Inhibitory efficacy of various antibiotics on matrix and viable mass of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms.

Both bacteria and the matrix are essential for the development of biofilms. Antimicrobials should therefore be tested against both components. The aim of this study was to determine the structure-activity relationships of different antibiotics against biofilm-forming Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains using in vitro biofilm discriminatory assays.

Screening of some Tanzanian medicinal plants from Bunda district for antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activities.

Extracts from 50 plant parts obtained from 39 different plants belonging to 22 families used to treat infectious diseases in Bunda district, Tanzania, were screened against twelve microorganisms, including the bacteria Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhimurium, the fungi Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and the viruses Herpes Simplex Virus type 1, Vesicular Stomatitis Virus T2, Coxsackie B2 and Semliki Forest A7. The highest activity was obtained for the n-hexane extract of Elaeodendron schlechteranum root bark against the Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus cereus (MIC 0.97 microg/ml and MBC 1.

Choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid supplementation as an adjunct to calcium/vitamin D3 stimulates markers of bone formation in osteopenic females: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Mounting evidence supports a physiological role for silicon (Si) as orthosilicic acid (OSA, Si(OH)4) in bone formation. The effect of oral choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (ch-OSA) on markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD) was investigated in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Methods: Over 12-months, 136 women out of 184 randomized (T-score spine < -1.

Isokinetic scapular muscle performance in young elite gymnasts.

Context: During gymnastic exercises, considerable force output is required in the shoulder girdle muscles. Isokinetic performance of the scapular muscles in young, elite gymnasts has not been examined.

Objective: To compare the isokinetic muscle performance of the scapular muscles between elite adolescent gymnasts and nonathletic adolescents to identify differences in strength, endurance, and muscle balance based on high-level sport participation.

Ethnobotanical survey and antibacterial activity of some plants used in Guinean traditional medicine.

A total of 418 healers have been interviewed in Guinea, a coastal country of West Africa, ranging between 7 degrees 30 and 12 degrees 30 of northern latitude and 8 degrees and 15 degrees of western longitude. Plant species used by the local inhabitants to treat infectious diseases were identified using ethnobotanical, ethnographic and taxonomic methods. During these investigations, 218 plants were registered, of which the following were the most frequently used: Erythrina senegalensis, Bridelia ferruginea, Crossopteryx febrifuga, Ximenia americana, Annona senegalensis, Cochlospermum tinctorium, Cochlospermum planchonii, Lantana camara, Costus afer, Psidium guajava, Terminalia glaucescens, Uapaca somon and Swartzia madagascariensis.