Microbial diversity and biochemical characteristics of Borassus akeassii wine

Palm wine produced traditionally and consumed by many people in the South-West of Burkina Faso is subject to alteration. In this study, we carried out a follow-up of two palm wines' fermentation during the 10 days in which palm wines are classically produced and consumed. We monitored biochemical characteristics of fermenting wines as well as followed the microflora kinetics using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. The analysis of the acid content and the bacterial population revealed the correlation between the development of Lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid, and total acidity. Ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis and sequencing results revealed different yeast and bacterial populations for the two palm wines. Although Saccharomyces cerevisiae remained the sole yeast species in one fermentation, it was quickly replaced by Clavispora lusitaniae in the second fermentation, which had never been described until now in palm wine. When considering bacteria, the species Corynebacterium sp., Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei and Leuconostoc sp. were detected in both palm wines. But we also detected Acetobacter pasteurianus, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis in the second fermentation.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Our results highlight the evolution of palm wine during the 10 days separating palm tapping and consumption of the fermented wine. The fermentation step is performed within few hours and completed after 24 h. The next days, its acidity increases progressively with the production of lactic and acetic acids by bacteria. The high production of acetic acid is very likely one of the main cause of palm wine degradation during this period. This indicates that the solution to palm wine preservation might be protection against oxygen, as well as the limit of bacterial growth through the use of preservatives.

Assessment of safety and quality of fermented milk of camels, cows, and goats sold and consumed in five localities of Burkina Faso

Background and Aim:

Fermented milk is food produced and consumed all over the world and plays an important role in human nutrition. This work aimed to evaluate the microbiological and physicochemical quality and mineral composition of fermented milk consumed in Burkina Faso.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 114 samples of fermented milk from camels, goats, and cows were purchased in the market in five localities in Burkina Faso; Bobo Dioulasso, Djibo, Dori, Gorom-Gorom, and Sebba. Microbiological and physical parameters were monitored using standards methods.

Results:

Microbiological analysis of fermented milks showed high average values of 7.60±1.50×10⁹ colony-forming unit per milliliter (CFU/ml), 5.72±3.60×10⁷ CFU/ml, 5.53±2.00×10⁵ CFU/ml, 1.97±0.18×10³ CFU/ml, 1.98±0.25×10³ CFU/ml, and 0.10±0.09×10³ CFU/ml for total microbial flora, lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and molds, Staphylococcus aureus, total coliforms, and thermotolerant coliforms, respectively. None of the samples were contaminated by Salmonella or Shigella. The average values of pH, acidity, dry matter, ash, fats, proteins, and total carbohydrates content of samples were ranged, respectively: 3.830-4.137, 1.888-2.822%, 8.271-13.004%, 0.199-0.476%, 1.210-3.863%, 2.125-3.764%, and 3.080-5.428 % (w/w). Na/K and Ca/Mg ratio ranged from 0.104 to 0.909 and from 3.392 to 16.996, respectively. Total microbial flora, yeasts and molds, total coliforms, fats, calcium, potassium, iron, and zinc were significantly different.

Conclusion:

This research contributed in the evaluation of the hygienic and nutritional qualities of local fermented milk. Results obtained in this study confirm the need to set up the training program on the sanitary condition to traditional maker’s to ensure the good fermented milk with high organoleptic and nutritional qualities.

Nutritional, biochemical and microbiological composition of Borassus aethiopum Mart. sap in Burkina Faso

