scholarly journals Effect of Phenotypic Screening of Extracts and Fractions of Erythrophleum ivorense Leaf and Stem Bark on Immature and Adult Stages of Schistosoma mansoni

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gertrude Kyere-Davies ◽  
Christian Agyare ◽  
Yaw Duah Boakye ◽  
Brian M. Suzuki ◽  
Conor R. Caffrey
Keyword(s):  
Schistosoma Mansoni ◽  
Petroleum Ether ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Stem Bark ◽  
Current Treatment ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Bark Extract ◽  
Phenotypic Screening ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
New Treatments

Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by a flatworm parasite that infects people in tropical and subtropical regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, China, and Southeast Asia. The reliance on just one drug for current treatment emphasizes the need for new chemotherapeutic strategies. The aim of this study was to determine the phenotypic effects of extracts and fractions of leaf and stem bark of Erythrophleum ivorense (family Euphorbiaceae), a tree that grows in tropical parts of Africa, on two developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni, namely, postinfective larvae (schistosomula or somules) and adults. Methanol leaf and stem bark extracts of E. ivorense were successively fractionated with acetone, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and methanol. These fractions were then incubated with somules at 0.3125 to 100 μg/mL and with adults at 1.25 μg/mL. The acetone fractions of both the methanol leaf and bark of E. ivorense were most active against the somules whereas the petroleum ether fractions showed least activity. For adult parasites, the acetone fraction of methanol bark extract also elicited phenotypic changes. The data arising provide the first step in the discovery of new treatments for an endemic infectious disease using locally sourced African medicinal plants.

Managing Information Technology Projects Using Agile Methodology

2021 ◽  
pp. 123-146
Author(s):  
Alice S. Etim ◽  
Chandra Prakash Jaiswal ◽  
Marsheilla Subroto ◽  
Vivian E. Collins Ortega
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
It Projects ◽  
Information Technology Projects ◽  
Agile Methodology ◽  
It Project ◽  
Product Delivery ◽  
Sub Saharan

The management of information technology (IT) projects has experienced a shift from predictive and traditional project management methodology to more adaptive practices like Agile. Agile method and its developmental stages are a response to current business-changing trends and computing needs of society. The process assists in accelerating product delivery with rapid feedback and cost-conscious, consecutive iteration, distinguishing it from other traditional practices like the waterfall method. This chapter contributes to the existing literature by discussing agile project management for IT projects, with a specific case of the Africa IT project – the Books for Africa Project (hereafter called, Book Project). The first part of the chapter is used to review the literature on Agile IT projects. The Book Project as a case is an IT project, and it is discussed in detail in the chapter. The chapter concludes with transferable lessons for projects in developing countries, specifically those located in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Molecular epidemiology and phylogeography of Schistosoma mansoni around Lake Victoria

Parasitology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 137 (13) ◽  
pp. 1937-1949 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. STANDLEY ◽  
N. B. KABATEREINE ◽  
C. N. LANGE ◽  
N. J. S. LWAMBO ◽  
J. R. STOTHARD
Keyword(s):  
Population Genetics ◽  
Schistosoma Mansoni ◽  
Molecular Epidemiology ◽  
Lake Victoria ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Human Migration ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Coi Sequences

SUMMARYIntestinal schistosomiasis continues to be a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, and is endemic in communities around Lake Victoria. Interest is growing in the molecular evolution and population genetic structure of Schistosoma mansoni and we describe a detailed analysis of the molecular epidemiology and phylogeography of S. mansoni from Lake Victoria. In total, 388 cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) sequences were obtained from 25 sites along the Ugandan, Tanzanian and Kenyan shorelines of Lake Victoria, and 122 unique barcodes were identified; 9 corresponded to previously discovered barcodes from Lakes Victoria and Albert. A subset of the data, composed of COI sequences from miracidia from 10 individual children, was used for population genetics analyses; these results were corroborated by microsatellite analysis of 4 isolates of lab-passaged adult worms. Overall, 12 barcodes were found to be shared across all 3 countries, whereas the majority occurred singly and were locally restricted. The population genetics analyses were in agreement in revealing high diversity at the level of the human host and negligible population structuring by location. The lack of correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance in these data may be attributed to the confounding influence of high intra-individual diversity as well as human migration between communities.

scholarly journals Mini-FLOTAC as an alternative, non-invasive diagnostic tool for Schistosoma mansoni and other trematode infections in wildlife reservoirs

