COLLEGE OF HEALTH & ALLIED SCIENCES

Anti-Phytophthora Activity of Carica Papaya Linn Extracts: A Case of the Two Major Cocoa Black Pod Pathogens in Ghana

2025-06-03T16:26:19Z

Anti-Phytophthora Activity of Carica Papaya Linn Extracts: A Case of the Two Major Cocoa Black Pod Pathogens in Ghana Tamekloe, Woasiedem Kudzo Background: Theobroma cacao (Cocoa) is a major foreign exchange earner for Ghana. Over the recent decades, there has been a consistent decline in cocoa production in the country. A major contributing factor is the cocoa black pod disease caused by Phytophthora sp. Synthetic fungicides have been used to control the pathogens, but recent calls for organic cocoa devoid of residues from synthetic fungicides, which are said to pose several health challenges as well as a negative impact on the environment, have gained attention, thus inviting investigations into more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives. Objective: This study explored the inhibitory potential of crude extract from Carica papaya Linn. against cocoa black pod disease caused by Phytophthora sp. Material and Methods: An initial in silico assessment was done by using compounds previously isolated and characterized from Carica papaya in the literature. These compounds were used as ligands against a phytophthora effector protein. Crude extracts were obtained from the plant materials using 70% ethanol as the extraction solvent. The crude Green Leaf Extract (GLE), Aging Induced Chlorophyll Deficient Leaf Extract (AICDLE), and Matured Black Seed Extract (SDE) were tested in vitro against precultured P. palmivora and P. megakarya using the poison food technique. GLE was modulated with Delco, a synthetic fungicide, at different ratios, which were tested in vitro and in vivo. Results: 16 of the ligands showed binding affinity higher or equal to the standard ligand alliin, suggesting Carica papaya is likely a repository of anti-Phytophthora agents. Assessment of crude extracts at concentrations 5–20 mg/ml showed fungistatic activity against P. palmivora and P. megakarya in vitro. Modulation of GLE with Delco produced some combinations that made GLE fungicidal in vitro against P. palmivora and P. megakarya with fractional inhibition concentration indices between 0.51 and 0.65, interpreted as partially synergistic. In vivo assessment of combination D (comprising Delco and GLE in a ratio of 0.3mg:3mg per ml), demonstrated effectiveness comparable to Delco alone at the recommended dosage of 5mg/ml. Conclusion: This study shows Carica papaya in a new light as a potential material that could be formulated into a natural product-based fungicide for combating Phytophthora-induced black pod disease. xiv, 132p:, ill.

Circulating Microrna in Plasma of Cervical Cancer Patients at Some Selected Teaching Hospitals in Ghana

2025-06-03T13:57:35Z

Circulating Microrna in Plasma of Cervical Cancer Patients at Some Selected Teaching Hospitals in Ghana Quayson, Helena Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in plasma have emerged as promising biomarkers for various cancers, including cervical cancer. This study investigates the profile of circulating miRNAs in the plasma of cervical cancer patients and their potential role in diagnosis and prognosis. Plasma samples were collected from a cohort of 19 cervical cancer patients and 21 age-matched non-cancerous patients. We identified a panel of differentially expressed miRNAs associated with cervical cancer using quantitative real-time PCR. Notably, miR-27a, and miR-155, exhibited significant upregulation in the patient group compared to non-cancerous patients. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated the potential of these miRNAs as biomarkers, with area under the curve (AUC) values exceeding 0.7. Correlation analyses revealed that elevated levels of these miRNAs were associated with advanced clinical stages and poorer overall survival rates. Our findings suggest that circulating miRNAs in plasma could serve as non-invasive biomarkers for cervical cancer, aiding in early diagnosis and personalized treatment strategies. Further validation in larger cohorts is warranted to confirm their clinical utility. xv, 165p;, ill.

Evaluation of T-Cell Responses to Sars-Cov-2 Spike Antigens in Pfizer/Biotech and Janssen Booster Vaccinations in Fully Vaccinated Individuals: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study

2025-06-03T11:34:57Z

Evaluation of T-Cell Responses to Sars-Cov-2 Spike Antigens in Pfizer/Biotech and Janssen Booster Vaccinations in Fully Vaccinated Individuals: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study Adams, Maru Kiplimo With the recent emergence of the deadly COVID-19 and its worldwide spread, vaccines of different formulations; the viral-vector, m-RNA and subunit vaccines among others were developed to curb the spread of the virus and reduce its disease burden. Very little is known about the durability of these vaccines and immune protection mechanisms from homologous and heterologous booster vaccines and their effectiveness remains largely understudied. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the longevity of cellular immune responses (interferon-gamma release) following the administration of Janssen or Pfizer booster doses. Archived PBMCs obtained across four time points; Pre-booster, Month 3, Month 6 and Month 9, isolated from subjects from the Legon community, Ghana, were used in this study. In-silico HLA restriction epitope prediction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was done to determine immunogenic peptides after which the Interferon-gamma release response ELISpot Assay was conducted. Briefly, 60% of all samples registered positive responses to at least one of the spike peptides with 55.5% from the Janssen booster vaccination and 44.4% Pfizer booster vaccination. Against all the peptides a comparison of responses between the two vaccine boosters was done across the four time points. Both Pfizer and Janssen boosters elicited durable spike-specific T-cell responses, with persistence observed for up to 6 months. The study found that homologous prime-boosting with a viral-vectored vaccine (Janssen) produced stronger T-cell responses compared to heterologous boosting. Heterologous m-RNA prime-boosting using Pfizer led to stronger T-cell responses than homologous m-RNA prime-boosting. xiv 115p:, ill

Serum Biomarkers Distinguishing Malaria from Nonmalaria Fever in Paediatric Patients in Blantyre, Malawi

2025-06-03T11:14:09Z

Serum Biomarkers Distinguishing Malaria from Nonmalaria Fever in Paediatric Patients in Blantyre, Malawi Katuah, Zefaniah Joel Identifying the aetiology of fever is challenging in paediatric patients, particularly in resource-limited settings like Malawi. Most infectious diseases, including malaria, present with overlapping clinical signs associated with fever. This study aimed to identify specific serum biomarkers that differentiate malaria from non-malarial fever in paediatric patients in Blantyre, Malawi. Ninety archived serum samples obtained from paediatric patients who presented with fever were grouped into non-malarial (n=25), malarial (n=46) and healthy controls (n=19) based on temperature and mRDT results. Serum samples were used to measure the concentration of CRP, ICAM-1, IL -6, IL-1β, IL -10, Ang- 2 and vWF-1 biomarkers using Luminex xMAP® technology. The biomarker and haematology results obtained from participants’ records were analysed using R statistics software. Malaria cases presented with a higher temperature (p=0.0089), low platelet counts (p=0.02) and haemoglobin levels (p=0.01) compared to non-malarial fever. Malarial fever had elevated IL-6 (AUROC=0.66, p= 0.04), IL-10 (AUROC = 0.81, p= ≤0.0001) and CRP (AUROC=0.60, p=0.09) compared to non-malarial fever and controls. Nonmalarial fever had elevated IL-1β (AUROC =0.9, p=0.02), ICAM-1 (AUROC= 0.76, p= <0.05), Ang -2 (AUROC=0.79, p=0.005), vWF-1 (AUROC=0.71, p ≤ 0.001) compared to malaria and controls. IL-10 and IL-1β correctly differentiate malarial fever from non-malarial fever with IL-10 levels increased in malarial fever and IL-1β increased in non-malarial fever. These biomarkers can significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes in resourcelimited settings and can be effectively utilized in point-of-care testing. ix 121p:, ill