Anti-inflammatory activity of Crateva adansonii DC on keratinocytes infected by Staphylococcus aureus: From traditional practice to scientific approach using HPTLC-densitometry.

ETHNOPHARMACOLIGICAL RELEVANCE: Leaves of Crateva adansonii DC (Capparidaceae), a small bush found in Togo, are widely used in traditional medicine to cure infectious abscesses. Traditional healers of Lomé harvest only budding leaves early in the morning, in specific area in order to prepare their drugs. AIM OF THE STUDY: The main goal was to validate the ancestral picking practices, and to assess the activity of C. adansonii medicine towards infectious abscesses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A phytochemical screening of various C. adansonii leaf samples was performed using an original HPTLC-densitometry protocol and major flavonoids were identified and quantified. C. adansonii samples were collected in different neighborhoods of Lomé, at different harvesting-times and at different ages. Radical scavenging capacity, using DPPH assay, was used to quickly screen all extracts. Extracts were tested for anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity and anti-inflammatory effect on human primary keratinocytes infected by S. aureus. IL6, IL8 and TNFα expression and production were assessed by RT-PCR and ELISA assays. RESULTS: Using antioxidant activity as selection criteria, optimal extracts were obtained with budding leaves, collected at 5:00am in Djidjolé neighborhood. This extract showed the strongest anti-inflammatory effect on S. aureus-infected keratinocytes by reducing IL6, IL8 and TNFα expression and production. None of the extracts inhibited the growth of S. aureus. CONCLUSIONS: Those results validate the traditional practices and the potential of C. adansonii as anti-inflammatory drug. Our findings suggest that traditional healers should add to C. adansonii leaves an antibacterial plant of Togo Pharmacopeia, in order to improve abscess healing.

Antimicrobial, Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Jatropha multifida L. (Euphorbiaceae).

BACKGROUND: Jatropha multifida is used in Togolease folk medicine for the healing of chronic wounds. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the leaves ethanolic extract. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antimicrobial activity was assayed by National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards broth microdilution method on strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomoas aeruginosa isolated from wounds, whereas the anti-inflammatory activity was performed by carrageenan and histamine induced paw edema method in rat modele. The 2, 2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were used for the antioxidant activity. RESULTS: The antibacterial assay showed an in vitro growth inhibition of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus in dose-dependent manner, with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 2.5 to 3.12 mg/mL for S. aureus and from 6.25 to 12.5 mg/mL for P. aeruginosa. The maximum paw anti-inflammatory effect occurred after 3 and 5 h administration of histamine and carrageenan, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging and the FRAP assays yielded weak antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION: J. multifida possesses antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities that could justify the use of the plant for the treatment of wounds in the folk medicine. SUMMARY: Antibacterial on germs isolated from wound, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Jatropha multifida were assayed by NCCLS broth method, carrageenan and histamine, DPPH and FRAP respectively. The results indicated that Jatropha multifida possesses antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and weak antioxidant activities that could justify its use for the treatment of wounds in the folk medicine.

Effects of hydroethanolic extracts of Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile (Balanitaceae) on some resistant pathogens bacteria isolated from wounds.

BACKGROUND: The bark of Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile (Balanitaceae) is widely used in the Togolese folk medicine for the treatment of wounds, malaria and skin diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant properties and the activity of the bark extract of this plant against some resistant bacteria isolated from wounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antimicrobial activity was assayed using the NCCLS microdilution while the DPPH free radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were used for the antioxidant activity. The susceptibility to conventional antibiotics of bacteria was assessed by an agar disk diffusion method using commercial disk. Phenolics were quantified using spectrophotometric methods. RESULTS: The hydroethanolic extracts of the bark inhibited in vitro the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in a dose-dependent manner. Bacteriostatic effects were observed on 15 (33%) and 21 (47%) strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa respectively. The MICs and MBCs against Staphylococcus aureus strains ranged respectively from 2.5 to 12.5 µg/mL and 2.5 to 50 µg/mL. Concerning Pseudomonas aeruginosa, these values were equal (12.5 µg/mL). Multidrug resistance was 95% against six antibiotics for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 91% against five antibiotics for Staphylococcus aureus. The DPPH radical scavenging and the FRAP assays yielded weak antioxidant activity, closely linked with the total phenolic contents. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the bark extract of Balanites aegyptiaca possess bioactive compounds implicated in the free radical scavenging and antibacterial activities, justifying the use of the plant in the traditional medicines.

