Le kawal, un condiment a base de feuilles fermentees de senna obtusifolia: technologies et valeurs nutritionnelles

De nombreux aliments fermentés à base de légumes-feuilles sont consommés dans le monde, particulièrement en Afrique et en Asie. Ces aliments très répandus, représentent le régime de base en plus de leurs matières premières disponibles et constituent une part importante dans l’alimentation des populations locales. Le kawal obtenu par fermentation naturelle et alcaline des feuilles de Senna obtusifolia encore appelé Cassia obtusifolia, est un aliment très apprécié et largement consommé par les populations au Tchad et au Soudan. Les feuilles de S. obtusifolia occupent une place importante dans le système alimentaire de nombreuses communautés en Afrique. Elles sont riches en acides aminés essentiels et peuvent être considérées comme des produits d’intérêt nutritionnel de par leur valeur protéique. Le kawal contient des quantités appréciables de protéines et est utilisé comme substitut de viande et ou de poisson. Il est également riche en hydrates de carbone et en sels minéraux. La technologie de production du kawal reste traditionnelle avec des équipements rudimentaires et une fermentation incontrôlée. Cependant, cette technique de fermentation bien que traditionnelle permet l’élimination des facteurs antinutritionnels contenus dans les feuilles. Elle contribue aussi à l’amélioration de la valeur nutritionnelle et au développement de composés aromatiques tout en permettant d’augmenter la biodisponibilité des minéraux aboutissant ainsi à un produit qui permet de réduire les problèmes de carences en minéraux chez l’Homme. Les bactéries fermentaires du kawal, principalement celles des genres Bacillus et Lactobacillus du fait de leurs aptitudes probiotiques sont bénéfiques pour la santé humaine. La transformation de ce produit constitue un enjeu économique important en raison des revenus générés et contribue ainsi à la valorisation des ressources végétales et à la sécurité alimentaire des populations. Les technologies de la transformation du kawal n’étant pas bien maitrisées et variant d’une région à l’autre et ou d’une productrice à une autre il est donc indispensable de faire une synthèse sur les technologies de sa transformation et sa valeur nutritionnelle en vue de son amélioration.Mots clés: Kawal, feuilles fermentées, Senna obtusifolia, technologies, valeursnutritionnelle

Estimation du poids du fœtus zébu peulh à partir de mesures échographiques des paramètres fœtaux

Cette étude vise à estimer le poids du fœtus zébu peulh à partir des mesures échographiques des diamètres de l’abdomen (DA), du bipariétal (DBP), du cordon ombilical (DCO), de la corne utérine (DCU) et des longueurs du fémur (LF), du tibia (LT), et du dos (LD). Elle a concerné soixante et un (n = 61) utérus gravides recueillis après abattage de femelles gestantes. Toutes les gestations étaient simples. Les examens ont été réalisés en bain d’eau au moyen d’une sonde convexe de 3,5 MHz. Les utérus ont été ensuite disséqués afin de rapporté le poids des fœtus au moyen d’une balance. Les données ont été analysées au moyen du système de régression curvilinéaire. Les formules d’estimation du poids à partir des paramètres biométriques ont été de type y = axb , où y est le poids (g), a et b_constantes, et x est le paramètre biomètrique (mm). Toutes les structures morphologiques étudiées ont présenté des corrélations positives et hautement significatives avec le poids du fœtus (p < 0,0001). Toutefois, les DA (R2 = 0,94), DBP (R2 = 0,80), et la LF (R2 = 0,81) semblent être les plus appropriés pour l’estimation du poids du fœtus. À défaut de ces paramètres, les autres structures étudiées peuvent servir de repère dans l’estimation du poids.This study aims to estimate fetal weight using ultrasound measurements of abdominal (AD), biparietal (BPD), umbilical cord (UCD), uterine horn (UHD) diameters and femur (FL), tibia (TL), and crown rump (CRL) lengths in zebu peulh. It concerned 61 (n = 61) simple gravid uteri collected from slaughterhouse. Ultrasonographic scanning was carried out in a water bath using a real-time B-mode ultrasound machine having 3.5 MHz convex probe. The uterus was then dissected to report the weight of the fetuses using a scale. The data were subjected to simple curvilinear regression analysis. The derived weight estimation formulas type was y = axb . Where y is the fetal weight (g), a and b are constants, and x is the biometric parameter (mm). All morphological structures studied showed positive and highly significant correlations with fetal weight (p < 0.0001). However, AD (R2 = 0.94), BPD (R2 = 0.80), and FL (R2 = 0.81) appear to be the most appropriate parameters for estimating fetal weight in zebu peulh. In the absence of these parameters, the other structures studied can be used as a benchmark in weight estimation