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Catalano ◽  
Amelia Symeou ◽  
Kirsty J. Marsh ◽  
Anna Borlase ◽  
Elsa Léger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Schistosoma Mansoni ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Post Mortem ◽  
Post Mortem Examination ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Flotac Technique ◽  
Endemic Areas ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Trematode Infections

Abstract Background Schistosomiasis and food-borne trematodiases are not only of major public health concern, but can also have profound implications for livestock production and wildlife conservation. The zoonotic, multi-host nature of many digenean trematodes is a significant challenge for disease control programmes in endemic areas. However, our understanding of the epidemiological role that animal reservoirs, particularly wild hosts, may play in the transmission of zoonotic trematodiases suffers a dearth of information, with few, if any, standardised, reliable diagnostic tests available. We combined qualitative and quantitative data derived from post-mortem examinations, coprological analyses using the Mini-FLOTAC technique, and molecular tools to assess parasite community composition and the validity of non-invasive methods to detect trematode infections in 89 wild Hubert’s multimammate mice (Mastomys huberti) from northern Senegal. Results Parasites isolated at post-mortem examination were identified as Plagiorchis sp., Anchitrema sp., Echinostoma caproni, Schistosoma mansoni, and a hybrid between Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma bovis. The reports of E. caproni and Anchitrema sp. represent the first molecularly confirmed identifications for these trematodes in definitive hosts of sub-Saharan Africa. Comparison of prevalence estimates derived from parasitological analysis at post-mortem examination and Mini-FLOTAC analysis showed non-significant differences indicating comparable results between the two techniques (P = 1.00 for S. mansoni; P = 0.85 for E. caproni; P = 0.83 for Plagiorchis sp.). A Bayesian model, applied to estimate the sensitivities of the two tests for the diagnosis of Schistosoma infections, indicated similar median posterior probabilities of 83.1% for Mini-FLOTAC technique and 82.9% for post-mortem examination (95% Bayesian credible intervals of 64.0–94.6% and 63.7–94.7%, respectively). Conclusions Our results showed that the Mini-FLOTAC could be applied as an alternative diagnostic technique for the detection of the zoonotic S. mansoni and other trematodes in rodent reservoirs. The implementation of non-invasive diagnostics in wildlife would offer numerous advantages over lethal sampling methodologies, with potential impact on control strategies of zoonotic helminthiases in endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa and on fostering a framework of animal use reduction in scientific practice.

scholarly journals Impact of Schistosoma mansoni on Malaria Transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. e3234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martial L. Ndeffo Mbah ◽  
Laura Skrip ◽  
Scott Greenhalgh ◽  
Peter Hotez ◽  
Alison P. Galvani
Keyword(s):  
Schistosoma Mansoni ◽  
Malaria Transmission ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan

IL-15 as an Immune Modulator in Schistosomiasis

2019 ◽  
Vol 152 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S102-S103
Author(s):  
Mary Reust
Keyword(s):  
Schistosoma Mansoni ◽  
Mucosal Immunity ◽  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Schistosoma Haematobium ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Immune Modulator ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Negative Controls

Abstract Introduction Schistosomiasis affects approximately 200,000,000 people globally, with 93% of these cases in sub-Saharan Africa. Women who have been infected with Schistosoma haematobium have four times the risk of contracting HIV due to a change in their cervical mucosal immunity. The mechanism for this altered cervical mucosal immunity was not understood until a recent study published by Downs et al, which showed IL-15 levels were significantly lower in cervicovaginal lavage fluid samples of women with Schistosoma haematobium. Schistosoma mansoni, known to cause intestinal schistosomiasis, has also shown the potential to increase the risk of contracting HIV. The objective for this study is to see if IL-15 levels in peripheral blood are significantly different between patients positive for S mansoni and negative controls. Methods Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA) for IL-15 were performed on plasma collected from 84 patients in villages in sub-Saharan Africa. These samples were collected at screening, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up, and 9-month follow-up appointments. Results Of 249 plasma samples tested, 20 had detectable IL-15 levels ranging from 8.329 pg/mL to above the upper limit of detection of 500 pg/mL. While the patients that had detectable IL-15 in the peripheral blood were half S mansoni negative and half S mansoni positive, when an S mansoni–positive patient was positive for IL-15, it was across all timepoints. Conclusion The role of IL-15 as an immune modulator can explain the elevated levels in S mansoni–positive patients. All patients in the study were tested for significant comorbidities, with no correlation seen within the negative controls. Further testing is needed to investigate the role of IL-15 in the alteration of localized areas of infection with both Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium. More samples are currently being collected from the patient population in Tanzania, and future studies are planned.