A variant of DC-SIGN gene promoter associated with resistance to HIV-1 in serodiscordant couples in Burkina Faso.

OBJECTIVE: To study the involvement of variations in 4 genes associated with susceptibility and/or protection against HIV-1 in serodiscordant couples in Burkina Faso, namely, genes encoding HLA-B57, interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1), dendritic cell-specific ICAM3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN) and CCR5 delta 32 (CCR5Δ32). METHODS: Two DC-SIGN and two IRF1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as well as HLA-B57*01 and CCR5Δ32 alleles were genotyped in 51 serodiscordant couples in Burkina Faso. DC-SIGN, IRF1 and HLA-B57*01 genotyping was carried out by real time PCR using TaqMan assays (Applied Biosystems, USA and Sacace Biotechnologies, Italy). CCR5Δ32 deletion was investigated by PCR. RESULTS: The two SNPs of DC-SIGN promoter showed a significant genotypic difference in serodiscordant couples. After multivariate analysis, only the association between DC-SIGN rs2287886 and HIV-1 remained significant (P<0.01). No association was found between IRF1 SNPs and HIV-1 infection. CCR5Δ32 wild type allele was found in 100% of serodiscordant couples. A high frequency of HLA-B57*01 allele was found in the HIV-positive (78%) compared with HIV-negative group (51%), however this difference was no longer significant after the correction of the sex confounding effect in the logistic regression model. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests a protective role of a variation of DC-SIGN promoter and genetic resistance to HIV-1 in serodiscordant couples in Burkina Faso.

Survey of pesticide application on vegetables in the Littoral area of Togo.

Vegetable production in Togo is seriously affected by pests attack. To reduce damage, farmers indiscriminately use pesticides. Various studies have reported high concentrations of pesticide residues more than acceptable limits in vegetables and other edible food. The aim of the presented study is to study the attitudes and practices developed by vegetable growers about pesticides applications. A standardized questionnaires which included socio-professional factors, provisions and operations concerning the use of varieties of pesticides were addressed to 150 growers in vegetable farms along the Littoral of Togo. In order to complete data concerning pesticides, seven runoff private companies and agents of the 'Direction de la Protection des Végétaux' were interviewed. Data were statistical treated using Sphinx Plus. The survey showed that vegetable growers have an acceptable educational level (36% have more than 7 years of formal education) to exploit instructions concerning pesticide use, but more than 97% do not use recommended tools. Only 21% of them received training for pesticide use. Moreover, 84% of them did not usually wear gloves, and less than 30% used oro-nasal masks. Failure to observe minimum intervals between pesticide application and sale is worrying because extremely hazardous (Carbofuran and Cadusaphos) or moderately toxic (Cypermethrin, Dimethoate, Endosulfan, Chlorpyrifos-ethyl, Fipronil) are the products currently used. The presented study indicates that pesticides application in the survey area represents a potential risk for the environment, farmers and consumers. More investigations are needed to quantify pesticides residues on the vegetables currently con,umed and moreover, to determine the potential effect of those products on human and animals health.