Prevalence of Escherichia coli virulence genes in patients with diarrhoea in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Objective: Diarrhoeagenic E. coli (DEC) strains are important causes of diarrhoea in the developing world and, to a lesser extent, inthe developed world. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of the virulence genes specific for five major pathogroups of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) in primary cultures from diarrhoeagenic patients in Burkina Faso.Methodology: From September 2016 to Mars 2017, a total of 211 faecal samples from diarrhoeagenic patients from urban hospitals of Ouagadou, Burkina Faso have been analysed. A 16-plex PCR was used to detect simultaneously, the five major DEC pathotypes (enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) and enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC)).Results: At least one diarrhoeagenic E. Coli pathotype was detected in 31 samples (14.7%) in children and adults with diarrhoea. EAEC was the most common pathotype detected 9.5% (20/211), followed by EIEC2.4% (05/211) and STEC 0.5% (01/211). More than one DEC pathotype were detected in 2.4% (05/211) patients. EPEC and ETEC were not detected in single infection but in co-infection with others pathotypes.Conclusion: DEC, especially enteroaggregative, may be important responsible of diarrhoeas in Burkina Faso from all ages patient.Key Words: Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli, 16-plex PCR, Burkina Faso, human diarrhoeas stool

Efficacy and Safety of Artemether-Lumefantrine in the Treatment of Acute, Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria: A Pooled Analysis

Randomized trials have confirmed the efficacy and safety of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) for treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Data from seven studies supported by Novartis (1996–2007), including 647 adults (> 16 years of age, 83.3% completed the study) and 1,332 children (≤ 16 years of age, 89.3% completed the study) with microscopically confirmed uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria and treated with the recommended regimen of AL, were pooled. The 28-day polymerase chain reaction–corrected parasitologic cure rate (primary efficacy endpoint) was 97.1% (495 of 510) in adults and 97.3% (792 of 814) in children (evaluable population). Gametocytemia prevalence after day was 4.2% (23 of 554) in adults and 0.9% (8 of 846) in children. No noteworthy safety signals were observed. Serious adverse events occurred in 1.4% of the adults and 1.3% of the children. This study is the largest data set to date assessing AL therapy for treatment of acute uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. Artemether-lumefantrine showed high cure rates and rapid resolution of parasitemia, fever, and gametocytemia in adults and children, and showed an excellent safety and tolerability profile

PlasmoView: A Web-based Resource to Visualise Global Plasmodium falciparum Genomic Variation

Malaria is a global public health challenge, with drug resistance a major barrier to disease control and elimination. To meet the urgent need for better treatments and vaccines, a deeper knowledge of Plasmodium biology and malaria epidemiology is required. An improved understanding of the genomic variation of malaria parasites, especially the most virulent Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) species, has the potential to yield new insights in these areas. High-throughput sequencing and genotyping is generating large amounts of genomic data across multiple parasite populations. The resulting ability to identify informative variants, particularly single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), will lead to the discovery of intra- and inter-population differences and thus enable the development of genetic barcodes for diagnostic assays and clinical studies. Knowledge of genetic variability underlying drug resistance and other differential phenotypes will also facilitate the identification of novel mutations and contribute to surveillance and stratified medicine applications. The PlasmoView interactive web-browsing tool enables the research community to visualise genomic variation and annotation (eg, biological function) in a geographic setting. The first release contains over 600 000 high-quality SNPs in 631 Pf isolates from laboratory strains and four malaria-endemic regions (West Africa, East Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania)

Safety and Efficacy of Methylene Blue Combined with Artesunate or Amodiaquine for Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria: A Randomized Controlled Trial from Burkina Faso

Besides existing artemisinin-based combination therapies, alternative safe, effective and affordable drug combinations against falciparum malaria are needed. Methylene blue (MB) was the first synthetic antimalarial drug ever used, and recent studies have been promising with regard to its revival in malaria therapy. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of two MB-based malaria combination therapies, MB-artesunate (AS) and MB-amodiaquine (AQ), compared to the local standard of care, AS-AQ, in Burkina Faso.Open-label randomised controlled phase II study in 180 children aged 6-10 years with uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Nouna, north-western Burkina Faso. Follow-up was for 28 days and analysis by intention-to-treat. The treatment groups were similar in baseline characteristics and there was only one loss to follow-up. No drug-related serious adverse events and no deaths occurred. MB-containing regimens were associated with mild vomiting and dysuria. No early treatment failures were observed. Parasite clearance time differed significantly among groups and was the shortest with MB-AS. By day 14, the rates of adequate clinical and parasitological response after PCR-based correction for recrudescence were 87% for MB-AS, 100% for MB-AQ (p = 0.004), and 100% for AS-AQ (p = 0.003). By day 28, the respective figure was lowest for MB-AS (62%), intermediate for the standard treatment AS-AQ (82%; p = 0.015), and highest for MB-AQ (95%; p<0.001; p = 0.03).MB-AQ is a promising alternative drug combination against malaria in Africa. Moreover, MB has the potential to further accelerate the rapid parasite clearance of artemisinin-based combination therapies. More than a century after the antimalarial properties of MB had been described, its role in malaria control deserves closer attention.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00354380

Major reduction of malaria morbidity with combined vitamin A and zinc supplementation in young children in Burkina Faso: a randomized double blind trial