The palmyra palm Borassus aethiopum Mart. grow wild and gives natural stands in several localities of central-eastern and eastern regions of Burkina Faso. This work aimed to determine the nutritional, biochemical and microbiological composition of fresh palm sap from B. aethiopum Mart. during the first 4 days of tapping. The composition of palm sap was carried out by HPLC and standard methods. The sap collected during the first 4 days were sugary and contained less alcohol. The mean values of the pH, total and reducing sugars content were 4.84 ± 0.5, 11.36 ± 3.97 and 2.93 ± 1.22% w/v respectively. Sucrose, glucose, fructose and Vitamin C values were 6.75% w/v, 4.99 g/L, 7.09 g/L, 8.93% w/v respectively. Galactose and xylose were not detected. Soluble proteins, arabinose, phenols and ethanol were present in low concentration. Calcium, potassium, magnesium and ammonium were present in palm sap with highest potassium content (13.26 g/L). Lactate (2.41 ± 0.86 g/L), succinate (2.49 ± 1.46 g/L), acetate (0.01 ± 0.006 g/L), malate (0.17 ± 0.31 g/L), propionate (0.07 ± 0.04 g/L), citrate (0.19 ± 0.11 g/L), tartrate (0.08 ± 0.09 g/L) and pyruvate (0.05 ± 0.03 g/L) were detected in palm sap. The microbiological analysis of sap gave 1.23 ± 1.01 × 10⁸ cfu/mL for total aerobic flora, 7.27 ± 1.19 × 10⁵ cfu/mL for yeasts, 1.86 ± 1.63 × 10⁷ cfu/mL for lactic acid bacteria and 3.75 ± 0.75 × 10⁵ cfu/mL for acetic acid bacteria. The fresh sap from B. aethiopum presents good nutritional value and its consumption can help to improve dairy food intake of rural population. It can be used for the manufacture of various products like palm wine, syrups, sugars, functional foods, etc.

[Effectiveness and cost of management of severe acute malnutrition with complications in Kaya, Burkina Faso]

Introduction

Les conséquences de la malnutrition aiguë sévère s’expriment en termes de santé et de survie de la personne affectée, mais aussi en termes de développement intellectuel de l’individu, sa productivité et globalement l’économie nationale. Sa prise en charge nécessite d’énormes moyens financiers. L’objectif de la présente étude est d’évaluer la performance de la prise en charge versus coût du traitement des enfants malnutris aigus sévères.

Méthodes

C’est une étude rétrospective réalisée de janvier à décembre 2014 auprès de 199 enfants de 0 à 59 mois admis au centre de récupération et d’éducation nutritionnelle de Kaya, Burkina Faso. Le coût de la prise en charge, la durée de séjour, le gain de poids journalier et la vitesse de récupération ont été analysées selon les méthodes de calcul standards. Le test de Mann-Whitney et de Kruskall-Wallis ont été utilisés pour comparer les médianes au seuil de 0,05.

Résultats

Comme présagé, les enfants de 6 à 23 mois étaient les plus affectée (51,8 %) et les infections respiratoires aiguës étaient les pathologies les plus associées (57,9 %). La durée médiane de séjour était de 9,0 (7,0 - 13,0) jours, la vitesse de récupération médiane de 100,0 (65,8 - 143,3) g/j et le gain pondéral médian journalier de 18,1 (11,6 - 27,7) g/kg/j. Le coût moyen de traitement d’un enfant malnutri est estimé à 15715,3 FCFA (25,2 USD).

Conclusion

Le coût de traitement est difficilement supportable par les parents des enfants malnutris d’où la nécessité de l’intervention du gouvernement et ses partenaires au développement.

Emergence of New Delhi Metallo-β-Lactamase (NDM) Genes Detected from Clinical Strains of Escherichia coli Isolated in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

The emergence and spread of carbapenem resistance in Gram-negative bacilli such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa through the production of carbapenemases is a global phenomenon. It threatens patient care and leads to therapeutic impasses. This study aims to genotypically determine the prevalence of the most frequent carbapenemase genes among multidrug-resistant E. coli strains isolated from patients at a biomedical analysis laboratory. A total of fifty-three unduplicated E. coli strains isolated from patient samples with a multidrug-resistant (MDR) profile were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for carbapenem resistance genes. This study allowed us to identify fifteen strains carrying resistance genes among the fifty-three E. coli strains. All fifteen strains produced the metallo-β-lactamase enzymes; this represents a rate of 28.30% of study strains. Among these strains, ten carried the NDM resistance gene, NDM and VIM genes were detected in three strains and VIM was identified in two strains of E. coli. However, carbapenemases A (KPC and IMI), D (OXA-48), and IMP were not detected in the strains studied. Thus, NDM and VIM are the main carbapenemases detected in the strains in our study.

