Formulation of Functional Yogurt by Cofermentation of Milk and Papaya Fruit

This study was carried out to determine the potential of adding Fresh skinned papaya pulp (FSP) into yoghurt for the improvement of the functional properties of yoghurt and the resulting effects of adding PPF on the physicochemical and sensory properties of the product during a 30 days’ storage period at 6°C. Yoghurt samples A (Control), B, C, D and E were respectively produced at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of milk incorporated with papaya fruit. Incorporation of PPF into the yogurt samples resulted in an increase in pH, proteins and carbohydrates and a reduction in titratable acidity as compared to the control. The microbial analysis showed no presence of coliform bacteria. The sensory evaluation result demonstrated significant differences in all the organoleptic attributes analyzed. Sample C with 10% incorporated papaya had the highest overall acceptability score

Schistosomiasis Burden and Its Association With Lower Measles Vaccine Responses in School Children From Rural Cameroon

Background and Methods: Schistosomiasis is debilitating and reported to impair immune responsiveness of infected hosts. In Cameroon, mass drug administration (MDA) is used in schoolchildren to reduce transmission of S. haematobium and S. mansoni. The effects of MDA and the impact of schistosomiasis on the titers of antibodies in vaccinated children have been poorly studied. We therefore assessed the prevalence of schistosomiasis in schoolchildren, eight months after MDA, in two locations: Barombi Koto (BK), endemic for S. haematobium (N = 169) and Yoro (Y), endemic for S. mansoni (N = 356). Age, gender, residence time and frequency of contact with river water were assessed as risk factors for infection and morbidity in both localities. In 70 schoolchildren from BK and 83 from Y, ultrasound was used to assess morbidity according to the WHO guidelines. Evaluation of measles antibodies was performed in previously vaccinated schoolchildren (14 with S. haematobium and 12 egg-negative controls from BK and 47 with S. mansoni and12 egg-negative controls from Y).Principal Findings and conclusions: The prevalence of S. haematobium was 25. 4% in BK (43/169) and 34.8% for S. mansoni in Y (124/356), indicating the persistent transmission of schistosomiasis despite MDA. Older age (AOR 1.31; 95%CI 1.12–1.54) and higher frequencies of exposure to river water (AOR 1.99; 95%CI 1.03–3.86) were identified as risks for infection in BK whereas only older age (OR 1.15; 95%CI 1.04–1.27) was a risk for infection in Y. Bladder pathology (score 2 to 5) was observed in 29.2% (7/24) of egg-positive children in BK and liver pathology (pattern C) in 31.1% (19/61) of egg-positive children in Y. There was a positive correlation between S. haematobium egg burden and bladder pathology (AOR 1.01; 95% CI 0.99–1.02) and positive correlation between S. mansoni-driven liver pathology and female gender (AOR 3.01; 95% CI 0.88–10.26). Anti-measles antibodies in vaccinated children were significantly lower in S. mansoni-infected when compared to egg-negative controls (p = 0.001), which was not observed in the S. haematobium-infected group from BK. Our results demonstrate a questionable efficacy of MDA alone in halting schistosomiasis transmission and confirm a possible immunomodulatory effect of S. mansoni on response to vaccines

Effects of drug policy changes on the evolution of Pfmdr1 and Pfcrt resistance molecular markers of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine in Bangui, Central African Republic

<p>Malaria remains one of the main threats to public health. The emergence of drug resistance is a major obstacle to the fight against malaria. Due to the spread of parasites resistant to antimalarial drugs, treatment guidelines for malaria in the Central African Republic have evolved from monotherapy to artemisinin-based combination therapy. Prediction of decrease or increase in antimalarial susceptibility and fixation of multidrug resistance genotypes is essential in the fight against malaria. To assess the impact of drug policy, we examined molecular changes in the chloroquine-associated Pfcrt and Pfmdr1 resistance marker to monitor the evolution of mutant alleles since the withdrawal of chloroquine from the market following the adoption of Artemisinin based Combined Therapies (ACT) in the Central African Republic. To assess the evolution of these markers, dried blood spots were prepared from 138 children diagnosed positive for plasmodium falciparum malaria by rapid diagnostic test. DNA was then extracted from the blood and genotyped. The chi-square test was used to check for the association between the period of withdrawal and the time of sample analysis. The alleles conferring resistance to chloroquine in the Pfmdr1-86Y genotype showed a significant increase from 1.72% in 2010 to 99.1% in 2021, on the other hand, they was a reduction in the mutant alleles Pfcrt-76T and an increase in mixed infection from 0% in 2010 to 3.48% in 2021 (P<0.05). The results demonstrated a clear increase in the pfmdr1 resistant marker.  </p&gt

Host candidate gene polymorphisms and associated clearance ofP. falciparumamodiaquine and fansidar resistance mutants in children less than 5 years in Cameroon

Background: In this post-hoc analysis, we determined the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms in host candidate immune genes on the outcome of drug resistant malaria in Cameroon.<p></p> Methods: Human DNA from 760 patients from a previous clinical trial was subjected to mass spectrometry-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. Allele frequencies of candidate immune genes were calculated for 62 SNPs on 17 human chromosomes for their possible involvement in clearance of drug-resistant parasites with the triple mutations of pfcrt76T, pfmdr86Y, and pfmdr1246Y (TY) and pfdhfr51I, pfdhfr59R, pfdhfr108N, and pfdhps437G (IRNG) which were determined by dotblot or PCR-restriction analysis. Differences in SNP frequencies and association analysis were carried out by comparing Chi-square odds ratios (ORs) and stratified by Mantel–Haenzel statistics. An adjusted P value (OR) <0·0008 was considered significant.<p></p> Results: Post-treatment drug failure rates were amodiaquine (36·4%); sulpadoxine/pyrimethamine-amodiaquine combination (15·4%); and sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine (18·1%). SNPs in IL22, IL-4R1, and CD36 appeared to have been associated with clearance of resistant parasites [p  =  0·017, OR (C allele):1·44, 95% CI (OR): 1·06–1·95]; [P  =  0·014, OR  =  1·31, 95% CI (OR): 1·07–1·83]; [P  =  5·78×10−5, OR  =  0·27, 95%CI (OR): 0·13–0·54], respectively, with high fever (>39°C for 48 hours) [IL-22, P  =  0·01, OR  =  1·5, 95% CI (OR): 1·8–2·1] and also in high frequency among the Fulani participants [P  =  0·006, OR  =  1·83, 95% CI (OR): 1·11–3·08)]. The CD36-1264 null allele was completely absent in the northern population.<p></p> Conclusion: Independent association of SNPs in IL22 and IL-4 with clearance of amodiaquine- and sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine-resistant parasites did not reach statistical significance, but may suggest that not all drug-resistant mutants are adversely affected by the same immune-mediated mechanisms of clearance