Local wisdom in wound treatment practice in Tengger tribe farmers

INTRODUCTION

Farmers have a high risk of injury either due to the use of agricultural tools, or chemicals, or the geographical conditions of the agricultural area. This study aimed to describe the use of local wisdom in the practice of wound treatment among Tengger tribal farmers in Indonesia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This qualitative study used accidental sampling, conducted in the agricultural land of Ngadisari Village, Sukapura District, Probolinggo Regency, East Java for 3 weeks in November 2020. This study involved all farmers who were working on the land at the time of the study (n=30). The questionnaires consist of demographic, wound characteristics and wound treatment processes.

RESULTS

The practice of wound treatment for the Tengger Tribe farmers is divided into two stages, namely the initial wound stage (stopping bleeding) using gums of medical plants and the wound healing stage, which is divided into treatment for the outer body using mashed leaf herbs and for the inner body using herbs that function to increase body stamina.

CONCLUSION

The local wisdom Tengger ethnic-based wound treatment uses whatever is in nature to stop the bleeding and increase the wound healing process.

Mitigation potential of distillery sludge against ochratoxin A induced immunological alterations in broiler chicks

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potent mycotoxin injurious to poultry health and an alarming factor for poultry industry while distillery sludge (DS) is a waste product of molasses based industries rich in proteins and certain essential vitamins and other nutrients. The present study was done to estimate the immunological alterations induced by OTA in broiler chicks and amelioration of these alterations by dietary supplementation of DS. For this purpose, 480 one-day old broiler chicks procured from a local hatchery, were divided into sixteen equal groups and were given different combinations of OTA (150, 300 and 1000 µg/kg feed) and DS (5, 10 and 20 g/kg feed). Parameters studied were antibodies response to sheep red blood cells (SRBCs), lymphoproliferative response to PHA-P and phagocytic index as studied by carbon clearance assay. The results of this study showed that feeding DS with 150 and 300 µg/kg OTA ameliorated OTA induced alterations, but this amelioration was partial when 1000 µg/kg OTA was used along with DS. From this study it could be concluded that DS has beneficial effects in birds suffering from ochratoxicosis. However, the proper level of DS to produce such mitigation against specific level of OTA is yet to be determined.

Estimation of ochratoxin A in poultry feed and its ingredients with special reference to temperature conditions

1. The present study was designed to analyse ochratoxin A (OTA) in poultry feed samples (mixed types) along with different poultry feed ingredients collected from different farms and market of Lahore, Pakistan. 2. The whole year (2012-2013) was divided into three sub-periods depending upon environmental conditions, that is, July-October (hot and humid), November-February (winter) and March-June (moderate). During each sub-period 120 samples were collected for each feed and each ingredient constituting a total of 840 samples (120x7 of feed and feed ingredients in each sub-period). 3. The results of this study indicated that the incidence of OTA-positive samples was highest in July-October followed by that during March-June while the incidence was minimum during November-February. Similarly, the largest number of samples was below the maximum tolerable level (MTL) during November-February followed by March-June while the least number of samples was below MTL during hot weather (July-October). 4. This is the first elaborative study regarding the levels of OTA in poultry feed and its ingredients collected from Lahore, Pakistan.

Taeniasis and neurocysticercosis among Malaysians

Taeniasis, endemic in Southeast Asia, is caused by Taenia saginata (for beef) or Taenia solium and Taenia asiatica (for pork). T. solium also causes cysticercosis which can affect various organs. Taeniasis and cysticercosis cases are rarely reported in Malaysia. We report here two separate cases of beef taeniasis, and an interesting case of neurocysticercosis in a Malay Muslim. The taeniasis cases involved a Malaysian Chinese and a native Sabahan. Proglottids were recovered from them, and identification of the tapeworm done either from the microscopic examination of the egg or using PCR-based molecular diagnosis. Upon confirmation of taeniasis, both cases were given praziquantel and had been asymptomatic since. The neurocysticercosis case involving a Muslim who presented with seizure, was confirmed by histopathological examination of tissue sections taken from craniotomy excision of the brain lesion. He was given one month course of albendazole 400 mg bid and dexamethasone, and had been well and seizure free since. The two cases of taeniasis documented here had acquired the disease through eating raw or undercooked contaminated beef. For the neurocyticercosis case, it is suspected that he might have acquired the infection in one of his travels through human to human transmission via contaminated food or water consumption, given that Malaysia is not T. solium endemic area. Lastly praziquantel is an effective drug for beef taeniasis, while a combination of albendazole and dexamethasone work well for neurocysticercosis.

