HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS OF FARMYARD PRODUCTION OF WARA «¤?? A POPULAR NIGERIAN CATTLE MILK FOOD

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points of the production methods of farmyard-processed Nigerian wara were determined using survey studies and oral interviews. Low to moderate sources of microbial hazards included boiling of fresh cowmilk containing Calotropis procera extracts, transfering of moulded wara into boiled cowmilk whey, included addition of crushed Calotropis procera leaves and stem to fresh cowmilk and transporting wara to market for sale and packaging of wara for sale. High sources of microbial hazards were manual milking of several cows to obtain fresh milk samples, and collection of milk samples from different cows in same containers. Significant preventive control of the identified microbial hazards for wara were- keeping of cows in hygienic farmyards, non-milking of mas- titic / ill cows, proper hygiene by food handlers, usage of clean processing materials, wholesome wa- ter samples and hygienic processing conditions. There is need for effective HACCP for quality control and assurance of farmyard-produced Nigerian wara

A review of the implications of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria in human and animal diseases

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Bifidobacteria are taxonomically distinct groups of bacteria with proven biotechnological properties such as anti-cancer, immune-stimulating, anti-microbial, maintenance of normal flora balance, probiotics, anti-inflammatory, vaccine carriers, among others. However, studies have implicated some of them, including the ones under the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) qualified presumption of safety in fatal human and veterinary diseases. We performed online database searches of publications on Google, Google Scholar and PubMed using the criteria, “lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria as causative agents of human, animal diseases”. Data generated showed LAB across genera and Bifidobacteria either primarily or opportunistically involved in diseases of both immuno-competent and immuno-depressed humans and animals. The members of lactobacilli such as Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus oris, Lactobacillus gasseri and Leuconostoc mesenteroides, were mainly implicated in nosocomial infections, endophthalmitis, neonatal meningitis, and bacteraemia while Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Bifidobacteria, specifically, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium breve, and Bifidobacterium animalis were implicated in urinary tract infections (UTIs), necrotizing pancreatitis, fatal pulmonary infections, sepsis, and epidural abscess. The animal diseases, neonatal sepsis in foal, was caused by Weissella confusa while the fish pathogen, Lactococcus garvieae caused various zoonotic cases such as acute acalculous cholecystitis in human. In conclusion, this review showed the up-to-date reports on LAB and Bifidobacteria implicated in serious humans and animal diseases

Effects of Simulated Preparations of Plants used in Nigerian Traditional Medicine on Candida spp. Associated with Vaginal Candidiasis

researchSome Nigerian medicinal plants are popular among traditional producers of phytotherapies in the treatment of sexually related infections. For this study we used modified agar disk, agar spot and agar well-diffusion methods, preparations of simulated crude aqueous and ethanolic extracts of 11 traditionally used medicinal plants for in vitro antimicrobial activities against seventy five strains of Candida species associated with Candida vaginitis and 37 vaginal Lactobacillus species. Candida pseudotropicalis (Castell.) Basgal were minimally inhibited by the plant extracts, while the rate of inhibition of other Candida strains by the ethanolic extracts of the plants were, Ageratum conyzoides L. (44.4 - 66.7%), Anthocleista djalonensis A. Chev. (57.1 - 66.7%), Senna alata (L.) Roxb. (44.4 - 75.0%) Ficus exasperata Vahl. (44.4 - 62.5%), Gliricidia sepium Kunth ex Steud. (64.3%-75.0%) Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King & H. Rob.(57.1%-62.5%) and Rauwolfia vomitoria Afzel. (62.5%). Apart from Aspilia africana (Pers.) C.D. Adams (24.3%) and Ageratum conyzoides L. (35.1%), very low in vitro inhibitory activities of between 5.4% and 16.2% were produced by the medicinal plants against the vaginal Lactobacillus species indicating their ethnophytotherapeutic safety

Characterization and recovery rates of food-indicator microorganisms from home-made oral rehydration solutions in Nigeria

From home-made oral rehydration solutions (ORS), the identified bacterial strains from a total of 1880 bacterial isolates (1010 from granulated sugar and 870 from table salt) using the conventional taxonomic tools were Bacillus cereus var. mycoides (0.57%), Bacillus subtilis (2.28%), Citrobacter sp. (1.07%), Clostridium perfringes (14.75%), Enterobacter aerogenes (6.13%), Escherichia coli (7.44%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (10.0%), Morganella morganii (0.78%), Proteus mirabilis (6.74%), P. vulgaris (1.68%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.67%), Salmonella entrica serovar Typhi (3.89%), Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (0.99%), Shigella dysentariae (11.0%), Staphylococcus aureus (11.98%) and Vibrio cholerae (2.57%). The isolated fungal species from the table salt and granulated sugar samples were Aspergillus flavus , Aspergillus fumigatus , Aspergillus niger , Botryiodiplodia sp., Candida sp. and Scopulariopsis sp. Home-made ORS may serve as a means of transmitting gastroenteritis/diarrhoea and other infectious microbial agents in developing countries like Nigeri