Antibacterial kinetics and phylogenetic analysis of Aloe vera plants

BACKGROUND: Uncontrolled use of antibiotics has resulted in the emergence of resistant bacteria. It has necessitated the evaluation of antibacterial activities and phylo-diversity of Aloe vera (also called Aloe barbadensis) plants as antimicrobial agent in Nigeria. METHODS: Biotyped enteric bacilli of 251 strains obtained from fecal samples of patients with various gastro-intestinal complications are profiled for antibiogram. Resistant biotypes were assayed for susceptibility to A. vera latex and further evaluated for time-kill kinetics and phylo-diversity. RESULTS: More than 30% of enteric bacilli, including Citrobacter freundii, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis, were resistant to cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline, respectively, at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) >16 μg/ml (p = 0.004). A. vera latex significantly inhibited 39.5% resistant enteric biotypes with a significant average reduction of the viable count at 1 × MIC and 2 × MIC to <3.0 Log10CFU/mL after 24 h. Flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and anthraquinine in anti-enteric sap significantly correlated and regressed with antibacterial activity (p < 0.05), while two of the antimicrobial A. vera plants showed phylogenetic relatedness with other homologous. CONCLUSION: Antibacteria efficacy of some Nigerian A. vera latex could provide alternative therapy, while its phylo-diversity and genomic profiling would offer a promising avenue for identification and development of antimicrobial agents as drug candidates for natural antibiotics

Antimicrobial activity and time kill kinetics of Nigerian Honeys on multi-resistant Enteric Bacilli

Antimicrobial activities of some Nigeria honeys were tested on multi-antibiotic resistant enteric bacilli strains (MAREBS) that are becoming dreadful among the populace. Enteric bacilli isolated from fecal samples randomly collected from community populace were biotyped and profiled for antibiotic susceptibility by micro-broth dilution assay. Honey physico-chemical and phyto-chemical metabolites were analysed and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility to MAREBS while its time kill kinetics was evaluated. Significant rate of 31.3% Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, (19.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.3%) were found with only 62.6% showed significant resistance to cefotaxime (30μg) and 61.6% to ampicillin (10μg). more than 40% showed significant resistance to Cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline with MIC >16 μg/ml (p<0.05). Physico-chemical parameters vary significantly with high phenol and alkaloids contents. Few honey samples showed antimicrobial activity of more than 37% inhibition rate while 8.1% MAREBS were further inhibited at lower MIC 31.25mg/mL, 10.8% at MIC 125mg/mL and 8.1% MIC 250mg/mL, while cidal rate of 8.1% was recorded. Significant reduction in average count of different MAREBS was recorded at honey dilutions of 1:2 and 1:4 to less than 2.10Log10CFU/mL. Amidst global burden of enteric infection with persistence antibiotic resistance, Nigerian honeys showed a reliable bacteriostatic and cidal activity as prospective novel alternative therapy for MAREBS infections

Randomised controlled trial to improve health and reduce substance use in established psychosis (IMPaCT): cost-effectiveness of integrated psychosocial health promotion

Background: There is mounting evidence that people with severe mental illness have unhealthy lifestyles, high rates of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and greater risk of early mortality. This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of a health promotion intervention seeking to improve physical health and reduce substance use in people with psychosis. Methods: Participants with a psychotic disorder, aged 18-65 years old and registered on an enhanced care approach programme or equivalent were recruited from community mental health teams in six mental health trusts in England. Participants were randomisation to either standard community mental health team care (treatment as usual) or treatment as usual with an integrated health promotion intervention (IMPaCT). Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses from health and social care and societal perspectives were conducted alongside a cluster randomised controlled trial. Total health and social care costs and total societal costs at 12 and 15 months were calculated as well as cost-effectiveness (incremental cost-effectiveness ratios and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves) at 15 months based on quality of life (SF-36 mental and physical health components, primary outcome measures) and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) using two measures, EQ-5D-3 L and SF-36. Data were analysed using bootstrapped regressions with covariates for relevant baseline variables. Results: At 12-15 months 301 participants had full data needed to be included in the economic evaluation. There were no differences in adjusted health and social care costs (£95, 95% CI -£1410 to £1599) or societal costs (£675, 95% CI -£1039 to £2388) between the intervention and control arms. Similarly, there were no differences between the groups in the SF-36 mental component (−0.80, 95% CI -3.66 to 2.06), SF-36 physical component (−0.68, 95% CI -3.01 to 1.65), QALYs estimated from the SF-36 (−0.00, −0.01 to 0.00) or QALYs estimated from the EQ-5D-3 L (0.00, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.02). Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves for all four outcomes and from both cost perspectives indicate that the probability of the health promotion intervention being cost-effective does not exceed 0.4 for willingness to pay thresholds ranging from £0-£50,000. Conclusions: Alongside no evidence of additional quality of life/clinical benefit, there is also no evidence of cost-effectiveness

Cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome in people with established psychotic illnesses: baseline data from the IMPaCT randomized controlled trial

The National Institute for Health Research funds the IMPaCT programme at King's College London and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (ref. RP-PG-0606-1049)

Application of SSR Markers for Genetic Purity Analysis of Parental Inbred Lines and Some Commercial Hybrid Maize (Zea mays L.)

