Browsing by Author "Phiri, E.C"

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Effect of crude extracts from Commiphora swynnertonii (Burtt) against selected microbes of animal health importance
(2012-03-09) Bakari, G.G; Max, R. A.; Mdegela, R. H.; Phiri, E.C; Mtambo, M.M
Ethanolic extracts from resin, root bark, stem bark and leaves of Commiphora swynnertonii were tested against fungi and bacteria using agar well diffusion method. The fungi included Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger whereas the bacteria species included Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial activity was determined by measuring inhibition zone diameters around agar wells. Resin and root bark extracts showed significant activities against S. pyogenes, E. coli and B. subtilis compared to the other two extracts. Growth of E. coli was highly reduced by resin extract (minimum inhibition concentration = 1.9 μg/ml). The fungi, C. albicans, also showed similar sensitivity to resin and root bark extract. Growth of S. typhimurium was not reduced by all four extracts at all concentrations tested whereas that of P. aeruginosa was slightly reduced. Cytotoxicity studies using brine lethality test indicated that root bark, stem bark and resin extract had effect to brine shrimps with LC50 of 3.5, 13.0 and 15.8 μg/ml, respectively. The current results indicate that resin and root bark extracts of C. swynnertonii have strong antimicrobial activity against most of the tested microbes and support the traditional use of the plant in treating various infectious diseases. Further studies are suggested to validate the use of this plant against the diseases caused by the tested microbes.
Trypanosomes infection in rodents and their zoonotic potential from Ruaha ward in Kilosa district, Tanzania
(TAJAS, 2022) Samiji, A.M; Katakweba, A.S; Phiri, E.C
Zoonotic haemoparasites are among of the public health problems that affect human population and are capable of being transmitted from wildlife reservoirs. Study on trypanosomes infection in rodents from Ruaha ward in Kilosa district, Tanzania was carried out on March 2020. The total of 99 individuals of rodents were captured from different localities in Ruaha, using Sherman live traps. Blood samples were collected from supraorbital vein of captured individuals, both thick and thin smears were made, dried and stained with Giemsa at the ratio of 1:10. After washing and drying they were observed under microscope at 100 magnifications with oil immersion for trypanosomes infection. Out of 99 rodents captured there were, Rattus rattus 22 (22.22%), Mastomys natalensis 72 (72.73%), and Aethomys chrysophilus 5 (5.05%). Among the captured rodents, 62 (62.63%) were males and 37 (37.37%) were females. Rattus rattus appeared to be predominant species in resident areas, while Mastomys natalensis followed by Aethomys chrysophilus bieng dominant in fallow and cultivated land areas. The infectious agent (Protozoa) belonging to genus Trypanosoma was found infecting the rodent population. Rattus rattus (n=3/99, 3.03%) were shown to have high prevalence compared to Mastomys natalensis (n=1/99, 1.01%), meanwhile Aethomys chrysophilus (n=0/99, 0.00%) were found not infected with any trypanosomes. The overall prevalence of trypanosomes were (n=4/99, 4.04%), however, captured female rodents were not infected. It is concluded that zoonotic agent (Trypanosoma spp.) are prevalent to rodents in Ruaha ward, hence it is recommended that more survey of trypanosomes infections in rodents are crucial for disease surveillance as the way toward ending Trypanosomiasis by 2030.