Evaluation of the Knowledge and Activities of a Local Community in Mwea Endemic with Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis infection remains a neglected tropical disease in the tropics. Despite successive years of Mass Drug Administration (MDA) targeting school aged children prevalence rates have remained high over the years. This study sought to evaluation of the knowledge of the surrounding communities in close proximity to the schools previously targeted and activities predisposing them infection as a key indicator to successive control programs. Data collection involved semi structured interviews using a questionnaire and also through observation. A total of 99 people across the locality both male and female were interviewed. The people were selected randomly for the interviews at different points within the locality. Observations of their awareness of risks factors predisposing them to the disease was done within the different watering points. Qualitative data was analysed according to the common characteristics and the main themes identified and descriptive statistics was used in accessing these parameters with a percentage frequency of the variables. Spearman’s Rank correlations were performed on various variables to check for bivariate correlations between the demographic parameters and the various aspects of the knowledge of the residents on awareness of the disease at P≤ 0.05. The study revealed that knowledge about the cause, transmission and prevention of schistosomiasis among the rural population in Karii locality was adequate and well known with 95% of the sampled population being aware of disease, many of whom have heard about it from a health worker (73%). There was a positive correlation between occupation and activities leading to infection whereas there was no correlation between the education level and knowledge of disease prevention. Ultimately the challenge is that with a high awareness level there was still a persistent high prevalence that can be attributed to occupation, education level and the activities leading to reinfection. The community is therefore continuously exposed despite efforts being made. Keywords: Schistosomiasis, community, contro

PREVALENCE AND INTENSITY OF SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI BEFORE AND AFTER CHEMOTHERAPY IN SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN

Aims: To determine prevalence rate and intensity of Schistosoma mansoni infection in School Aged Children before and after chemotherapy Methodology: This study was carried out in Mwea Division of Kirinyaga County. Stool samples were collected from children in Mianya primary school. The samples were collected from each child and analysed for the presence or absence of S. mansoni eggs. Stool analysis was done at the Kimbimbi County Hospital- Division of Vector Borne Disease laboratories. The positive cases were treated with Praziquantel. Stool samples were again collected from the treated children at 6 and 12 week post treatment and analysed for the presence of S. mansoni eggs. Eggs were quantified per gram of the feacal sample. Results: Baseline prevalence for the selected pupils in the school was above 60% before chemotherapy with most children having heavy infections ≥400epg/feaces. The prevalence reduced significantly after treatment at six weeks (20%) but increased slightly at twelve weeks (50%) indicating re-infection. However most of the positive children had light infections during this period. Conclusion: The prevalence rate in the study area remains high but after intervention there is a reduction but only for a limited time. Reinfection is also high which thought to be a contributing factor to the continuous cycle of the disease in the area. This calls for a more integrated approach for control of the disease in the area. Drug administration alone is not adequate in alleviating the burden of diseases. Keywords: Schistosomiasis, prevalence, chemotherap

Optimised germination protocol for jackfruit seeds and evaluation of methods for extraction of DNA suitable for genetic analysis

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is an underutilised plant that is promising in curbing food and nutritional security in sub-Saharan Africa. However, high level of secondary metabolites in its tissues significantly hampers its genetic characterisation for breeding purposes. Primarily, the compounds react with DNA during the extraction process, thus reducing its yield and quality. The utilisation of leaves from jackfruit seedlings is a potentially effective approach of addressing the challenge, however, limited information is available on efficient jackfruit seed germination procedures. Elucidating effective methods of jackfruit seed germination, and optimising protocols for DNA extraction is crucial in promoting its genetic characterisation studies for identification of superior varieties for propagation. The objective of this study was to evaluate methods of jackfruit seed germination, and DNA extraction procedures using jackfruit leaves. Pre-treatment of seeds with 3% hydrogen peroxide was effective in enhancing seed germination within a short time, compared to distilled water and 3% hydrochloric acid. We optimised a DNA extraction technique by combining CTAB-SDS based approach with an enhanced solvent extraction method. The technique yielded high quantity and quality of DNA from jackfruit leaves, which was appropriate for downstream polymerase chain reaction analysis. The sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) amplifications confirmed the effectiveness of the optimised CTAB-SDS based protocol for extraction of high quality DNA. &nbsp

