Evaluation of the production technologies and the microbial and physico-chemical qualities of curdled milk produced in Benin

Objectives: The aim was to identify the different production technologies, the hygiene of the producers and the microbiological and physico-chemical qualities of curdled milks produced in Benin.Methodology and Results: Thirty-two curdled milk samples were collected from five municipalities and microbiological analyses were carried for the detection of Salmonella sp. . The enumeration of total microbial flora, total and faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, lactic flora, sulfito-reducing anaerobic germs, Staphylococcus aureus, as well as yeasts and moulds using normalized methods was carried out. The pH and the titratable acidity of the samples were determined by the AOAC method (1990). Results showed that majority of curdled milk producers of Benin are Peulh women. Two types of milks (fresh cow milk and powdered milk) were used for the preparation of these curds with two different technologies (technology using powdered milk in their preparation with old curdled milk as a starter and that using fresh cow milk with endogenous starter) were used. Microbiological and physico-chemical analyses revealed that the average total microbial flora was 255±126.106 cfu/ml. The lactic flora, as well as yeasts and moulds flora were respectively 8.29±6.56 x106 cfu/ml, 12.431±20.706 x103 cfu/ml and 13±23 cfu/ml. Coliforms count varied from 11.313±13 x103 cfu/ml at 30°C to 0.983±1.228 x103 cfu/ml at 44°C, while the average Escherichia coli count was 0.34±0.89 cfu/ml. The average pH and titratable acidity of the samples were respectively 3.77±0.17 and 156.36±30.22 degree Dornic. All analysed curds were exempt of Salmonella sp, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium spp.Conclusion and application of findings: The poor quality of the studied curdled milk samples poses serious health risks to consumers. Therefore, this study calls for producers’ sensitisation and training on good hygienic practices for safer curdled milk production with less public health risk.Keywords: curdled milk, quality, technology, health risks, Beni

High-Throughput Illumina MiSeq Amplicon Sequencing of Yeast Communities Associated With Indigenous Dairy Products From Republics of Benin and Niger

Traditional Wagashi cheese and fermented cow milk are among the most popular dairy products appreciated by people from Benin, Niger, and the neighboring region. These products are the main source of protein in the diet of the low-income population in the region. The fermented milk is prepared by spontaneous fermentation without back-slopping. Whereas, the leaf extract of Calotropis procera is used for curdling the milk to prepare the soft Wagashi cheese. The present study aims to provide in-depth analysis of yeast communities associated with these traditional milk products by high-throughput Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of fungal rRNA genes. A total of 60 samples, 20 samples of fermented milk each from Benin and Niger, and 20 samples of Wagashi cheese from Benin were used for analysis. The metagenomic investigation revealed that Kluyveromyces marxianus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida parapsilosis, and Sagenomella keratitidis were the predominant yeast species present in the traditional milk products. Furthermore, we noticed a high presence of K. marxianus (61.1% relative abundance) in the Wagashi cheese and S. cerevisiae (28.4% relative abundance) in the fermented milk of Niger. The presence of potential pathogenic yeast C. parapsilosis and S. keratitidis in these African milk products calls for further investigation to assess their safety. The predominant yeast K. marxianus and S. cerevisiae, recognized with generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status, could be further selected as starter culture along with lactic acid bacteria for developing controlled fermentation processes with enhanced product quality and safety

Prévalence, résistance aux antibiotiques et profile des gènes de virulence de Escherichia coli partagée entre les aliments et d'autres sources. une revue systématique

peer reviewedBackground and Aim: Foodborne diseases caused by Escherichia coli are prevalent globally. Treatment is challenging due to antibiotic resistance in bacteria, except for foodborne infections due to Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, for which treatment is symptomatic. Several studies have been conducted in Africa on antibiotic resistance of E. coli isolated from several sources. The prevalence and distribution of resistant pathogenic E. coli isolated from food, human, and animal sources and environmental samples and their virulence gene profiles were systematically reviewed. Materials and Methods: Bibliographic searches were performed using four databases. Research articles published between 2000 and 2022 on antibiotic susceptibility and virulence gene profile of E. coli isolated from food and other sources were selected. Results: In total, 64 articles were selected from 14 African countries: 45% of the studies were conducted on food, 34% on animal samples, 21% on human disease surveillance, and 13% on environmental samples. According to these studies, E. coli is resistant to ~50 antimicrobial agents, multidrug-resistant, and can transmit at least 37 types of virulence genes. Polymerase chain reaction was used to characterize E. coli and determine virulence genes. Conclusion: A significant variation in epidemiological data was noticed within countries, authors, and sources (settings). These results can be used as an updated database for monitoring E. coli resistance in Africa. More studies using state-of-theart equipment are needed to determine all resistance and virulence genes in pathogenic E. coli isolated in Africa

Phytochemistry and antibacterial activity of plants extracts compared with two commercial antibiotics against E coli responsible for avian colibacillosis in Benin

