ABSTRACT Pain, pyrexia and inflammation cause unnecessary discomfort, suffering and also lower productivity of the victims. Conventional drugs for these conditions are expensive, not easily available and have adverse side effects. There is therefore need to develop alternative therapeutic agents, such as medicinal plant derivatives, that are cheaper and have lesser side effects. Terminalia brownii is used in traditional medicine to treat pain, pyrexia, inflammation but there is no scientific ...
ABSTRACT Malaria is a global health problem resulting in 435,000 deaths annually with 90% of the deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 70% of the Kenyan population is at risk of malaria and western Kenya is an endemic region with prevalence of 38%. The Anopheles gambiae complex and Anopheles funestus are the main vectors of human malaria in Africa with Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto and Anopheles gambiae arabiensis being the main vectors in western Kenya. Anopheles gambiae sensu stric...
ABSTRACT In sub-Saharan Africa, Plasmodium falciparum infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality mostly among children under five years. In Kenya, severe malaria anaemia prevalence is at 19%. In malaria holo-endemic region of western Kenya, P. falciparum infections account for major proportion of children with anaemia that leads to severe malaria anaemia (SMA, Hb
ABSTRACT The exact etiological mechanism underlying endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL) remains unknown. Past studies show T and B cells are immuno-deregulated in children from malaria holoendemic regions. However, no study has examined the effect of P. falciparum transmissions on Natural Killer (NK) cell, which shape T and B immune responses. NK cells are critical in immunosurveillance, elimination of cancerous cells and controlling EBV viremia. This is by production of anti-viral cytokines like ...
ABSTRACT More than 35% of infants residing in Chulaimbo regions are infected with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) by six months of age, typically when maternal antibodies are expected to provide protection to the infants before they develop their own denovo antibodies. It has been reported that maternal immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies get transferred to the fetus from the second week of gestation and reach maximum levels by the third trimester. Transplacental transfer of these antibodies may be ...
ABSTRACT In 2015, 10.4 million people worldwide had tuberculosis (TB) and 1.4 million deaths occurred, 400 000 of whom were HIV-positive, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounted for 81% of these cases. In 2015, 480 000 new cases of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) were detected globally. In Kenya, in 2015, 107 000 people had TB and 36 000 were HIV co-infected. In western Kenya, the prevalence of TB and HIV in 2015 was 39.2% and 15.1%, respectively and in 2008, 10 cases of MDR-TB occurred. Patients...
ABSTRACT Antimicrobials have been in use for decades in disease management, but emergence of resistant pathogens such as Escherichia coli have rendered its future of concern to public health. Increased human-wildlife interaction is associated with emergence of devastating human diseases and resistance genes are increasingly being isolated. Of importance is the increased bacterial infection that requires prolonged treatment periods as seen in Lambwe Valley which points to antibacterial resista...
Abstract Birds constitute an important part of the earths’ vertebrate organisms and are among the most diverse, conspicuous and fascinating forms of life. There are over ten thousand species of birds in the world. Besides their great ecological role in seed dispersal, pollination, importance in food weds / chains, they have also been crucial to man for meat, communication, recreation, decoration and as a source of inspiration. Unfortunately about 1,012 species of birds are being threatened ...
ABSTRACT Endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL) is an aggressive paediatric B-cell lymphoma prevalent in children from holoendemic malaria regions of sub-Saharan Africa. It is associated with early primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and repetitive Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria coinfection with high incidence in western Kenya. The lymphoma is common among children aged 2-11 years with high incidence at 5-8 years and has been associated with multiple genetic variations. Endemic BL is characterized b...
ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of produced water from an oil exploration company in Rivers State on the blood, gills and liver of Juvenile African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Seventy Juvenile African Catfish were separated into 7 groups (10 per treatment) and used for the study. The juveniles were exposed to three varying concentrations of fresh and stale produced water (2.5ml/l, 5.0ml/l and 10.0ml/l) for a period of 3weeks. At the end of the test period, haematological, bioc...
ABSTRACT Pito is a traditional alcoholic beverage that is mostly brewed in the three northern regions of Ghana. Although widely consumed and used during many festivities, poor shelf-life limits its economic potential as an income generating venture for most women. The study was carried out to improve the shelf life through the addition of Moringa oleifera leaf extract and pasteurization. The study was in two phases, that is, the extract level testing phase and the storage phase. The former ...
ABSTRACT Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) is an important root crop capable of ameliorating vitamin A deficiency that is a public health concern in Sub Saharan Africa. However, most of the OFSP cultivars have relatively short shelf life largely due to improper pre-and post- harvest management. This study investigated the effect of two curing (field-piled and in- ground) and two household-level storage (sand box and heap) methods on the shelf life of two OFSP cultivars (Apomuden and Nane) in...
ABSTRACT Honey remains a valued natural product and has been used by humans as an important food source and for disease treatment since ancient times. Honey is often considered a healthy substitute to sugar. However, recent reports on adulteration of honey, and honey polluted with contaminants like pesticides, antibiotics, heavy metals as well as microorganisms have gained public attention. This news has instigated public fear on the consumption of honey since it is perceived to be sterile a...
ABSTRACT Studies on the biosorption potentials of Zea mays cobs and Musa paradisiaca peels in the treatment of waste effluent from paint industry, was carried out. Standard laboratory procedures using 400 ml of the effluent were adopted to assess the values of Pb, Fe, Cland PO4, BOD and TDS at pH 6.7 and pH 10.0 before and after treatment of the effluent with 1g and 3g of pulverized corn cobs and plantain peels. Standard procedures were adopted for the phytochemical screening of the biosorbe...