RNA-Seq reveals large quantitative differences between the transcriptomes of outbreak and non-outbreak locusts

Outbreaks of locust populations repeatedly devastate economies and ecosystems in large parts of the world. The consequent behavioural shift from solitarious to gregarious and the concomitant changes in the locusts’ biology are of relevant scientific interest. Yet, research on the main locust species has not benefitted from recent advances in genomics. In this first RNA-Seq study on Schistocerca gregaria, we report two transcriptomes, including many novel genes, as well as differential gene expression results. In line with the large biological differences between solitarious and gregarious locusts, almost half of the transcripts are differentially expressed between their central nervous systems. Most of these transcripts are over-expressed in the gregarious locusts, suggesting positive correlations between the levels of activity at the population, individual, tissue and gene expression levels. We group these differentially expressed transcripts by gene function and highlight those that are most likely to be associated with locusts’ phase change either in a species-specific or general manner. Finally, we discuss our findings in the context of population-level and physiological events leading to gregariousness.M. Bakkali wishes to thank the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología for the for the Ramón y Cajal fellowship and for the BFU2010-16438 grant that supported both this research and the FPI studentship to Rubén Martín Blázquez. We thank Mrs. Pernille Lavgesen for revision of the English language writing of this manuscript. We also thank the editor for the valuable comments on the manuscript

Antioxidant properties of cultivated edible mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) in Kenya

Antioxidant activities and phytochemical compounds of ethanol and hot water extracts of Agaricus bisporus species fruiting body and mycelia cultivated in Kenya were spectophotometrically determined and evaluated. The total antioxidant activity was analysed using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil, hydroxyl, superoxide radical scavenging and reducing power assays, while phytochemicals were assayed through calorimetric assays. Total phenolic, β-carotene, lycopene, flavanoid and ascorbic acid composition of A. bisporus extracts was analysed by calometric assays and found to contain 40.26 to 4.61 mg/g, 48.99 to 2.86 mg/g, 67.82 to 11.87 mg/g, 93.8 to17.2 mg/g and 11.62 to 10.22 mg/g) respectively. The mineral elemental analysis done using energy dispenser x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analytical method revealed that the samples contain zinc (42.9 mg/l), iron (33 to 48.5 mg/l), copper (18 to 24 mg/l) and manganese (7.5 to 9 mg/l). Generally, the mycelium extracts were more effective radical scavengers than the fruiting bodies. Due to the above characteristics, A. bisporus mushroom could be considered a food complement with antioxidative activity in the diet for the health benefits they present. Their effectiveness was also evaluated by their EC50 values through interpolation from linear regression analysis of their respective data.Keywords: Button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), edible mushroom, antioxidant, reducing power, scavenging ability, phytochemicals.Abbreviation: MEE, Mycelium ethanoic extract; FBEE, fruiting body ethanoic extract; FBHWE, fruiting body hot water extract; MHWE, mycelium hot water extract.

Lipid profile and levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids present in jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) Lam. (Moraceae) seeds and variation in different treatments

The intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids especially omega-3 is projected to be way below the recommended intake in Kenya. Thus, there is need to find other sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). This study screened for the lipid profile and levels of omega-3 PUFAs in jackfruit and explored the variation in lipid profile of jackfruit seeds in different areas and treatments. The extracted lipids were characterized and analysis done using gas chromatography. The lipid content was found to be 0.45 ± 0.24%, iodine number was 60.76 ± 3.25, saponification number was 353.65 ± 14.21, and levels of omega-3 and of omega-6 PUFAs were also found to be 9.94 ± 0.99% and 31.19 ± 0.82%, respectively. Boiling and drying of seeds were found to greatly decrease the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids such omega-3 and omega-6 and thus, not suitable methods for processing or preservation of jackfruit seeds.Keywords: Jackfruit, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, lipid profile.  

