Health seeking behavior and use of medicinal plants among the Hamer ethnic group,South Omo zone,southwestern Ethiopia

Background

Health seeking behavior of people around the globe is affected by different socio-cultural and economic factors. In Ethiopia, people living in rural areas in particular, are noted for their use of medicinal plants as a major component of their health care option. This study was conducted to document ethnopharmacological information of the Hamer semi-pastoralists ethnic group in southwestern Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out whereby information on demographic characteristics, prevalence of perceived illnesses, factors associated with preference of health care seeking options, medicinal plants used and hoarded as well as some healers’ socio-economic characteristics were collected using two sets of semi-structured questionnaires – one for household (HH) heads and the other for traditional healers supplemented by focus group discussions (FGDs). Households were selected using a cluster sampling followed by systematic sampling techniques; whereas healers and FGD participants were purposively selected with the assistance of local leaders and elders from the community.

Results

The study revealed that the use of traditional medicine among the Hamer ethnic group is very high. Females preferred traditional medicine more than males. The main reasons for this preference include effectiveness, low cost and ease of availability. Malaria (gebeze) was the most frequently occurring illness in the area identified by all FGD participants. A total of 60 different medicinal plants were reported [34 by HH respondents, 14 by traditional healers and 12 by both]. Fifty-one medicinal plants were fully identified, 3 at generic level and 6 have not yet been identified.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that traditional medical practices, particularly herbal aspect, is widely used by the Hamer ethnic group, although health seeking behavior of the community is affected by different socio-economic and cultural factors.

     

Phytoalexins from Thlaspi arvense, a wild crucifer resistant to virulent Leptosphaeria maculans: structures, syntheses and antifungal activity

Phytoalexins are inducible chemical defenses produced by plants in response to diverse forms of stress, including microbial attack. Our search for phytoalexins from cruciferous plants resistant to economically important fungal diseases led us to examine stinkweed or pennycress (Thlaspi arvense), a potential source of disease resistance to blackleg. We have investigated phytoalexin production in leaves of T. arvense under abiotic (copper chloride) and biotic elicitation by Leptosphaeria maculans (Desm.) Ces. et de Not. [asexual stage Phoma lingam (Tode ex Fr.) Desm.], and report here two phytoalexins, wasalexin A and arvelexin (4-methoxyindolyl-3-acetonitrile), their syntheses and antifungal activity against isolates of P. lingam/L. maculans, as well as the isolation of isovitexin, a constitutive glycosyl flavonoid of stinkweed, having antioxidant properties but devoid of antifungal activity.     

Effects of a 4-week youth baseball conditioning program on throwing velocity

Effects of a 4-week youth baseball conditioning program on throwing velocity. This study examined the effects of a 4-week youth baseball conditioning program on maximum throwing velocity. Thirty-four youth baseball players (11-15 years of age) were randomly and equally divided into control and training groups. The training group performed 3 sessions (each 75 minutes) weekly for 4 weeks, which comprised a sport specific warm-up, resistance training with elastic tubing, a throwing program, and stretching. Throwing velocity was assessed initially and at the end of the 4-week conditioning program for both control and training groups. The level of significance used was p < 0.05. After the 4-week conditioning program, throwing velocity increased significantly (from 25.1 ± 2.8 to 26.1 ± 2.8 m·s) in the training group but did not significantly increase in the control group (from 24.2 ± 3.6 to 24.0 ± 3.9 m·s). These results demonstrate that the short-term 4-week baseball conditioning program was effective in increasing throwing velocity in youth baseball players. Increased throwing velocity may be helpful for pitchers (less time for hitters to swing) and position players (decreased time for a runner to advance to the next base).     

Phomapyrones from blackleg causing phytopathogenic fungi: isolation, structure determination, biosyntheses and biological activity

The isolation and structure determination of phomapyrones D-G, three 2-pyrones and a coumarin, from a group of isolates of the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans (Desm.) Ces. et de Not., asexual stage Phoma lingam (Tode ex Fr.) Desm, is reported. As well, phomenin B, infectopyrone, and polanrazines B and C were also obtained for the first time from these isolates. In addition, based on results of incorporations of 13C-labeled acetate and malonate, and deuterated methionine, a polyketide pathway is proposed for the biosyntheses of phomapyrones.     

