Evidence of male attractants for fruit flies in the leaf extract of Schinus molle

Attractiveness of odor from leaves of pepper tree (Schinus molle) to male Ceratitis rosa and C. capitata was evaluated in a wind-tunnel. Odor from the leaves was as attractive to male C. rosa as Trimedlure and more attractive to C. capitata males. Responses of both male and female C. cosyra, C. rosa and C. capitata when presented with an extract from S. molle leaves were also evaluated. The flies were highly activated and only males were attracted and landed on the treated dispenser. Onset of activation was more rapid for C. rosa and C. capitata than for C. cosyra. Similarly, large numbers of male C. capitata and C. rosa landed on treated dispenser than C. cosyra. Analysis of the S. molle extract by gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry revealed several monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Some of the terpenoids or their blend may constitute a male attractant (parapheromone) for C. capitata, C. rosa and possibly other fruit flies attracted to Trimedlure. Keywords: fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, C. cosyra, C. rosa, parapheromone, Schinus molle, pepper tree East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 7 2004: 27-3

Variation in Volatiles from Fruits of Mango and Marula Attractive to the Mango Fruit Fly, Ceratitis cosyra (Walker)

Wild mango fruit fly Ceratitis cosyra, was attracted to and oviposited preferentially on immature and mature green than ripe yellow mango fruits in the field. Volatile compounds from fruits of mango and marula, at different ripeness stages, were trapped on octadecyl reversed-phase silica. The volatile compounds were identified using gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and by chromatographic comparisons with authentic samples. Immature and mature green mango fruits on trees emitted similar compounds, comprising of monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids. A detached mature green mango fruit emitted a few esters in addition to monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The ripe yellow mango fruit emitted large quantities of esters and smaller proportions of terpenoids. Several esters, similar to ripe yellow mangoes, were identified in volatiles of ripe yellow marula fruits. A total of 17 terpenoids and 19 esters were identified. Some of the identified compounds in green mangoes, particularly the terpenoids, constitute candidate kairomones for C. cosyra. Key Words: Ceratitis cosyra, mango, marula, fruits, volatiles, kairomones, oviposition. East & Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol.6(1) 2003:3-

Detection and Management of Adverse Drug Reactions Related to Antiretroviral Drugs among HIV/AIDS Patients in Kiambu Sub-County, Kenya

The objective of this study was to establish the detection, prevalence and management of various adverse drug reactions associated with antiretroviral drugs occurring in patients attending Comprehensive Care Centre (CCC) of Kiambu District Hospital. The study was a cross sectional survey where the patients included were those attending the CCC on a monthly basis. The results revealed that 65.2% of the patients had experienced symptoms suggestive of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Of these, 67.2% did not associate the symptoms to the medicines they were taking but rather to the AIDS syndrome. The most prominent reaction was peripheral neuropathy at 0.395 (0.344-0.447 at 95% confidence interval) while the least common was hepatotoxicity. Whereas 71.5% could tell the frequency of the daily dosage, 92.1% did not know the names of the medicines they were taking but could describe them by shape and colour. There was a significant association between occurrence and reporting of ADRs and age (P<0.001), weight (P=0.001), marital status (P=0.016), occupation (P<0.001), religious participation (P<0.001) and education level (P<0.001). Although the health care providers displayed adequate knowledge in management of these reactions, they complained of inadequacy of the current reporting tool (MOH 257) in capturing ADRs. The patients were ill equipped in recognising the ADRs.Key words: Adverse drug reactions, occurrence, detection, managemen

Periodicity in the Quantity and Ratio of Pheromone Components in Volatile Emissions from Virgin Females of the Spotted Stalk Borer Moth Chilo partellus (Swinhoe)