Antioxidant activities in extracts of selected indigenous vegetables from Kenya and Malawi

Antioxidant activities and phytochemical compounds of ethanol and hot water extracts of 7 selected indigenous vegetable species from Malawi and Kenya were Spectophotometrically determined and evaluated. Their effectiveness were also evaluated by their EC50 values through interpolation from linear regression analysis of their respective data. Generally, ethanolic extracts portrayed high quantities of total phenol, carotenoids and lycopene while hot water extracts showed high ascorbic acid. The highest total phenol (475.88±0.02 mg/g) and lycopene (0.13±0.02 mg/g) were detected in the ethanol extracts of I. batatas and C. gynandria, respectively. In the hot water extracts, the highest ascorbic acid (2.59±0.06 mg/g) and flavonoids (156.43±0.02 mg/g) were from M. esculenta. Dose-dependent antioxidant activities of the extracts were observed. Based on the EC50 values (mg/ml), the hot water extracts were significantly (p<0.05) more effective in all antioxidant activities assayed (DPPH, hydroxyl, superoxide anion radicals and reducing power) than ethanol extracts. It was observed that a single vegetable species did not posses all sorts of antioxidant phytochemical compounds in significant quantities and hence not effective in scavenging all different radicals. A combinatory intake of these vegetables species in sufficient concentrations should thus be recommended to enhance an optimal antioxidant capacity in the body.Keywords: Antioxidants, free radicals, health benefits, indigenous vegetablesAfrican Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 13(17), 1824-183

Variation in Lipophorin Titres During Development in Solitarious and Gregarious Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål) (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

The levels of lipophorin, the principal insect haemolymph lipoprotein, were estimated during the development of solitary and gregarious phases of Schistocerca gregaria using single radial immunodiffusion. In the gregarious phase, lipophorin titres ranged from 6.69 ± 0.57 mg/ml in the 3rd nymphal instar to 14.42 ± 2.04 mg/ml in mature adults. The titres in the solitary phase were 3.33 ± 0.59 mg/ml in the 3rd nymphal instar and 8.44 ± 0.67 mg/ml in mature adults. Peak lipophorin titres occurred in mature adults (14.42 ± 2.04 mg/ml) and 5th nymphal instar (8.75 ± 0.25 mg/ml) for gregarious and solitary locusts, respectively. Gregarious locusts had significantly (P< 0.05) higher lipophorin titres than their solitary counterparts during the 3rd and 4th nymphal instars as well as in the adult stage (P< 0.01). Estimation of the haemolymph protein levels over the same period showed a general increase from the 3rd nymphal instar to mature adult stage in both phases. It is proposed that the higher lipophorin titre in gregarious locusts is a physiological adaptation that ensures high lipid reserves that are necessary to cope with the high metabolic requirements of this phase. RÉSUMÉ Les taux de lipophorine, la principale lipoprotéine de l'hémolymphe des insectes, ont été estimés pendant le développement des phases solitaires et grégaires de Schistocerca gregaria à l'aide de l'immunodiffusion radiale simple. Chez la phase grégaire, les teneurs en lipophorine sont comprises entre 6.69 ± 0.57 mg/ml pour le 3ème stade juvénile et 14.42 ± 2.04 mg/ml pour les adultes matures. Chez la phase solitaire, les teneurs sont de 3.33 ± 0.59 mg/ml pour le 3ème stade juvénile et de 8.44 ± 0.67mg/ml pour les adultes matures. Les teneurs les plus élevées en lipophorine sont rencontrées sur les adultes matures (14.42 ± 2.04 mg/ml) et le 5ème stade juvénile (8.75 ± 0.25 mg/ml) pour les criquets grégaires et solitaires, respectivement. Les criquets grégaires ont des teneurs significativement plus élevées (P < 0.05) que leurs homologues solitaires pendant les stades juvéniles 3 et 4, de même que chez le stade adulte (P < 0.01). Pendant la même période, pour les deux phases, l'estimation des teneurs en protéines de l'hémolymphe montre un accroissement général lorsque l'on passe du 3ème stade juvénile au stade adulte. Les plus fortes teneurs en lipophorine chez les criquets grégaires seraient une adaptation physiologique leur permettant de disposer d'importantes réserves lipidiques nécessaires à leurs fortes exigences métaboliques

Isolation and biochemical characterization of transferrin from the tsetse fly, Glossina morsitan centralis

No Abstract. The Egyptian Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Vol. 23(2) 2005: 169-18