Physicochemical characteristics of pork meatballs mixed with Amaranthus caudatus

The main objective was to compare the physicochemical characteristics of meatballs produced from pork meat and wheat flour mixed with Amaranthus caudatus. Meatballs were produced with two different formulations: meatballs without Amaranthus caudatus and meatballs having Amaranthus caudatus. The different parameters, such as temperature, PH, fat content, weight loss, and titratable acidity, were compared from one formulation to another. The results showed that the pHvalue and fat content of those having A. caudatus, were lower than those found in meatballs without A. caudatus, but the temperature, weight loss, and titratable acidity were more than those found in meatballs without A. caudatus. By this, the PHvalue for the initial time was 6.1 compared to 6.3, the meatball fat content without A. caudatus of about 3.7% than the meatball fat content with A. caudatus of about 2.9%, and the different weight loss between those two meatballs was 19.47% (59g), and finally, the titratable acidity was 1.8% in meatballs with A. caudatus than 0.26% in those without A. caudatus. The meatballs with A. caudatus had a greater acidity and lower lipids than the meatballs without A. caudatus. Also, the acid concentration of both meatballs has significant for consumers and the loss of weight means that the lowering of water content is an indication of a good storage process. © 2023 Multidisciplinary Science Journal. All rights reserved

Fungi, Source of Biologically Active Substances with Important Application in Agricultural Fields

Eleven species (dried fruiting bodies) Fomitopsis pinicola, Cerrena unicolor, Piptoporus betulinus, Daedaleopsis tricolor, Stereum subtomentosum, Funalia trogii, Phellinus cinereus, Trametes versicolor, T. pubescens, T. gibbosa and Ganoderma applanatum were used to extract biologically active compounds (BACs) as crude fungal extracts (CFEs) in distilled water (diH2O) which was further studied to evaluate their impact on the rate of seeds germination, biosynthesis of photosynthetic pigments, biomass formation and in tomato seedlings length (Solanum lycopersicum, cv. Dubrava). The results showed that xylotrophic mushrooms are a source of potential biologically active compounds useful for agriculture. © 2022 Author(s).The work was partly supported by RFBR, Russia (Project No. 19-516-45006) and DST, India (INT/RUS/RFBR/363) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Agreement No. 02.A03.21.0006)

Fungi, source of biologically active substances with important application in agricultural fields

The work was partly support by RFBR, Russia (Project № 19-516-45006) and DST, India (INT/RUS/RFBR/363) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Agreement № 02.A03.21.0006)

Impact of Fungal Biologically Active Substances on Plant Growth

In this study, effects of Inonotus obliquus, Fomes fomentarius, Fomitopsis pinicola and Trichaptum pergamenum extracts on plant functions have been investigated. Barley, cucumber and tomato seeds were grown in Petri dishes containing filter paper, petri dishes have been moistened with the solutions of biologically active substances from the fungal extracts from the above-mentioned fungi species; the control petri dishes were moistened with distilled water. The impact of extracts on seeds germination seedling growth, photosynthetic pigments contents, biomass formation of shoots and roots have been determined. © 2019 Author(s).The research was supported by The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Agreement no. 02.A03.21.0006

Антиоксидантная активность и химический состав экстрактов ксилотрофных грибов Среднего Урала, произрастающих на березе

The search for new natural sources of biologically active substances is a major issue in pharmaceutical industry. Xylotrophic basidiomycetes are common in forests worldwide, but as a prospective raw source of biologically active compounds they have not been studied as extensively as plants and other groups of fungi. The study is aimed to determine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of extracts from 10 species of tinder fungi growing on birch and common in the forests in Russia. The chaga muchroom (Inonotus obliquus), traditionally used in medicine, was chosen as a standard species. Extracts from fruiting bodies were obtained with water or 95 % ethanol. They contained 4 to 8 types of free amino acids including 2 to 6 essential ones. Perennial basidiocarps were shown to be richer in phenolic compounds and poorer in amino acids than annual ones. Alkaloids and saponins were found in perennial basidiocarps of two species, saponins were also found in annual basidiocarps of one species. Water and alcohol extracts differed in composition and concentration of extractives, and showed different antioxidant (inhibition of lipid peroxidation) and antiradical (ABTS-test, inhibition of NO production) activity. This way it was shown that the nature of the solvent extraction agent is important for the manifestation of biological activity. In most tests, water extracts from chaga showed better antioxidant properties; extracts from Piptoporus betulinus and Fomitopsis pinicola were also effective as antioxidants, which may be promising avenues for future research. © Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved.Acknowledgements. The work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Project No. FEUZ-2021–0014

Performance-based financing as a health system reform : mapping the key dimensions for monitoring and evaluation

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The impact of digital health technologies on tuberculosis treatment : a systematic review

Digital technologies are increasingly harnessed to support treatment of persons with tuberculosis (TB). Since in-person directly observed treatment (DOT) can be resource intensive and challenging to implement, these technologies may have the potential to improve adherence and clinical outcomes. We reviewed the effect of these technologies on TB treatment adherence and patient outcomes. We searched several bibliographical databases for studies reporting the effect of digital interventions, including short message service (SMS), video-observed therapy (VOT) and medication monitors (MMs), to support treatment for active TB. Only studies with a control group and which reported effect estimates were included. Four trials showed no statistically significant effect on treatment completion when SMS was added to standard care. Two observational studies of VOT reported comparable treatment completion rates when compared with in-person DOT. MMs increased the probability of cure (RR 2.3, 95% CI 1.6-3.4) in one observational study, and one trial reported a statistically significant reduction in missed treatment doses relative to standard care (adjusted means ratio 0.58, 95% CI 0.42-0.79). Evidence of the effect of digital technologies to improve TB care remains limited. More studies of better quality are needed to determine how such technologies can enhance programme performance

Neglected Tropical Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa: Review of Their Prevalence, Distribution, and Disease Burden

The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are the most common conditions affecting the poorest 500 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and together produce a burden of disease that may be equivalent to up to one-half of SSA's malaria disease burden and more than double that caused by tuberculosis. Approximately 85% of the NTD disease burden results from helminth infections. Hookworm infection occurs in almost half of SSA's poorest people, including 40–50 million school-aged children and 7 million pregnant women in whom it is a leading cause of anemia. Schistosomiasis is the second most prevalent NTD after hookworm (192 million cases), accounting for 93% of the world's number of cases and possibly associated with increased horizontal transmission of HIV/AIDS. Lymphatic filariasis (46–51 million cases) and onchocerciasis (37 million cases) are also widespread in SSA, each disease representing a significant cause of disability and reduction in the region's agricultural productivity. There is a dearth of information on Africa's non-helminth NTDs. The protozoan infections, human African trypanosomiasis and visceral leishmaniasis, affect almost 100,000 people, primarily in areas of conflict in SSA where they cause high mortality, and where trachoma is the most prevalent bacterial NTD (30 million cases). However, there are little or no data on some very important protozoan infections, e.g., amebiasis and toxoplasmosis; bacterial infections, e.g., typhoid fever and non-typhoidal salmonellosis, the tick-borne bacterial zoonoses, and non-tuberculosis mycobaterial infections; and arboviral infections. Thus, the overall burden of Africa's NTDs may be severely underestimated. A full assessment is an important step for disease control priorities, particularly in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the greatest number of NTDs may occur

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially