Chemical Study and Comparison of the Biological Activities of the Essential Oils of , , and .

species are prominent South African medicinal plants. From the essential oils (EOs) of three species, . , .

Chemical Composition and Cosmeceutical Potential of the Essential Oil of (L.) Källersjö.

The South African medicinal plant (L.) Källersjö is an important remedy used to treat chronic, respiratory, and skin ailments. From the essential oil (EO) extracted by the hydrodistillation, sixteen constituent components were identified with oxygenated monoterpenes: camphor (31.

Biosynthesis, Characterization, and Biological Activities of Procyanidin Capped Silver Nanoparticles.

In this study, procyanidin dimers and total extract (LSTE) were employed in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Visible) spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. AgNPs of about 2-7 nm were obtained. DLS and stability evaluations confirmed that the AgNPs/procyanidins conjugates were stable.

A population model for the 2017/18 listeriosis outbreak in South Africa.

We introduce a compartmental model of ordinary differential equations for the population dynamics of listeriosis, and we derive a model for analysing a listeriosis outbreak. The model explicitly accommodates neonatal infections. Similarly as is common in cholera modeling, we include a compartment to represent the reservoir of bacteria.

Measuring Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis and Candida albicans biofilm formation using a real-time impedance-based system.

Candida albicans and streptococci are amongst the most common fungal and bacterial organisms present in the oral cavity, with a growing body of evidence implicating C. albicans in increased caries severity and in the formation of the cariogenic biofilm. However, the interactive mechanisms between cariogenic streptococci and Candida are yet to be elucidated.

K21 Compound, a Potent Antifungal Agent: Implications for the Treatment of Fluconazole-Resistant HIV-Associated Species.

With mucocutaneous candidiasis being highly prevalent in HIV patients, the emergence of fluconazole-resistant species forms a major challenge in treating and eradicating these infections. The objective of this study was to establish the antifungal activity of K21, a membrane-rupturing antimicrobial compound derived from a silica quaternary ammonium compound (SiQAC) with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). The study sample included 81 species of which 9 were type strains and 72 were clinical isolates.

Group B Serotypes in Pregnant Women From the Western Cape Region of South Africa.

Maternal colonization of Group B streptococci (GBS) during pregnancy is an important risk factor for neonatal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and serotype distribution of GBS isolated from a cohort of pregnant women in the Western Cape, South Africa. Two ano-vaginal swabs were collected from 301 women at 28-37 weeks of gestation.

Vaginal Microbiomes Associated With Aerobic Vaginitis and Bacterial Vaginosis.

A healthy vaginal microbiota is considered to be significant for maintaining vaginal health and preventing infections. However, certain vaginal bacterial commensal species serve an important first line of defense of the body. Any disruption of this microbial barrier might result in a number of urogenital conditions including aerobic vaginitis (AV) and bacterial vaginosis (BV).

The Threat of Aerobic Vaginitis to Pregnancy and Neonatal Morbidity.

Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is an endogenous opportunistic infection brought about by the disruption of the normal vaginal microbiota. Its early diagnosis and treatment during pregnancy may reduce the risk of negative pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this review was to report on the aerobic bacteria most prevalent in AV and to provide evidence of the threat of untreated AV on pregnancy outcomes.

A simple point of care test can indicate the need for periodontal therapy to reduce the risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes in mothers attending antenatal clinics.

Introduction: Although the association between periodontal disease (PD) and adverse pregnancy outcomes has gained recognition amongst antenatal healthcare workers, not much has changed in practice to address it. This prospective study tested the hypothesis that BANA (N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-2-naphthylamide), a diagnostic test for PD, may inform obstetricians and other antenatal healthcare practitioners, of the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in mothers attending antenatal clinics.

Methods: At first visit, the presence of suspected periodontopathogens was assessed by BANA testing of dental plaque from 443 mothers attending antenatal clinics in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and an association later sought with pregnancy outcomes.

antifungal drug resistance in sub-Saharan African populations: A systematic review.