Volatile sex pheromone was collected from the extruded pheromone gland of females of the spotted stalk borer moth Chilo partellus and trapped on glass wool. The pheromone was collected from females on the night of eclosion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th scotophases thereafter. The female sex pheromone components, (Z)-11-hexadecenal and (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-ol were identified by gas chromatography co-injection with synthetic authentic compounds and confirmed by GC-mass spectrometry. The quantity of the pheromone components was determined by comparison of GC peak areas with that of (E,Z)-3,13-octadecadienyl acetate as an internal standard. Periodicity in the pheromone emission was uni-modal with a peak about the 7-10 h into the scotophase. During the peak period, (Z)-11-hexadecenal was emitted at a rate of 43.1, 30.9, 21.5 and 16.5 ng/30 min on the day of eclosion, 1st, 3rd and 5th scotophases, respectively. A marked reduction in the release rate of the pheromone components was recorded with progressing age of females. This decrease was faster for (Z)-11-hexadecen-I-ol than for (Z)-11-hexadecenal which resulted in a spectacular shift in the ratio (Z)-11-hexadecen-I-ol ranging from about 1:1 at eclosion to 9:1, 22:1 and 32:1 in the 1st, 3rd and 5th scotophases, respectively. The age-dependent shift in both release rate and ratio of pheromone components corresponds to the change in attractiveness of females to mate-searching males. The periodicity in the quantity and blend ratios of C. partellus pheromone is discussed in light of development of a pheromone-based bait for the management of this pest. Key words: Periodicity, Lepidoptera, Pyralidae, Chilo partellus, sex pheromone, pheromone East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol.6(2) 2003: 36-4

The Influence of Gender Related Factors on Access to Antiretroviral Therapy in Nairobi, Kenya

The study was designed to investigate the influence of gender related factors on access to antiretroviral therapy. The results showed that the number of females visiting antiretroviral therapy clinics was twice that of males and in the 18-26 years age bracket, females were three times more affected by HIV/AIDS than males. The married carried a 5-fold risk of carrying the AIDS virus while women were twice as likely to be infected by their husbands as compared to men getting the virus from their wives. The findings indicate that the lower the formal education, the higher the chances of contracting the virus. The findings suggest men had a significant advantage over women on access to antiretrovirals. The clinic schedules precluded about 10% of the patients from access. Social stigma was low (about 10%) within spouses, and very high (about 90%) outside the institution of marriage. Women bore the larger burden of the stigma. In addition, the results suggest that gender segregated clinics would have no influence on the number of patients attending the clinics.Keywords: Gender, access, antiretroviral therapy, HIV/AIDSEast and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol.13 (2010) 35-4

Nutritional and functional properties of a complementary food based on Kenyan amaranth grain (Amaranthus cruentus)

The objective of this study was to determine the nutritional and functional properties of Amaranthus cruentus grain grown in Kenya for preparation of a ready-to-eat product that can be recommended as infant complementary food. Amaranth grains were subjected to steeping and steam pre-gelatinization to produce a ready-to-eat nutritious product with improved solubility during reconstitution. The effect of processing on the functional and nutritional properties of amaranth grain was analyzed. Two blends were prepared from raw and processed amaranth grains. Standard procedures of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) were used to determine the proximate chemical composition. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used quantify amino acid, water soluble vitamins, α-tocopherols and phytates, while Atomic Absorption Flame Emission spectrophotometry was used to determine the mineral element composition. Fatty acid composition was determined using Gas Liquid Chromatography (GLC). Tannin composition was determined using vanillin hydrochloric acid method. The overall results indicated that processing amaranth grain did not significantly affect its nutritional and physicochemical properties. Amaranth grain product was rich in protein with 0.5 g/10g of lysine, a limiting amino acid in cereals, and methionine, a limiting amino acid in pulses. The product had good amount 44.4 mg/100g of α-tocopherols important for infant development. The product was also rich in oleic acid (36.3%) and linoleic acid (35.9%) with some amounts of linolenic acid (3.4%) that are important for infant growth. It also had good amounts of minerals of importance such as potassium (324.4 mg/100g), phosphorous (322.8 mg/100g), calcium 189.1 (mg/100g), magnesium (219.5 mg/100g), iron (13.0 mg/100g) and zinc (4.8 mg/100g). Considering amaranth grain product fed to infant three times a day, at a reconstitution of 15% product, the levels of magnesium, manganese and tocopherols were far above the recommended intakes, while protein, phosphorous, iron, zinc, riboflavin and niacin were above the average requirements. Therefore, reconstituting the product with milk would enrich the deficient nutrients, especially for iron and zinc which are crucial nutrients for infants. The processing method is a practical approach aimed at combating the problem of malnutrition among infants and young children in Kenya and other developing countries. The product developed in this study would also be appropriate for use in geriatrics care and also in immuno-compromised individuals. The technique in this study can be easily adopted at both household and village levels to produce high protein-energy weaning food to help enhance the nutritional status of Kenyans