Robust reference intervals for Liver function test (LFT) analytes in newborns and infants

ABSTRACT: Back groundReference intervals (RIs) are ranges of upper and lower limits of a given analyte which are used for a laboratory test to determine whether a disease is present or absent or to know if the patient is at risk for future disease states. In Ethiopia, a country with highly diversified population groups and geographical sites, there are no established RIs to metabolic analytes including the liver function test (LFT) analytes for the pediatric population though it has been known that liver function assessment in this population is vital as a result of varied vulnerability to both endogenous and xenobiotic substances. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) and Teklehaymanot Health Center (THC) from November 2010 to April 2011. 117 cord blood (from newborns) and venous blood samples (from infants) were collected and analyzed using HumaStar 300. All pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical aspects were thoroughly controlled. A robust, CLSI/ IFCC recommended, method was used for the determination of upper and lower end points covering 95% of the reference values of each analyte with respective 90% CIs using MedCalc(R) software. RESULTS: Combined RIs for newborns and infants were established for albumin, AST, ALP, direct bilirubin and total bilirubin to be 3.88-5.82 g/dl, 16.1-55.4U/l, 130-831U/l, <0.41 mg/dl and <1.37 mg/dl respectively. But, separated RIs were indicated for ALT and GGT as 1.2-23.1U/l and 6.94-24.8U/l ALT; and 30.6-160.7U/L and 10--28.2U/l GGT for newborns and infants respectively. Some maternal and infantile factors were identified to affect the values of analytes. CONCLUSION: Almost all analytes were different from previously reported values for other target population of similar age group, kit insert values and adult values. So, interpretation of values of these analytes in newborns and infants of Ethiopian population sounds better to be performed by using such RIs taking the effect of some maternal and infantile factors in to account.     

Comparison of three baseball-specific 6-week training programs on throwing velocity in high school baseball players

Throwing velocity is an important baseball performance variable for baseball pitchers, because greater throwing velocity results in less time for hitters to make a decision to swing. Throwing velocity is also an important baseball performance variable for position players, because greater throwing velocity results in decreased time for a runner to advance to the next base. This study compared the effects of 3 baseball-specific 6-week training programs on maximum throwing velocity. Sixty-eight high school baseball players 14-17 years of age were randomly and equally divided into 3 training groups and a nontraining control group. The 3 training groups were the Throwers Ten (TT), Keiser Pneumatic (KP), and Plyometric (PLY). Each training group trained 3 d·wk(-1) for 6 weeks, which comprised approximately 5-10 minutes for warm-up, 45 minutes of resistance training, and 5-10 for cool-down. Throwing velocity was assessed before (pretest) and just after (posttest) the 6-week training program for all the subjects. A 2-factor repeated measures analysis of variance with post hoc paired t-tests was used to assess throwing velocity differences (p < 0.05). Compared with pretest throwing velocity values, posttest throwing velocity values were significantly greater in the TT group (1.7% increase), the KP group (1.2% increase), and the PLY group (2.0% increase) but not significantly different in the control group. These results demonstrate that all 3 training programs were effective in increasing throwing velocity in high school baseball players, but the results of this study did not demonstrate that 1 resistance training program was more effective than another resistance training program in increasing throwing velocity.     

The phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria brassicicola: Phytotoxin production and phytoalexin elicitation

The metabolites and phytotoxins produced by the phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria brassicicola (Schwein.) Wiltshire, as well as the phytoalexins induced in host plants, were investigated. Brassicicolin A emerged as the most selective phytotoxic metabolite produced in liquid cultures of A. brassicicola and spirobrassinin as the major phytoalexin produced in infected leaves of Brassica juncea (whole plants). In detached infected leaves of B. juncea, the main component was N′-acetyl-3-indolylmethanamine, the product of detoxification of the phytoalexin brassinin by A. brassicicola. In addition, the structure elucidation of three hitherto unknown metabolites having a fusicoccane skeleton was carried out and the antifungal activity of several plant defenses against A. brassicicola was determined.     

DGAT2 stability is increased in response to DGAT1 inhibition in gene edited HepG2 cells

In eukaryotic organisms, two unrelated acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) enzymes, DGAT1 and DGAT2, catalyze the final step of the triacylglycerol biosynthetic pathway. Both enzymes are highly expressed in lipogenic tissues, such as adipose tissue, small intestine and the liver. DGAT2 has a prominent role in hepatocyte lipid metabolism synthesizing triacylglycerols that are utilized for very low-density lipoprotein assembly. However, due to the lack of useful antibodies to detect endogenous DGAT2 protein, it has been difficult to determine how this enzyme functions at the cellular level. We have unsuccessfully tested many commercial antibodies as well as our own “in-house” antibodies. There is currently no evidence that DGAT2 undergoes processing such that antigenic epitopes to these antibodies are removed. As an alternative, many studies have utilized epitope tagged versions of DGAT2 overexpressed in cells. These approaches can provide valuable information about a protein, but can be subject to artifacts, such as mislocalization, misregulation, protein aggregation and abnormal protein-protein interactions. In this study, we used gene editing with CRISPR/Cas9 to add three consecutive FLAG epitopes to the C-terminus of endogenous DGAT2 in HepG2 cells. HepG2 cells, derived from a human hepatocellular carcinoma, have been routinely used as a cell model to study human hepatocyte lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Using this system allowed us to successfully detect DGAT2 expressed from its endogenous locus in HepG2 cells by immunoblotting with anti-FLAG antibodies.