Ameliorative effects of L-carnitine and vitamin E (α-tocopherol) on haematological and serum biochemical parameters in White Leghorn cockerels given ochratoxin A contaminated feed

1. L-carnitine is a quaternary ammonium compound biologically synthesised from the amino acids methionine and lysine while vitamin E (α-tocopherol) is an important antioxidant. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the ameliorative effects of L-carnitine and vitamin E upon haematological and serum biochemical parameters in ochratoxin A intoxicated birds. 2. Day-old White Leghorn cockerels were acclimatised for 2 d, divided in 12 groups with 20 birds in each group. From d 3 of age, they were given different combinations of ochratoxin A (1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg), L-carnitine (1 g/kg) and vitamin E (200 mg/kg) in feed. Haematological (erythrocyte count, leucocyte count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit percentage) and serum biochemical parameters (serum urea, creatinine, albumin, total proteins and alanine aminotransferase) were evaluated. 3. Results confirmed that L-carnitine and vitamin E given alone or combined with 1.0 mg/kg ochratoxin A ameliorated toxin induced alterations in haematological and serum biochemical parameters. This amelioration, however, did not occur when ochratoxin of 2.0 mg/kg was given. 4. L-carnitine and vitamin E in combination have the ability to ameliorate ochratoxin altered haematological and serum biochemical parameters. However, the optimum ratio of L-carnitine + vitamin E, to be used to assure such mitigation of ochratoxin A altered changes in haematological and serum biochemical parameters in cockerels, has yet to be determined. The combination used in this study was indeed sufficient to ameliorate the alterations induced by ochratoxin A up to 1.0 mg/kg feed.

Egg-protein-induced villous atrophy

The effect of egg protein on the small bowel mucosa of a 9-month-old infant with a history of intolerance to egg protein was studied. Within 24 h of ingestion of egg protein marked villous atrophy, depletion of mucosal oligosaccharidases, impaired absorption of xylose, and depressed serum complement levels were observed. The study demonstrates that egg protein is yet another cause of flat mucosa of the small intestine in infants.

One-hour blood xylose in the diagnosis of cows milk protein-sensitive enteropathy

The 1-hour xylose absorption test was evaluated as method for the diagnosis of cows' milk protein-sensitive enteropathy in a prospective study of 48 infants with diarrhoea clinically suspected to be due to intolerance of cows' milk. The infants were maintained on a lactose and cows milk protein-free diet for 6-8 weeks and then were challenged with cows' milk protein. Jejunal biopsies and the 1-hour xylose absorption test were performed immediately before and 20-24 hours after cows' milk provocation. After milk provocation, 30 infants had clinical, enzymological, and histological relapse, and in 28 of them there was a significant depression of post-provocation blood xylose levels. Six infants had histological and enzymological relapse but clinically they tolerated cows' milk. The post-provocation blood xylose level was depressed in all infants. Ten infants had enzymological relapse without histological or clinical relapse. The post-challenge blood xylose was depressed significantly (greater than 20%) in 3, mildly depressed in 3 (16-18%), and not depressed in four. Two infants clinically, histologically, and enzymologically tolerated cows' milk; in each the post-challenge xylose was depressed (22%, 12%). It appears that the 1-hour blood xylose test is not as reliable as the jejunal biopsy in the diagnosis of cows' milk protein-sensitive enteropathy.

[The uric acid lowering effect of protein-rich diets. Behavior of human uric acid metabolism under reducing diet forms with varied protein content]

The effect of a 60 g protein diet was compared to a 120 g protein diet. Under nutrition with 60 g protein/day the uric acid clearance dropped from 6.3 +/- 2.2 ml/min to 4.9 +/- 1.6 ml/min. During application of 120 g protein/day uric acid clearance was not reduced. Therefore serum uric acid concentration dropped from 7.7 +/- 0.5 mg/dl to 6.4 +/- 0.5 mg/dl. The supply of 120 g protein/day has such a strong uricosuric action that the otherwise occurring inhibition of uric acid clearance during weight reduction can be balanced.