Epidemiology and antibiotic resistance of bacterial meningitis in Dapaong, northern Togo.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the seasonality of the bacterial meningitis and the antibiotic resistance of incriminated bacteria over the last three years in the northern Togo. METHODS: From January 2007 to January 2010, 533 cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) samples were collected from patients suspected of meningitis in the Regional Hospital of Dapaong (northern Togo). After microscopic examination, samples were cultured for bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility. RESULTS: The study included 533 patients (306 male and 227 female) aged from 1 day to 55 years [average age (13.00±2.07) years]. Bacterial isolation and identification were attempted for 254/533 (47.65%) samples. The bacterial species identified were: Neisseria meningitidis A (N. meningitidis A) (58.27%), Neisseria meningitidis W135 (N. meningitidis W135) (7.09%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) (26.77%), Haemophilus influenza B (H. influenza B) (6.30%) and Enterobacteriaceae (1.57%). The results indicated that bacterial meningitis occur from November to May with a peak in February for H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae and March for Neisseriaceae. The distribution of positive CSF with regards to the age showed that subjects between 6 and 12 years followed by subjects of 0 to 5 years were most affected with respective frequencies of 67.82% and 56.52% (P<0.001). Susceptibility tests revealed that bacteria have developed resistance to several antibiotics including aminosides (resistance rate >20% for both bacterial strains), macrolides (resistance rate > 30% for H. influenzae) quinolones (resistance rate >15% for H. influenzae and N. meningitidis W135). Over three years, the prevalence of S. pneumoniae significantly increased from 8.48% to 73.33% (P<0.001), while the changes in the prevalence of H. influenzae B were not statistically significant: 4.24%, vs. 8.89%, (P = 0.233). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that data in African countries differ depending on geographical location in relation to the African meningitis belt. This underlines the importance of epidemiological surveillance of bacterial meningitis.

Medicinal plants use in central Togo (Africa) with an emphasis on the timing.

BACKGROUND: Plant-based remedies continue to play a key role in the health care of people in Togo; however, there is a lack of published data in medicinal plants and medical practices of the people in the country. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at documenting the plant utilization in the Tem folk medicine in the central region of Togo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted with traditional healers in the central region of Togo using a semi-structured questionnaire. RESULTS: This study demonstrated that local specialists in the central region of Togo tend to agree with each other in terms of the plants used to treat diabetes (ICF = 0.38), infertility, and abdominal pains (ICF = 0.33), but cite a much more diverse groups of plants to treat problems related to arterial hypertension, sickle cell disease, and abscess. They use 144 herbal concoctions made of 72 plants, distributed among 36 botanical families. The Euphorbiaceae family with eight species was best represented in terms of the number of species. The species with the highest use value were Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss. (Meliaceae) (UV = 0.36), Anthocleista djalonensis A. Chev. (Gentianaceae) (UV = 0.27), Trichilia emetica Vahl (Meliaceae) (UV = 0.25), and Sarcocephalus latifolius (Sm.) E. A. Bruce (Rubiaceae) (UV = 0.21). They also rely on the timing in the plant processing and the administration of herbal remedies. CONCLUSION: All these findings are based on empirical observations; laboratory screenings are needed to check the effectiveness of these plants.

Screening Togolese medicinal plants for few pharmacological properties.

BACKGROUND: Terminalia macroptera Guill. et Perr. (Combretaceae), Sida alba L. (Malvaceae), Prosopis africana Guill et Perr. Taub. (Mimosaceae), Bridelia ferruginea Benth. (Euphorbiaceae), and Vetiveria nigritana Stapf. (Asteraceae) are traditionally used in Togolese folk medicine to treat several diseases including microbial infections. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and hemolytic properties of the crude extracts of the above-mentioned plants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antimicrobial and the antioxidant activities were assayed using the NCCLS microdilution method and the DPPH free radical scavenging, respectively. Human A+ red blood cells were used to perform the hemolytic assay. Phenolics were further quantified in the extracts using spectrophotometric methods. RESULTS: Minimal inhibitory concentrations in the range of 230-1800 µg/ml were recorded in the NCCLS broth microdilution for both bacterial and fungal strains with methanol extracts. The DPPH radical scavenging assay yielded interesting antioxidant activities of the extracts of P. africana and T. macroptera (IC(50) values of 0.003 ± 0.00 µg/ml and 0.05 ± 0.03 µg/ml, respectively). These activities were positively correlated with the total phenolic contents and negatively correlated with the proanthocyanidin content of the extracts. The hemolytic assay revealed that great hemolysis occurred with the methanol extracts of T. macroptera, S. longepedunculata, and B. ferruginea. CONCLUSION: These results support in part the use of the selected plants in the treatment of microbial infections. In addition, the plant showed an interesting antioxidant activity that could be useful in the management of oxidative stress.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used in the management of diabetes mellitus and hypertension in the Central Region of Togo.