scholarly journals Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Effects of Maerua angolensis DC. Stem Bark Extract in Mice

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Charles Kwaku Benneh ◽  
Robert Peter Biney ◽  
Donatus Wewura Adongo ◽  
Priscilla Kolibea Mante ◽  
Felix Agyei Ampadu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethyl Acetate ◽  
Petroleum Ether ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Stem Bark ◽  
Bark Extract ◽  
Analgesic Effects ◽  
Traditional Remedy ◽  
Plus Maze ◽  
Antidepressant Effects ◽  
Stem Bark Extract

Introduction. The stem bark extract of Maerua angolensis DC. (Capparaceae) is used as a traditional remedy for management of anxiety, psychosis, and epilepsy. Aim of the Study. We therefore aimed at evaluating the anxiolytic and antidepressant potential of the plant in mice models. Methods. The dried stem bark was extracted with petroleum ether/ethyl acetate (50:50) mixture to obtain the extract, MAE. We employed Irwin’s test to identify the preliminary behavioral and autonomic effects. Subsequently, MAE was administered per os to male mice and subsequently assessed, 1 h later, for anxiety parameters in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and the regular Suok tests. The forced swim (FST) and tail suspension (TST) tests were employed to assess the antidepressant potential of the extract (100-1000 mg kg−1). Results. In our preliminary assay, MAE (100-5000 mg/kg) exhibited analgesic effects and a reduction in fear response in the Irwin’s test. The spontaneous locomotor activity was reduced at 1000 mg/kg. Additionally, MAE (1000 mg/kg) increased the latency to PTZ-induced convulsions, and duration to sleep in the pentobarbitone induced sleeping time assay. MAE (1000 mg/kg), similar to diazepam, in the anxiolytic assay, increased the percentage time spent in the open arms while decreasing protected head dips and unprotected stretch attend postures in the EPM. Correspondingly, there was a reduction in anxiety-induced immobility and freezing in the Suok test (300 mg/kg) without loss of sensorimotor coordination. Additionally, there was a significant reduction in immobility duration in the FST (300 mg/kg) and TST (1000 mg/kg). Conclusion. The petroleum ether/ethyl acetate fractions of Maerua angolensis stem bark possess anxiolytic and acute antidepressant effects in mice.

The role of the immunological background of mice in the genetic variability of Schistosoma mansoni as detected by random amplification of polymorphic DNA

2014 ◽  
Vol 89 (6) ◽  
pp. 714-719
Author(s):  
I.L. Cossa-Moiane ◽  
T. Mendes ◽  
T.M. Ferreira ◽  
I. Mauricio ◽  
M. Calado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Schistosoma Mansoni ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
Rapd Pcr ◽  
Random Amplification ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Belo Horizonte ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Dna Profiles

AbstractSchistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by flatworms of the genus Schistosoma. Among the Schistosoma species known to infect humans, S. mansoni is the most frequent cause of intestinal schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa and South America: the World Health Organization estimates that about 200,000 deaths per year result from schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa alone. The Schistosoma life cycle requires two different hosts: a snail as intermediate host and a mammal as definitive host. People become infected when they come into contact with water contaminated with free-living larvae (e.g. when swimming, fishing, washing). Although S. mansoni has mechanisms for escaping the host immune system, only a minority of infecting larvae develop into adults, suggesting that strain selection occurs at the host level. To test this hypothesis, we compared the Belo Horizonte (BH) strain of S. mansoni recovered from definitive hosts with different immunological backgrounds using random amplification of polymorphic DNA–polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR). Schistosoma mansoni DNA profiles of worms obtained from wild-type (CD1 and C57BL/6J) and mutant (Jα18− / − and TGFβRIIdn) mice were analysed. Four primers produced polymorphic profiles, which can therefore potentially be used as reference biomarkers. All male worms were genetically distinct from females isolated from the same host, with female worms showing more specific fragments than males. Of the four host-derived schistosome populations, female and male adults recovered from TGFβRIIdn mice showed RAPD-PCR profiles that were most similar to each other. Altogether, these data indicate that host immunological backgrounds can influence the genetic diversity of parasite populations.

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