Aims: Morphological evaluation of seeds and growing plants used for certification for purity and variety distinctness in Nigeria is time consuming and expensive. This experiment set to evaluate the usefulness of SSR markers to determine genetic purity of commercial hybrids and their inbred lines. Place and Duration of Study: Bioscience unit, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Nigeria in December, 2011 Methodology: Seedlings of four F1 hybrids and four inbred lines were grown in the screen house of IITA for DNA extraction using Dellaporta method with some modifications. Six Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers were used for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using Touch-Down PCR profile. The analysis is by fragment analysis as present (1) or absent (0) Mathematical equation to determine genetic purity of the genotypes was developed from the genetic distances matrix. Results: Simple descriptive analysis revealed that average genetic diversity and polymorphism information content (PIC) recorded by the markers was 0.592 and 0.512 respectively. Genetic purity level of inbred lines ranged between 91.3% and 98.7% while the hybrids ranged between 81.3% and 95%. Conclusion: SSR markers are powerful biotechnological tool capable of detecting genetic purity status of Nigerian maize hybrids therefore inclusion of DNA analysis of seeds using SSR markers to determine genetic purity of maize seed is recommended. However, further research work with larger number of seed samples per variety will be needed to validate reliability

Mutational and Evolutionary Analyses of Bovine Reprimo Gene

Bovine reprimo (RPRM) gene is a pleiotropic gene involved in cancer suppression, regulation of mitotic cell cycle, cell cycle arrest, survival and fertility. This study used in silico approach to analyse single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and indels in bovine RPRM gene in order to identify mutations which can be used in marker assisted selection when working with the gene in cattle. The evolution of the gene was also studied to infer its relatedness with RPRM gene of other species. Nucleotide and amino acid sequences of bovine RPRM gene were downloaded from GenBank. Amino acid sequences of RPRM gene of other animals were also downloaded from GenBank and Universal Protein Resources database. The SNPs and indels in the bovine RPRM gene were identified and analysed using HaploSNPer software. The percent identity and similarity between the amino acid sequences of bovine RPRM and RPRM genes of other species was determined by conducting a pair wise comparison of the sequences using Comparing two or more sequences option of Basic Local Alignment Search Tool. The Molecular Evolution and Genetic Analysis (MEGA5) software was used to determine the phylogenetic relationship between bovine RPRM and RPRM genes of other species. Four (4) reliable transition SNPs and 5 indels were identified in the gene with D-value of 0.4677. The reliable transitions identified were 890G&gt;A, 901A&gt;G, 1216C&gt;T and 1245C&gt;T. The indels were 845C/-,878G/-, 1229-/T, 1230-/T and 1264-/A. The percent identity and similarity between the amino acid sequence of bovine RPRM and RPRM genes of other mammals were higher than 90% (91-100% and 94-100%, respectively), except in the duckbill platypus where percent identity and similarity indices were 78% and 81%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of the gene revealed that there was high relatedness between bovine RPRM and RPRM genes of other mammals. It can therefore be concluded that bovine RPRM gene contained 4 transition mutations and 5 indels that can be used in marker assisted selection. Evolutionary findings also demonstrated the existence of a divergent evolution between bovine RPRM gene and RPRM gene of fishes and frog.Keywords: Identity, phylogeny, reprimo gene, similarity, single nucleotide polymorphis

Effects of heat conditioning at d 16 to 18 of incubation or during early broiler rearing on embryo physiology, posthatch growth performance and heat tolerance

This study was designed to test the effect of pre- and post-hatch temperature conditioning or a combination of both, on the acquisition of heat tolerance during the adult life of broiler chickens. Nine hundred hatching eggs produced by Cobb broiler breeders were incubated at standard incubation conditions until d 16. Half of the eggs were subjected to temperature conditioning for 3 h/day (39.5 degrees C, 65% relative humidity (RH)) at d 16, 17 and 18 of incubation (T group) while the other half Control group (C group) were kept at standard incubation conditions. From the end of d 18 until end of incubation, embryo heat production (HP), gas partial pressure in the air chamber at IP, and blood parameters (T-3 and corticosterone) were measured. Also, hatching time for individual chick, body temperature (Tb) and body weight (BW) and the number of hatched chicks were recorded. Hatched chicks were raised under regular conditions. At the age of 3 d, the chicks of each incubation condition group were divided into 2 groups: half of the chicks of each group (C and T) were subjected to thermal conditioning (41.0 degrees C for 6 hours). The other half of the chicks was used as control. The 4 groups of broilers were reared until 42 d of age. During post-hatch period, Tb, blood parameters and BW were again measured. At 42 d all broilers were heat challenged at 35 degrees C for 6 h. After heat challenge, mortality was recorded and blood samples were collected. The results indicate that thermal conditioning during incubation had no effect on hatchability of eggs but prolonged incubation duration, decreased T3 (at IP), corticosterone (at IP and hatch), HP and Tb. Overall, at 3 d post-hatch, prenatal condition increased while post-natal conditioning decreased corticosterone levels. Heat challenge at 42 d post-hatch decreased T3 levels in the TC group and increased corticosterone levels in postnatally conditioned group. Differences between BW become obvious from 28 d post-hatch and were in the following order: TT > CC = CT > TC. At 42, the highest BW was obtained in the broilers of TC group. Heat conditioning at 3 d of age improved heat tolerance in response to heat challenge at 42 d. post-hatch whereas prenatal treatment had a strong negative effect. It is concluded that heat treatment during incubation or during post-hatch life induces completely different effects.status: publishe