Physicochemical changes of raffia sap (Raphia mambillensis) contents during spontaneous fermentation

The chemical content of a substance can influence its shelf life. Fermentation causes changes in freshly tapped sap and therefore makes its large scale use difficult. In order to study the effect of time on fermentation on the raffia sap property, its physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics were determined during five days. The results recorded for the harvest reveal an acidity, proteins and energy of about 67.7°D, 6.69 g/l, and 113.64 kcal/l respectively. Raffia sap acidity and protein content increase during fermentation when the energy value decreases. The microbiological analysis showed that this sap contains an average of 16.46 x 107 cfu/ml of total germs which increases during fermentation. This sap is therefore rich in useful and pathogenic micro-organisms. We noticed that this sap is very rich in lactic acid bacteria and yeasts which could be isolated and exploited for alcoholic and malolactic fermentations in order to obtain a very stable raffia sap.Keywords: Raffia sap, spontaneous fermentation, physicochemical property, lactic acid bacteria, yeast, nutrient contentAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(41), pp. 6013-601

Abusive use of antibiotics in poultry farming in Cameroon and the public health implications

The types and methods of use of antibiotics in poultry farms in Cameroon, residual levels and potential microbial resistance were determined. A questionnaire-based survey identified the different antibiotics used and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine residual levels of antibiotics. Pathogens were isolated, identified by use of commercial API kits and minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) was determined. Oxytetracyclin, tylocip and TCN (oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol and neomycin) were the most frequently used antibiotics. Antibiotics screened by HPLC were chloramphenicol, tetracycline and vancomycin. All of them except vancomycin were detected, and the concentration of these antibiotics was higher than the maximum residual limits (MRL) set by regulatory authorities. No residues of various antibiotics were found in egg albumen or yolk. The concentration of tetracycline was significantly higher in liver (150 ± 30 µg/g) than in other tissues. Foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus spp., Listeria spp., Clostridium spp. and Escherichia spp., were identified. Most of the pathogens were resistant to these various antibiotics tested. These findings imply the need for better management of antibiotic use to control sources of food contamination and reduce health risks associated with the presence of residues and the development of resistant pathogens by further legislation and enforcement of regulations on food hygiene and use of antibiotics

Water supply, sanitation and health risks in Douala 5 municipality, Cameroon

In the poor zones of sub-Saharan Africa, the conventional drinking water network is very weak. The populations use alternative groundwater sources which are wells and springs. However, because of urbanization, the groundwater sources are degrading gradually making pure, safe, healthy and odourless drinking water a matter of deep concern. There are many pollutants in groundwater due to seepage of organic and inorganic pollutants, heavy metals as well as microbiological contamination. This study was carried out in October 2012 and aimed to analyze the practices and behaviors of populations related to water supply that may constitute potential risks of microbiological contamination and emergence of waterborne diseases