: infections are responsible for increased morbidity and mortality rates in at-risk patients, especially in developing countries where there is limited access to antifungal drugs and a high burden of HIV co-infection.  This study aimed to identify antifungal drug resistance patterns within the subcontinent of Africa.  : A literature search was conducted on published studies that employed antifungal susceptibility testing on clinical isolates from sub-Saharan African countries using Pubmed and Google Scholar.

Further evidence for periodontal disease as a risk indicator for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Background: Although there is increasing evidence to suggest an association between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes, the issue remains controversial.

Study Objective: This study tested the hypothesis that periodontal disease is a risk indicator for preterm delivery of low-birthweight infants.

Materials And Methods: The study sample comprised 443 pregnant women with a mean (± standard deviation) age of 24.

Anaerobes and bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy: virulence factors contributing to vaginal colonisation.

The aetiology and pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) is unclear but it appears to be associated with factors that disrupt the normal acidity of the vagina thus altering the equilibrium between the normal vaginal microbiota. BV has serious implications for female morbidity, including reports of pelvic inflammatory disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes, increased susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections and infertility. This paper reviewed new available information regarding possible factors contributing to the establishment of the BV vaginal biofilm, examined the proposed role of anaerobic microbial species recently detected by new culture-independent methods and discusses developments related to the effects of BV on human pregnancy.

Multi-drug resistant oral Candida species isolated from HIV-positive patients in South Africa and Cameroon.

Candida species are a common cause of infection in immune-compromised HIV-positive individuals, who are usually treated with the antifungal drug, fluconazole, in public hospitals in Africa. However, information about the prevalence of drug resistance to fluconazole and other antifungal agents on Candida species is very limited. This study examined 128 Candida isolates from South Africa and 126 Cameroonian Candida isolates for determination of species prevalence and antifungal drug susceptibility.

Examination of maternal gingival crevicular fluid for the presence of selected periodontopathogens implicated in the pre-term delivery of low birthweight infants.

Background: Reports show that more than 20 million infants world-wide are born prematurely with 95% of all pre-term births occurring in developing countries. Oral colonization of gram-negative anaerobes has been implicated as a risk factor for preterm delivery of low birth weight infants.

Materials And Methods: This study comprised 200 women admitted to the department of obstetrics and gynecology of the teaching hospital of Butare in Rwanda.

Activation of the extrinsic apoptotic pathway by TNF-alpha in human salivary gland (HSG) cells in vitro, suggests a role for the TNF receptor (TNF-R) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in Sjögren's syndrome-associated autoimmune sialadenitis.

Unlabelled: Studies suggest that apoptosis plays a major role in destruction of salivary glands in Sjögren's syndrome. We hypothesise that apoptosis results in the exposure of cryptic T cell epitopes and an autoimmune response which is pathway-specific.

Objective: To activate the extrinsic or intrinsic apoptotic pathway to examine morphology, adhesion molecules, markers of antigen processing, and autoantigens on apoptotic bodies in vitro.

The use of Perioscan as a potential screening test for mothers at risk for delivery of pre-term and low birth-weight infants.

Increased levels of oestrogen and progesterone during pregnancy may lead to periodontal disease. The anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria classified as the "red complex" (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Treponema denticola) are frequently associated with periodontal disease. Periodontopathogens produce toxins and enzymes that can enter the bloodstream and cross the placenta to harm the foetus.

Salivary gland disease in HIV/AIDS and primary Sjögren's syndrome: analysis of collagen I distribution and histopathology in American and African patients.

Background: Salivary gland disease (SGD) in HIV/AIDS is clinically and histopathologically very similar to Sjögren's Syndrome (SS), although the mechanism of tissue damage is unknown. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of SGD in primary SS and in HIV/AIDS in USA and in West African patients, and to seek distinguishing histopathologic features that may help to elucidate underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Histologic sections of minor salivary glands from 164 HIV-positive and -negative patients from Cameroon and the US, and from 17 US patients with primary SS, were evaluated following salivary gland biopsy for inflammatory changes.