BACKGROUND: Vitamin A and zinc are crucial for normal immune function, and may play a synergistic role for reducing the risk of infection including malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a single dose of 200 000 IU of vitamin A with daily zinc supplementation was done in children of Sourkoudougou village, Burkina Faso. Children aged from 6 to 72 months were randomized to receive a single dose of 200 000 IU of vitamin A plus 10 mg elemental zinc, six days a week (n = 74) or placebo (n = 74) for a period of six months. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted at the beginning and the end of the study, and children were evaluated daily for fever. Microscopic examination of blood smear was done in the case of fever (temperature > or =37.5 degrees C) for malaria parasite detection. RESULTS: At the end of the study we observed a significant decrease in the prevalence malaria in the supplemented group (34%) compared to the placebo group (3.5%) (p < 0.001). Malaria episodes were lower in the supplemented group (p = 0.029), with a 30.2% reduction of malaria cases (p = 0.025). Time to first malaria episode was longer in the supplemented group (p = 0.015). The supplemented group also had 22% fewer fever episodes than the placebo group (p = 0.030). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that combined vitamin A plus zinc supplementation reduces the risk of fever and clinical malaria episodes among children, and thus may play a key role in malaria control strategies for children in Africa

Globally prevalent PfMDR1 mutations modulate Plasmodium falciparum susceptibility to artemisinin-based combination therapies

Antimalarial chemotherapy, globally reliant on artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), is threatened by the spread of drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Here we use zinc-finger nucleases to genetically modify the multidrug resistance-1 transporter PfMDR1 at amino acids 86 and 184, and demonstrate that the widely prevalent N86Y mutation augments resistance to the ACT partner drug amodiaquine and the former first-line agent chloroquine. In contrast, N86Y increases parasite susceptibility to the partner drugs lumefantrine and mefloquine, and the active artemisinin metabolite dihydroartemisinin. The PfMDR1 N86 plus Y184F isoform moderately reduces piperaquine potency in strains expressing an Asian/African variant of the chloroquine resistance transporter PfCRT. Mutations in both digestive vacuole-resident transporters are thought to differentially regulate ACT drug interactions with host haem, a product of parasite-mediated haemoglobin degradation. Global mapping of these mutations illustrates where the different ACTs could be selectively deployed to optimize treatment based on regional differences in PfMDR1 haplotypes.This work was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (R01 AI50234, AI124678 and AI109023) and a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases award to D.A.F. This research also received funding from the Portuguese Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), cofunded by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2-O Novo Norte); from the Quadro de Referencia Estrategico Nacional (QREN) through the Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) and from the Projeto Estrategico - LA 26 - 2013-2014 (PEst-C/SAU/LA0026/2013). M.I.V. is the recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from FCT/Ministerio da Ciencia e Ensino Superior, Portugal-MCES (SFRH/BPD/76614/2011). A.M.L. was supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Overseas Biomedical Fellowship (585519). R.E.M. was supported by an NHMRC RD Wright Biomedical Fellowship (1053082). A.C.U. was supported by an Irving scholarship from Columbia University. We thank Dr Andrea Ecker for her help with plasmid design and Pedro Ferreira for his expert help with Fig. 6.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impact of the addition of azithromycin to antimalarials used for seasonal malaria chemoprevention on antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

OBJECTIVE: A trial was conducted in Burkina Faso and Mali to investigate whether addition of azithromycin to the antimalarials used for seasonal malaria chemoprevention reduces mortality and hospital admissions of children. We tested the sensitivity of nasal isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae obtained during this trial to azithromycin and other antibiotics. METHODS: Azithromycin or placebo was administered monthly, in combination with the antimalarials used for seasonal malaria chemoprevention, for four months, over the annual malaria transmission seasons of 2014, 2015, and 2016. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 2773 Burkinabe and 2709 Malian children on seven occasions: in July and December each year prior to and after drug administration, and at a final survey in early 2018. Pneumococci were isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs and tested for sensitivity to azithromycin and other antibiotics. RESULTS: A total of 5482 samples were collected. In Burkina Faso, the percentage of pneumococcal isolates resistant to azithromycin among children who had received it increased from 4.9% (95% CI: 2.4%, 9.9%) before the intervention to 25.6% (95% CI: 17.6%, 35.7%) afterward. In Mali, the increase was from 7.6% (95% CI: 3.8%, 14.4%) to 68.5% (95% CI: 55.1%, 79.4%). The percentage of resistant isolates remained elevated (17.7% (95% CI: 11.1%, 27.1%) in Burkina Faso and 19.1% (95% CI: 13.5%, 26.3%) in Mali) among children who had received azithromycin 1 year after stopping the intervention. An increase in resistance to azithromycin was also observed in children who had received a placebo but it was less marked. CONCLUSION: Addition of azithromycin to the antimalarial combination used for seasonal malaria chemoprevention was associated with an increase in resistance of pneumococci to azithromycin and erythromycin, which persisted 1 year after the last administration of azithromycin