CONTEXT: The Tem tribe in the Central Region of Togo is a population with an extensive knowledge of medicinal plants. However, little is known about their medical practices, principally the use of plants in the management of diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN). OBJECTIVE: The present study documented the indigenous medicinal plant utilization for the management of DM and HTN in the Togo Central Region. METHODOLOGY: From March to October 2010, 55 traditional healers were interviewed about their knowledge on the use of plants for DM and HTN treatment. RESULTS: The results revealed that 35/55 (63.64%) healers had treated at least one case of DM and/or HTN. They highlighted the use of 64 species belonging to 31 families in the treatment of DM and/or HTN. The most used plants against diabetes were Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae), Khaya senegalensis A. Juss. (Meliaceae), Sarcocephalus latifolius (Sm.) E.A. Bruce (Rubiaceae), Annona muricata L. (Annonaceae), Bridelia ferruginea Benth. (Phyllanthaceae), and Securidaca longepedunculata Fresen. (Polygalacae), while Allium sativum L. (Liliaceae) and Parkia biglobosa Benth. (Fabaceae), followed by Khaya senegalensis A. Juss. (Meliaceae), Gardenia ternifolia Schumach. (Rubiaceae), and Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae) were the most commonly cited as antihypertensive. CONCLUSION: The issue revealed that traditional healers of the above mentioned region have basic knowledge regarding herbal medicine for DM and HTN in comparison with previous published reports. Further pharmacological screening of the identified plants should be conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of these plants.

Antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, haemolytic and antioxidant activities of crude extracts from three selected Togolese medicinal plants.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, acute toxicity and haemolytic activities of methanolic extracts of three plants. Phytochemical analysis to determine the phenolic contents was also carried out. METHODS: The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, NCCLS broth microdilution and Plasmodium Lactate Dehydrogenase (pLDH) assays were used to determine antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiplasmodial activities, respectively. Haemolysis assay was conducted on A(+) human red blood cells and acute toxicity on male Swiss albino mice. Phenolics were quantitatively determined using spectrophotometric methods. RESULTS: The DPPH assay yielded interesting antioxidant activities of methanolic extract of Parinari curatellifolia (P. curatellifolia) and Entada africana (E. africana) (IC(50) were 0.20±0.01 µg/mL and 0.47±0.01 µg/mL, respectively). This activity was highly correlated with phenolic contents of extracts. The antimicrobial tests displayed minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) values ranging from 0.90 to 1.80 mg/mL for Serratia marcescens (S. marcescens) the most susceptible bacterial strain. MIC value was 1.20 mg/mL for susceptible fungal strains including Mucor rouxi (M. rouxi), Fusarium oxyporum (F. oxyporum) and Rhizopus nigricans (R. nigricans). pLDH assay showed moderate antiplasmodial activity of Balanites aegyptiaca (B. aegyptiaca) (IC(50) = 24.56±3.45 µg/mL), however this extract was highly haemolytic and toxic in mice (LD(50) = 625±128 mg/kg). CONCLUSIONS: Our results support in part the use of the selected plants in the treatment of microbial infections. In addition the plant showed interesting antioxidant activity that could be useful in the management of oxidative stress.

