Advances in Food Science and Technology

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (2), pp. 001-005, February, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Suitability of food crop wastes in the formulation of laboratory media used for the cultivation of soil fungi

Omawumi Christabel*, Eshenake Dorcas and Uzuokalu Elizabeth

Department of Plant Science and Technology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Accepted 28 February, 2016

Abstract

A major problem experienced by both developed and developing countries is the management of wastes. Thus, there is a growing interest regarding the conversion of organic wastes generated by the food processing sector and through other human endeavors into useful forms. An investigation was carried out to test the suitability of food crop wastes (yam, sweet potato, carrot and Irish potato peels) for the formulation of media for cultivating soil fungi. Four formulated media which included Yam Peel Dextrose agar (YPDA), Sweet Potato Peel Dextrose Agar (SPPDA), Carrot Peel Dextrose Agar (CPDA) and Irish Potato Peel Dextrose Agar (IPPDA) were used to determine the growth of four test fungi isolated from the soil. Mean radial growths (MRGs) of the isolates on the formulated waste media were determined and compared with that of SDA which served as the control. The test organisms were aseptically inoculated unto the four different formulated media and the control medium in triplicates. The cultures were incubated for a period of six days and the radial growth of each of the fungi was measured thereafter. Growth rates on the test media were also calculated for each fungus. The fungal isolates from this study were Aspergillus niger, Geotrichum candidum, Aspergillus flavus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All the formulated media supported the growth of the test fungi at various degrees with Sweet Potato Peel Dextrose Agar (SPPDA) having the highest MRG of 8.10 cm, 8.10 cm and 7.40 cm for A. niger, G. candidum and S. cerevisiae respectively. The MRGs of these three fungi on SPPDA were found to be higher than their MRGs on all the other media including the control medium (SDA), while the control (SDA) yielded the highest MRG for A. flavus. Yam Peel Dextrose Agar (YPDA) yielded the lowest MRG values for all the test fungi. Seventy-five percent of the fungi demonstrated higher growth rates on SPPDA. There is promise for the use of SPPDA for the cultivation of the test soil fungi.

Key words: Food crop, wastes, fungal isolates, laboratory media, radial growth.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (1), pp. 001-009, January, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The usefulness of urine reagent strips and semi-quantitative procalcitonin (PCT-Q) tests in the diagnosis of meningitis

Gamal ElBaradei¹*, Mahfouz E. A.¹, Mohamed Sharif¹, Faten Mona² and Boutros Ghali³

¹Endemic Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.

²Chemical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.

³Shebin El-kom Fever Hospital, Egypt.

Accepted 12 November, 2017

Abstract

Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection of the central nervous system. On the other hand, aseptic meningitis is a benign self-limited disease. Differentiating both diseases is of great importance. Earlier studies using urine reagent strips and procalcitonin (PCT) for diagnosis of meningitis had given a high sensitivity and specificity rates reaching 100%. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of two bedside diagnostic tests in the diagnosis of meningitis. These were urine reagent strips and semi-quantitative procalcitonin (PCT-Q) test. One hundred patients with clinical and laboratory data suggesting of meningitis were included in this study. Complete biological and biochemical laboratory examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and serum inflammatory markers were done. According to this work, the 100 patients were classified into 64 patients with bacterial meningitis and 36 patients with aseptic meningitis. The CSF samples were tested using urine reagent strips for protein, glucose and leukocytes; as well as for PCT-Q test to detect its ability in differentiating bacterial from viral aseptic meningitis. Positive bacterial culture is the gold standard in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis but it yielded a very low positivity rate (combined Gram stain and cultures were positive in only 4%). Although CSF protein concentration and leukocyte count and serum CRP were significantly higher in bacterial than aseptic meningitis, there was a wide area of overlapping results between the two groups. The number of reagent strip results coinciding with the laboratory results was 72%, 64% and 48% for leukocytes, protein and glucose respectively. Sensitivity rates were moderate and the degree of agreement between CSF strip and laboratory results were increased with higher grades for leukocytosis. PCT-Q had a good discriminating ability in differentiating bacterial from viral meningitis. With a cutoff value of 0.5 ng/dL, it was positive in 87% of patients with bacterial meningitis and negative in 91% of cases of viral aseptic meningitis. The use of reagent strips for the diagnosis of meningitis can be used only as a preliminary screening test till the laboratory results became available. PCT-Q test was more sensitive in differentiating bacterial from viral meningitis but it cannot be used alone for this diagnosis.

Key words: Procalcitonin, meningitis, bacterial, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), viral.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 5 (12), pp. 001-007, December, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The role of plasmid in multidrug resistance P. aeruginosa clinical isolates from burn infections

Soleen Saeed Ahmed*, Rashid F. Hadid and Tariq Taher Seleman

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Duhok, Kurdistan, Iraq.

Accepted 20 January, 2016

Abstract

Twenty-one isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were collected from burns hospital laboratories in Duhok City. They were identified using the API 20E system, biochemical and morphological characteristics. All isolates had multiple resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, rifampicin, amoxicillin, chloramphenicol, cefotaxime, erythromycin, penicillin, neomycin, streptomycin, trimethoprim and gentamycin, and were sensitive to ciprofloxacin. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of two curing agents, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and ethidium bromide, used in this study were determined and the results indicated that the curing percentage and efficiency of each curing agent was determined. From treatment with 700 µg/ml ethidium bromide, it was observed that no cured cells were obtained for all antibiotics used, whereas in the treatment done for three incubation times using SDS at a concentration of 1% (W/V) with different incubation periods as curing agent, the bacterial colonies that lost their antibiotics resistance appeared with different curing rates. The results showed 75 - 100% of curing for streptomycin and gentamycin with little effect on erythromycin and trimethoprim (0 - 8%), while SDS had variable effect on other antibiotics resistance in some isolates. In addition, curing of plasmid DNA by elevated temperature (45°C) was carried out and the results revealed high percentage of curing for all antibiotics resistance as they were compared with that induced by the action of SDS and ethidium bromide. The percentages of bacterial colonies that lost their antibiotic resistance were 55 - 100% for curing to all antibiotic resistance in the six tested isolates.

