capacity to engage in the care of their newborn or young child