Despite its prominent place in development strategies, poultry breeding faces many constraints, including pathological ones. Among pathologies that affect poultry, colibacillosis is one of the most diseases that are communicable to humans and associated with heavy economic losses. To fight efficiently against avian colibacillosis, the work aimed to evaluate antimicrobial potential evaluation of non-volatile extracts of Euphorbia hirta and Psidium guajava, as well as the essential oils of Clausena anisata and Aeollanthus pubescens extracts and two commercial antibiotics namely tetracolivit and Oxytetracyclin against Escherichia coli. To achieve this goal, susceptibility tests were performed on a strain of E. coli using agar diffusion and microdilution methods. Results obtained showed that essential oils from Clausena anisata and non-volatile extracts tested were not active on E coli. However, the essential oils extracted from Aeollanthus pubescens were active on the E. coli with MIC of 0.44 ± 0.21 mg/ml and MBC of 0.87 ± 0.41mg / ml for the oil of the whole part, followed respectively by flower oil  (MBC = 0.99 mg/ml) and leaf stem oil (MBC= 1.62 mg / ml). Comparing the activity of the essential oils of Aeollanthus with antibiotics tested, we noticed that tetracolivit was more active with MBC =0.15±0.07mg/ml on E. coli than these extracts which were more active than Oxytetracyclin (MBC=2.34±1.11mg/ml). In sum, the study showed that for a better management of avian collibacillosis in Benin, the tetracolivit is suitable as antibiotic which can be substituted by Aeollanthus pubescens essential oils

Reproductive Performances of Local Pigs in West African Countries: A Review

The local pig is reared in all West Africa countries, and especially in small farms, playing so an important role in its preservation. This article reviews work done on reproductive performances of local pigs in West Africa. These performances focus on age at puberty, estrus and sex cycle, gestation length, prolificity, viability and growth before piglets weaning. Factors that can influence these parameters are included. Finally, the contribution of animal biotechnology to these performances improvement is discussed

Comparative analyses of the bacterial communities present in the spontaneously fermented milk products of Northeast India and West Africa

IntroductionSpontaneous fermentation of raw cow milk without backslopping is in practice worldwide as part of the traditional food culture, including “Doi” preparation in earthen pots in Northeast India, “Kindouri” of Niger and “Fanire” of Benin prepared in calabash vessels in West Africa. Very few reports are available about the differences in bacterial communities that evolved during the spontaneous mesophilic fermentation of cow milk in diverse geographical regions.MethodsIn this study, we used high throughput amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene to investigate 44 samples of naturally fermented homemade milk products and compared the bacterial community structure of these foods, which are widely consumed in Northeast India and Western Africa.Results and discussionThe spontaneous milk fermentation shared the lactic acid bacteria, mainly belonging to Lactobacillaceae (Lactobacillus) and Streptococcaceae (Lactococcus) in these two geographically isolated regions. Indian samples showed a high bacterial diversity with the predominance of Acetobacteraceae (Gluconobacter and Acetobacter) and Leuconostoc, whereas Staphylococcaceae (Macrococcus) was abundant in the West African samples. However, the Wagashi cheese of Benin, prepared by curdling the milk with proteolytic leaf extract of Calotrophis procera followed by natural fermentation, contained Streptococcaceae (Streptococcus spp.) as the dominant bacteria. Our analysis also detected several potential pathogens, like Streptococcus infantarius an emerging infectious foodborne pathogen in Wagashi samples, an uncultured bacterium of Enterobacteriaceae in Kindouri and Fanire samples, and Clostridium spp. in the Doi samples of Northeast India. These findings will allow us to develop strategies to address the safety issues related to spontaneous milk fermentation and implement technological interventions for controlled milk fermentation by designing starter culture consortiums for the sustainable production of uniform quality products with desirable functional and organoleptic properties

Models for studying the distribution of ticks and tick-borne diseases in animals : a systematic review and a meta-analysis with a focus on Africa

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State of the art of breeding, milking, and milk processing for the production of curdled milk and Wagashi Gassirè in Benin: Practices favoring the contamination of its dairy products

peer reviewedIntroduction: This study aimed to identify the factors favoring the contamination of raw cow's milk, curdled milk, and Wagashi Gassirè cheese during their production and preservation in order to develop strategies to improve their quality. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 401 randomly selected stakeholders encompassing all levels of the dairy production chain in the Nikki and Dassa-Zoumé communes of Benin was conducted. The data obtained were analyzed using the SAS software for the calculation of frequencies and the R software for classifying the stakeholders based on the hygiene practices they adopted during the production and conservation of raw cow's milk, curdled milk, and Wagashi Gassirè. Results and discussion: The study identified three types of dairy farmers based on how they medically treated their cattle and implemented hygiene practices, including farmers who (1) relied on themselves or received help from veterinarians trained in animal husbandry and milking to monitor the animals on their farms; (2) relied only on veterinarians; and (3) relied only on themselves. The majority of these dairy farmers felt that hygienic milking practices were very restrictive and difficult to implement. In addition, three groups of Wagashi Gassirè producers were identified: (1) producers trained in good hygiene practices who did not boil or sundry the cheese; (2) producers lacking the infrastructure to protect from weather exposure who used all parts of Calotropis procera for colored Wagashi Gassirè production; and (3) producers who did not often filter the milk and boiled the Wagashi Gassirè in bags before immersion in simple water or whey. The sanitary quality of milk and milk products is influenced by the diverse handling practices employed by producers. These practices must be considered according to the types of farmers and processors when suggesting improved intervention policies.WALA

Processing and preservation methods of Wagashi Gassirè, a traditional cheese produced in Benin

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