Assessment of the contamination of Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce) and Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato) by pesticides: Case of market gardeners in Ouagadougou

Background and Aim: The use of pesticides in vegetable production can cause public health problems because these agrochemicals can leave residues in foodstuffs and disrupt the appropriate functioning of the organism. The aim of this study was to assess the level of contamination of lettuce and tomato by pesticide residues. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted from February 12 to May 3, 2021, in concerned five market gardening sites in the city of Ouagadougou. A survey was conducted among 58 market gardeners selected at random from the sites of Boulmiougou, Tanghin No. 1 and 2, Bissigin, and the National School of Public Health. Simultaneously, 25 lettuce samples and 25 tomato samples were collected in a randomized manner for the examination and determination of pesticide residues using the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe method. Results: The market gardening population was predominantly represented by women who had a low level of education. The cultivated species were a mixture of exotic cultures and traditional cultures. These crops were treated with various pesticides, the most common of which belonged to the organochlorine family. The tomato was the crop most contaminated by pesticide residues. However, no active ingredient from the synthetic pyrethroid family was found on lettuce or tomato. Conclusion: Raising the awareness of market gardeners on good practices in the use of pesticides and on alternative methods to synthetic phytosanitary products is of paramount importance for the health of consumers.

Biochemical and molecular characterization of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria isolated from Borassus aethiopum Mart. sap in Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, the Palmyra Palm Borassus aethiopum Mart. grows wild and gives natural stands in Central-Eastern and Eastern regions. The sap collected traditionally ferments spontaneously and is a rich medium that allows the growth of different microorganisms. This study aimed to identify yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from Borassus aethiopum Mart. fresh and fermented sap in Burkina Faso. A total of ninety strains including thirty LAB and sixty yeasts were isolated in the fresh and fermented sap. The isolates were characterized using standard biochemical method and sequencing of the V1 to V6 region of 16S rDNA of LAB and 28S rDNA of yeasts. The neighbour-joining method was used for the construction of phylogenetic tree with MEGA X software. After biochemical characterization and sequencing of the V1 to V6 region of 16S rDNA, twenty LAB strains (67%) were identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides, seven (23%) as Enterococcus sp. and three (10%) as Enterococcus gilvus. Sequencing of the yeast 28S rDNA showed that 63% of the strains were Saccharomyces cerevisiae and 37% Pichia kudriavzevii. Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Saccharomyces cerevisiae are commonly isolated from several palm sap or wine of palm trees, but Enterococcus sp. and Pichia kudriavzevii are not commonly detected in palm wine. The LAB species Enterococcus gilvus identified in our study has not yet been isolated previously in palm wine. The yeasts and LAB isolated from Borassus aethiopum sap are the main microorganisms responsible for sap fermentation and could be used for several biotechnological applications.

Health interest of cholesterol and phytosterols and their contribution to one health approach: Review

Plants and animals are potential sources of food, particularly lipids. They are sources of nutrients for humans, and are used in various applications in food industries. Foods whose lipids consumed, have benefits for animal and human health. Sterols are among the compounds essential to the well-being of living beings. Phytosterols are derived from plants and algae, and zoosterols from animals dominated by cholesterol. Cholesterol is found in small quantities in some plant lipids. Also, cholesterol is produced by herbivorous insects by metabolizing phytosterols. Oilseeds and vegetable oils contain sterols and are the richest natural sources of phytosterols. Vegetables and fruit also contain small quantities. These compounds play an undeniable role in our diet. Foods, particularly vegetable oils, when produced, preserved and used according to established prescriptions, help to ensure consumer health and prevent certain pathologies. Sterols, and in particular phytosterols, play a number of roles in the pharmaceutical field (therapeutic steroids), nutrition (anti-cholesterol, anti-cancer properties). These natural molecules with their nutritional and therapeutic properties have a positive impact on human and animal health, and possibly on vegetative growth (development cycle of plants). The same is true for cholesterol, which has multiple functions in humans and animals. Also, a diet based on plants or their by-products with positive effects on human and animal health is closely in line with the objectives of the 'One health approach'. Indeed, sterols can have adverse effects on health when established standards are not respected. As a result, the health benefits of sterols (cholesterol and phytosterols) require particular attention, given their contribution to the public health problems facing our countries. The aim of the present research is to highlight the health benefits of cholesterol and phytosterols for living organisms, particularly humans, and their contribution to the One Health approach.