Key words: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, multidrug resistance, plasmid curing.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 5 (11), pp. 001-012, November, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Analysis of 16S rDNA sequence of isolates from Turkey meat to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella in the presence of virulence genes

Muhammad Aziz^1*, Nuri Bassim Mikhail², Ali H. Donny³ and Ashur D. Sargis⁴ and Baqir Al-Sadr⁵

¹Equipe Microbiologie et Santé, Département de Biologie, Laboratoire de Chimie Biologie Appliquées à l’Environnement, Université Moulay Ismail Faculté des Sciences, B.P.11201 Z,  Morocco.

²Provincial Delegation of Health in El Hajeb, 1 Km route south of Azrou AV Med V, El Hajeb, Morocco.

³Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Laboratoire de microbiologie et de l’hygiène des aliments et des eaux, Morocco.

⁴Laboratoire Microbiologie, Hygiène Alimentaire Institut National d’Hygiène, 27, Avenue Ibn Batouta, Rabat, Maroc.

⁵Laboratoire régional de diagnostic épidémiologique et d’hygiène du milieu, région Meknès-Tafilalet

Accepted 30 September, 2016

Abstract

In this study, several Salmonella (n=25) isolated from turkey meat were characterized using conventional culture methods, biochemical, serological, antimicrobial testing and analysed for presence of virulence genes. For molecular analysis, the 16S rDNAs of all strains of Salmonella were sequenced and used for construction of a phylogenetic tree. Six different serotypes were identified of which Salmonella Saintpaul (n=10) was the most frequent, followed by Salmonella Agona (n=6), Salmonella Typhimurium (n=4), Salmonella Heidelberg (n=3), Salmonella Infantis (n=1) and Salmonella Bredeney (n=1). All strains were positive for nine virulence genes (spiA, sifA, spaN, sopB, sipB, iroN, orgA, sitC and prgH), but none were positive for spvB genes. Salmonella isolates most frequently exhibiting resistance to 3-8 antibiotics were Agona (83%), Typhimurium (75%) and Saintpaul (60%), though one strain (S. Agona) is an Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for ceftriaxone (16 µg/Ml). Salmonella strains were clustered into four phylogenetic groups and three sub clusters. However, S. Infantis, S. Bredeney and S. Agona AE136/2 betalactamase producing (ESBL) were placed separately on side branches separate from the remaining strains, while 100% (n=25) strains possessed a 16S rDNA sequence with ≥97% similarity to that of a genus Salmonella.

Key words: Salmonella, antibacterial resistance, 16S rDNA, phylogeny, virulence genes, Morocco.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 5 (10), pp. 001-006, October, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The prevalence of common intestinal parasites in domestic pigs in Shaanxi province of China

*Ding Junhui, Yang Ming Teng and Mao Guangen

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Accepted 15 June, 2017

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken to determine the prevalence of common intestinal parasites in domestic pigs in Shaanxi province of China between May 2011 and February 2012. A total of 1339 pig fecal samples were collected from pre-weaners (252), growers (360), fatteners (417), breeding sows and boars in 9 farms located in 8 counties/districts. Among them, 387 fecal samples were positive for intestinal parasites. Growers had the highest infection rate (41.4%), while pre-weaners had the lowest (22.2%). But only 39 pigs were infected with multiple parasites. The common intestinal parasites were Ascaris suum (10.23%), Strongyloides spp. (6.49%), Eimeria spp. (6.35%) and Cryptosporidium spp. (4.63%). Of the risk factors for intestinal parasite infection investigated in the present study, the farm management system played a remarkable role in the occurrence and intensity of intestine parasite infection. These results suggested that the efficient prevention and control measures should be taken to control intestinal parasites infection in pig in Shaanxi province.

Key words: Intestinal parasites, prevalence, swine, Shaanxi province.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 5 (9), pp. 001-006, September, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Synthesis and characterization of sodium carboxymethylcellulose from pod husk of Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.)

*Krisdayanti Gutawa, Ayn T. Willy and Gita R. Nikita

Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Accepted 25 April, 2017

Abstract

Cacao pod husk (Theobroma cacao L.) is a by product of the cacao industry, rich in cellulose. The methodology to synthesize and uniqueness of the sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Na-CMC) is suggested by cellulose extraction from pod husk of cacao. Na-CMC was synthesized by using 20 ml NaOH at five various concentrations (11.59, 15, 20, 25, and 28.41% w/v) at 25°C for 1 h; followed with 5 sodium monochloracetate (NMCA) samples 3.18, 4, 5, 6 and 6.68 g, respectively with 5 g of cellulose was added to slurry at various temperature (46.59, 50, 55, 60 and 63.41°C) for 3 h. The response surface methodology used to determine the optimum condition for synthesis of NaCMC. The data showed that the optimum condition is 15% NaOH with 4 g NMCA, at 55.93°C for 3 h. Extracted Na-CMC has 0.75° of substitution (DS), 3.73 g/g water holding capacity (WHC), 2.12 g/g oil holding capacity (OHC), 56.61 lightness, 206.10 cps viscosity, and 141.60% yield.

Key words: Cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, cacao pod husk.