In vitro antiplasmodial activity of crude extracts from Togolese medicinal plants.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antimalarial effect of a few plants in Togo folk medicine. METHODS: After ethnobotanical survey, Opilia celtidifolia, Pavetta corymbosa (P. corymbosa) and Tamarindus indica (T. indica) were selected for screening. In vitro antimalarial tests were performed on crude extracts against fresh clinical isolates of Plasmodium falciparum using the semi microtest. RESULTS: Different IC(50) values of the extracts ranged from 2.042 to 100.000 µg/mL. According to the results, the methanol extract of aerial part of P. corymbosa followed by aqueous extract of fruit of T. indica were the most active (IC(50) of 2.042 and 4.786 µg/mL, respectively). Qualitative test revealed the presence of alkaloids in the leaves of P. corymbosa that may be responsible for the activity of the plant. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides scientific evidence for usage of plant in the folk medicine, and further studies are needed for identification and purification of the active principles.

Assessing market-sold remedies in lomé (togo) for hygienic quality.

Traditional concoctions sold in marketplaces are always assumed to be safe and efficient; however, they can be potentially toxic because of poor hygienic practices in plant processing or storage. The present study aimed to assess for the microbial quality of market-sold vegetable drugs in Lomé. Thus, a total of 209 plant remedies were collected in marketplaces and analysed for the presence of total aerobic bacteria, total coliforms, thermotolerant coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, sulphite reducing bacteria, and yeast and moulds according to the French Association of Normalisation (AFNOR) guidelines. The results revealed that all formulations were contaminated by several microorganisms, excepted alcohol-based mixtures. According to AFNOR limits nonconform drugs were according to total aerobic bacteria (86.96% powders, 81.82% capsules, 66.67% tisanes, and 42.11% decoctions); to total coliforms (9.10% capsules, 8.70% powders and 1.75% decoction); to yeasts and moulds (77.78% ointments, 40% calcined powders, 36.36% capsules, and 23.91% powders). The microbiological analysis revealed that the majority of contaminating bacteria were gram positive catalase positive and oxidase positive bacilli. Quality control studies on market-sold remedies are currently needed to evaluate the microbial risk in consuming these products and they may allow the standardisation of plant processing and storage.

Herbal remedies and their adverse effects in Tem tribe traditional medicine in Togo.

In Africa, up to 80% of the population relies on herbal concoctions for their primarily health care. In Togo, western Africa, Tem tribe is a population with old knowledge of medicinal plants, however, still very little is known about their medical practices. The present study was conducted to access for the apprehension of adverse effects of traditional remedies by Tem traditional healers (TH). Enquiry was performed by interviews with healers from August to October 2007 in Tchaoudjo prefecture (Togo). The study allowed us to interview 54 TH including 41(75.93%) males and 13(24.07%) females, who cited 102 recipes assumed to have adverse effects. The recipes were used alone to cure several diseases including haemorrhoids (22.55%), female sexual disorders and infertility (21.57%), gastrointestinal disorders (18.63%), and malaria (6.86%). A total of 34 plants belonging to 21 families were cited to be components of the recipes. Euphorbiaceae and Mimosaceae families were the most represented, however, Nauclea latifolia, Khaya senegalensis, Pseudocedrela kotschyi and Xeroderris stuhlmannii were the main components of recipes linked to adverse effects. A total of 20 adverse effects were linked to the administration of theses drugs, and among them; diarrhoea, abdominal pains, polyuria, general weakness and vomiting were the most frequently encountered. These findings were in accordance with several reports of the literature concerning medicinal plants, although they were based on empirical observations. Laboratory screenings are needed to access for the effectiveness as well as the possible toxic effects of the recipes.

In vitro antiplasmodial properties of Flacourtia flavescens Willd. (Flacourtiaceae) and Rytigynia canthioides (Benth.) Robyns (Rubiaceae).

The present study was conducted to investigate the in vitro antimalarial activity of Flacourtia flavescens Willd. (Flacourtiaceae) and Rytigynia canthioides (Benth.) Robyns (Rubiaceae). These two plants are used in Benin folk medicine to treat malaria and fever. Antimalarial activity was assayed on fresh clinical isolates of chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum using the in vitro semi-microtest. The results revealed that the IC(50) varied from 1.55 to 22.36µg/ml. F. flavescens hydro methanol extract was more active than R. canthioides. The study demonstrated scientific rationale behind the traditional usage of these plants, however further bioactivity guided phytochemical analyses are necessary to identify the active principles.

