Needs assessment survey for Master's of Science training in environmental health science in Swaziland.

A needs assessment survey research was carried out for Master's of Science training in environmental health in Swaziland. The objective of the survey was to acquire information on training needs, gaps, options of specializations, program structure, courses, topics, and research areas that are relevant to the needs of the stakeholders and sector organizations related to environmental health. A document study, focus group discussion with key informants, stakeholder forum workshop, and needs assessment questionnaire to the wider stakeholders were used for the study described here.

Nutritive value of masau (Ziziphus mauritiana) fruits from Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe.

Ziziphus mauritiana (masau) fruits are consumed by many people in Zimbabwe. The fruits contribute significantly to people's diet when they are in season. The objective of this study was to determine the nutritional content of the fruits and, hence, quantify their contribution to the diet.

Yellow maize with high β-carotene is an effective source of vitamin A in healthy Zimbabwean men.

Background: The bioconversion efficiency of yellow maize β-carotene to retinol in humans is unknown.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the vitamin A value of yellow maize β-carotene in humans.

Design: High β-carotene-containing yellow maize was grown in a hydroponic medium with 23 atom% (2)H(2)O during grain development.

Yeasts and lactic acid bacteria microbiota from masau (Ziziphus mauritiana) fruits and their fermented fruit pulp in Zimbabwe.

Masau are Zimbabwean wild fruits, which are usually eaten raw and/ or processed into products such as porridge, traditional cakes, mahewu and jam. Yeasts, yeast-like fungi, and lactic acid bacteria present on the unripe, ripe and dried fruits, and in the fermented masau fruits collected from Muzarabani district in Zimbabwe were isolated and identified using physiological and molecular methods. The predominant species were identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Issatchenkia orientalis, Pichia fabianii and Aureobasidium pullulans.

Antimicrobial properties of lactic acid bacteria and yeast-LAB cultures isolated from traditional fermented milk against pathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis strains.

The survival and growth of Escherichia coli 3339 and Salmonella enteritidis 949575 isolated from human clinical samples, in milk fermented with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast strains previously isolated from Zimbabwean naturally fermented milk (NFM) was studied. The LAB starter cultures used were Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar.