Plant essential oils and mastitis disease: their potential inhibitory effects on pro-inflammatory cytokine production in response to bacteria related inflammation.

This paper highlights the role of plant volatile organic compounds, found in essential oils, for the treatment of bacteria related inflammation. This report is focused on tea tree oil, particularly its main compound terpinen-4-ol. Analysis of the published literature shows that many essential oils have significant antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory effects.

Youth of west-Cameroon are at high risk of developing IDD due to low dietary iodine and high dietary thiocyanate.

Background: Hypothyroidism in utero leading to mental retardation is highly prevalent in developing countries where iodine deficiency and thiocyanate overload are combined.

Objective: To explore prevalence of IDD in Bamougoum, a mountain region of western Cameroon, by studying urinary iodine and thiocyanate excretion levels in children.

Methods: Bamougoum district in western Cameroon was selected for closer study due to its geographic location predisposing to iodine deficiency disorders (IDD).

Expression of Cry1Ac in transgenic tobacco plants under the control of a wound-inducible promoter (AoPR1) isolated from Asparagus officinalis to control Heliothis virescens and Manduca sexta.

Expression of cry1Ac gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) was evaluated under the control of a wound-inducible AoPR1 promoter from Asparagus officinalis in transgenic tobacco plants. The leaves of transgenic plants were mechanically wounded to evaluate the activity of the AoPR1 promoter in driving the expression of Cry1Ac protein at the wound site. Our results indicate that mechanical wounding of transgenic plants was effective in inducing the expression of Cry1Ac protein.

Youth of West Cameroon are at high risk of developing IDD due to low dietary iodine and high dietary thiocyanate.

Objectives: Hypothyroidism in utero leading to mental retardation is highly prevalent and recurrent in developing countries where iodine deficiency and thiocyanate overload are combined. So, to explore and identify human population's risks for developing iodine deficiency disorders and their endemicity in Western Cameroon, with the aim to prevent this deficiency and to fight again it, urinary iodine and thiocyanate levels were determined.

Methods: The district of Bamougoum in Western Cameroon was selected for closer study due to its geographic location predisposing for iodine deficiency disorders (IDD).

[Iodized salt in Cameroon].

The WHO program to combat iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) adopted in 1992 required countries producing cooking and table salt to add 50-100 ppm of iodine to salt. This program was adopted in Cameroon, but problems remain in ensuring adequate conditioning of the iodized salt at the factories to maintain the iodine levels so that consumers take in the required quantity. This study collected and analyzed five groups of salt samples from three provinces of Cameroon.

[Iodine levels in food and soil in different regions in Cameroon].

Iodine deficiency diseases (IDD) are a public health problem in many developing countries, such as Cameroon. They are often the consequence of insufficient iodine intake and/or the effect of thiocyanate in foods such as cassava; this chemical inhibits iodine fixation by the thyroid gland. One method of combatting these diseases is to counsel and encourage the consumptions of iodine-rich foods.