Study of pineapple peelings processing into vinegar by biotechnology.

This study aimed to reduce post-harvest losses of pineapple local variety egbenana by the transformation of juice into vinegar through biotechnological process. Vinegar was produced through two successive fermentations: alcoholic and acetic fermentations. The alcohol fermentation was carried out at 30 degrees C using yeast. Biomass, pH and Brix were evaluated daily during the fermentation. Acetic fermentation was carried out at 30 degrees C using an acetic bacteria strain isolated from pineapple wine previously exposed to ambient temperature (28 degrees C) for 5 days. Biomass, pH and acid levels were monitored each 2 days. The performance of acetic bacteria isolated was also assessed by studying their glucose and ethanol tolerance. The study allowed the isolation of yeast coded Saccharomyces cerevisiae (LAS01) and an acetic bacteria coded Acetobacter sp. (ASV03) both occurring in the pineapple juice. The monitoring of successive fermentations indicated that the pineapple juice with sugar concentration of 20 Brix, seeded with 10(6) cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (LAS01) for alcoholic fermentation for 4 days and afterwards seeded with 10(6) cells of Acetobacter sp. resulted in 4.5 acetic degree vinegar at Brix 5.3% and pH 2.8 for 23 to 25 days. The study of glucose tolerance of the strain of Acetobacter sp. showed that the growth of acetic bacteria was important in a juice with high concentration of sugar. However, the concentration of ethanol did not effect on the acetic bacteria growth. These results enabled on one hand to improve the manufacturing technology of vinegar from fruits and on the other hand to produce a starter of yeast and acetic bacteria strains for this production.

Antibiotic resistance in urinary tract bacteria in Ouagadougou.

The present study aimed to ascertain for the current situation of antimicrobial resistance of major urinary tract bacteria in Saint Camille Medical Centre. During two consecutive years, 794 urine specimens were analyzed for microorganism isolation and identification. The microorganisms were identified by conventional methods used in the centre and antimicrobial assays were performed by the NCCLS agar disk diffusion. Pathogenic microorganism's isolation was attempted for 89.04% samples. Escherichia coli (32.76%) was the most frequently isolated microorganism followed by Staphylococcus aureus (22.74%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (10.45%). The antimicrobial screenings revealed very high antimicrobial resistance, to beta-lactams. The resistance rates recorded with E. coli were 76.64, 74.01, 25 and 74.34% for ampicillin, amoxicillin amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and trimethoprime-sulfamethoxazole, respectively. Microorganisms were still susceptible to quinolones however, attention should be paid, because, the resistance rate already reached 10% for nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin. Periodic performance of prevalence studies is a useful tool to know the current situation of microorganisms and their resistance patterns in an institution and it helps to access the emergence and the spread of antibiotic resistance.

Hygienic quality of traditional processing and stability of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) puree in Togo.

Microbiological and physicochemical qualities of a tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) puree production line (ripe tomato, washing, cutting, pounding, bleaching, straining, bottling and pasteurization) and its preservation in Togo, West Africa, were studied using the HACCP method. Samples generated during the steps described previously were analyzed by determining sensory, chemical and microbiological characteristics. Samples were analyzed using MPN for coliform populations and plate count methodology for other bacteria. The microorganisms involved in spoilage of the opened products were moulds of genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Mucor and gram-positive Bacillus bacteria. The preserved tomato puree exhibited a pH value of 4.3, 90% water content, 0.98 water activity (aw) and an average ascorbic acid level of 27.3mg/100g. Results showed that the critical control point (CCP) of this tomato puree processing line is the pasteurization stage. The analysis of selected microbiological and physicochemical parameters during the preservation of bottled tomato puree indicated that this product was stable over 22 months at 29 degrees C. But the stability of the opened product stored at 29 degrees C did not exceed two months.