Evaluation of host-derived volatiles for trapping Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopognidae) cause pain and distress through blood feeding, and transmit viruses that threaten both animal and human health worldwide. There are few effective tools for monitoring and control of biting midges, with semiochemical-based strategies offering the advantage of targeting host-seeking populations. In previous studies, we identified the host preference of multiple Culicoides species, including Culicoides impunctatus, as well as cattle-derived compounds that modulate the behavioral responses of C. nubeculosus under laboratory conditions. Here, we test the efficacy of these compounds, when released at different rates, in attracting C. impunctatus under field conditions in Southern Sweden. Traps releasing 1-octen-3-ol, decanal, phenol, 4-methylphenol or 3-propylphenol, when combined with carbon dioxide (CO2), captured significantly higher numbers of C. impunctatus compared to control traps baited with CO2 alone, with low release rates (0.1 mg h−1, 1 mg h−1) being generally more attractive. In contrast, traps releasing octanal or (E)-2-nonenal at 1 mg h−1 and 10 mg h−1 collected significantly lower numbers of C. impunctatus than control traps baited with CO2 only. Nonanal and 2-ethylhexanol did not affect the attraction of C. impunctatus when compared to CO2 alone at any of the release rates tested. The potential use of these semiochemicals as attractants and repellents for biting midge control is discussed

Characterisation of the Wildlife Reservoir Community for Human and Animal Trypanosomiasis in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia

Animal and human trypanosomiasis are constraints to both animal and human health in Sub-Saharan Africa, but there is little recent evidence as to how these parasites circulate in natural hosts in natural ecosystems. A cross-sectional survey of trypanosome prevalence in 418 wildlife hosts was conducted in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia, from 2005 to 2007. The overall prevalence in all species was 13.9%. Infection was significantly more likely to be detected in waterbuck, lion, greater kudu and bushbuck, with a clear pattern apparent of the most important hosts for each trypanosome species. Human infective Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense parasites were identified for the first time in African buffalo and T. brucei s.l. in leopard. Variation in infection is demonstrated at species level rather than at family or sub-family level. A number of significant risk factors are shown to interact to influence infection rates in wildlife including taxonomy, habitat and blood meal preference. Trypanosoma parasites circulate within a wide and diverse host community in this bio-diverse ecosystem. Consistent land use patterns over the last century have resulted in epidemiological stability, but this may be threatened by the recent influx of people and domesticated livestock into the mid-Luangwa Valley

Nutritional And Functional Properties Of A Complementary Food Based On Kenyan Amaranth Grain ( Amaranthus Cruentus )

The objective of this study was to determine the nutritional and functional properties of Amaranthus cruentus grain grown in Kenya for preparation of a ready-to-eat product that can be recommended as infant complementary food. Amaranth grains were subjected to steeping and steam pre-gelatinization to produce a ready-to-eat nutritious product with improved solubility during reconstitution. The effect of processing on the functional and nutritional properties of amaranth grain was analyzed. Two blends were prepared from raw and processed amaranth grains. Standard procedures of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) were used to determine the proximate chemical composition. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used quantify amino acid, water soluble vitamins, α- tocopherols and phytates, while Atomic Absorption Flame Emission spectrophotometry was used to determine the mineral element composition. Fatty acid composition was determined using Gas Liquid Chromatography (GLC). Tannin composition was determined using vanillin hydrochloric acid method. The overall results indicated that processing amaranth grain did not significantly affect its nutritional and physicochemical properties. Amaranth grain product was rich in protein with 0.5 g/10g of lysine, a limiting amino acid in cereals, and methionine, a limiting amino acid in pulses. The product had good amount 44.4 mg/100g of α- tocopherols important for infant development. The product was also rich in oleic acid (36.3%) and linoleic acid (35.9%) with some amounts of linolenic acid (3.4%) that are important for infant growth. It also had good amounts of minerals of importance such as potassium (324.4 mg/100g), phosphorous (322.8 mg/100g), calcium 189.1 (mg/100g), magnesium (219.5 mg/100g), iron (13.0 mg/100g) and zinc (4.8 mg/100g). Considering amaranth grain product fed to infant three times a day, at a reconstitution of 15% product, the levels of magnesium, manganese and tocopherols were far above the recommended intakes, while protein, phosphorous, iron, zinc, riboflavin and niacin were above the average requirements. Therefore, reconstituting the product with milk would enrich the deficient nutrients, especially for iron and zinc which are crucial nutrients for infants. The processing method is a practical approach aimed at combating the problem of malnutrition among infants and young children in Kenya and other developing countries. The product developed in this study would also be appropriate for use in geriatrics care and also in immuno-compromised individuals. The technique in this study can be easily adopted at both household and village levels to produce high protein-energy weaning food to help enhance the nutritional status of Kenyans