Socio-cultural influences on children's feeding habits and feeding frequencies in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: a retrospective survey

BACKGROUND

From 6 months of age, children need, in addition to breast milk, a complementary food whose nutritional composition meets their needs. However, low consumption of child-specific foods in favor of adult foods has been documented. Thus, the lack of adaptation of children to family feeding conditions has been the source of frequent malnutrition in some low-income countries. In Burkina Faso, little data is available on family-type food consumption by children. The objective was to describe the socio-cultural influences on feeding habits and food consumption frequencies of infants aged 6-23 months in Ouagadougou.

METHODS

The study was conducted from March to June 2022 using a structured questionnaire. A reminder of the previous 24 h' meals was used to assess 618 children's food consumption. Mother-child pairs were selected using the simple random sampling method, and data collection was done by the interview method. Sphinx V5, IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0 and XLSTAT 2016 software were used to process data.

RESULTS

Influences between the consumption of certain foods and the mother's social status were observed. The most consumed foods are simple porridges (67.48%), Tô/rice (65.70%), cookies and cakes (62.94%), juices and sweetened drinks (62.94%). Cowpeas (17.31%), improved porridge (13.92%) and eggs (6.63%) are the least consumed. The most meals frequency was three meals daily (33.98%), and children with the minimum daily meal frequency were 86.41%. Principal component analysis showed that the mother's social status influenced the consumption of imported infant flours, fish soups, fruits, juices and sweetened drinks, cookies and cakes, simple porridge, and tô/rice. Concerning the consumption of local infant porridges, 55.72% of the children who consumed them appreciated positively. However, for 57.75% of the parents, the lack of information limits the consumption rate of this type of flour.

CONCLUSION

High consumption of family-type meals was observed and was influenced by parental social status. In addition, the rate of acceptable meal frequencies was generally high.

Cottonseeds and Crude Peanuts Oils Production Technology and the Edible Oils Sale Conditions in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso Markets

Background: This study evaluated production technologies of the refined cottonseed oils and crude peanut oils and investigated the edible oils' sales condition in markets of Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso, Africa. Methods: The study was carried out by administering a questionnaire to 316 edible oil sellers in markets, 25 cottonseed oil producers, and 18 crude peanut oil producers. The production technologies and sale conditions such as brands, origins, storage, and packaging were evaluated on the basis of observations and surveys. The edible oils' sale conditions, production conditions of the peanut and cottonseed oils, as well as the means used for production of the aforesaid oils were investigated. Results: The results showed that the crude peanut oils were produced in two ways by only women (100%) using rudimentary means. However, cottonseed oils' production was of three types and mostly dominated by men (96%). The sodium hydroxide (100%), phosphoric acid (36.4%), citric acid (63.6%), filters (100%), and tonsil (80%) were used during refining cottonseed oils. In markets and other places, imported edible oils (94%) were mainly sold and 34.2% of the sellers exposed oils to the sun. Imported edible oils generally came from Ivory Coast, Malaysia, and Indonesia. So, local edible oils were faced with a great competition against the imported oils. These imported oils are from various origins and are mainly consumed with deplorable sale conditions. Conclusion: This study highlighted the production technologies and edible oils' sale conditions. The results of this study can provide the necessary information for the authorities to take measures to ensure the quality of edible oils. 

Impact of Wastewater Use for Irrigation and Contamination of Lettuce by Enteric Viruses: Case of Ouagadougou Market Gardening Sites, Burkina Faso

Raw vegetables irrigated with polluted water that may contain enteric viruses can be associated with foodborne viral disease outbreaks. The objective of this study is to investigate the possible transmission of enteric viruses from irrigation water to lettuce. Therefore, we performed a commercial multiplex real-time PCR assay to monitor the occurrence of enteric viruses in irrigation water samples and in raw vegetables that were cultivated at market gardening sites in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Samples were collected from six market gardening sites located in Ouagadougou. RT-PCR was performed to detect norovirus GI, norovirus GII, rotavirus, enteric adenoviruses F (Serotype 40/41), astrovirus and sapovirus (Genogroups G1, 2, 4, 5). From the 10 irrigation water samples and the 80 lettuce samples, three (30%) and twenty-two (27.5%) were positive for enteric viruses, respectively. Norovirus GII, astrovirus and enteric adenoviruses F (Serotype 40/41) were the most frequently detected viruses in lettuce and irrigation water samples. Our results indicate that raw vegetables may be contaminated with a broad range of enteric viruses, which may originate from virus-contaminated irrigation water, and these vegetables may act as a potential vector of food-borne viral transmission.