Analysis and risk assessment of pharmaceutical residues in fish from three water bodies in Ghana.

Illegal mining has overshadowed pharmaceutical pollution even though exposure to pharmaceutical waste is high. Consumption of fish potentially polluted with pharmaceuticals from the rivers continues with little concern or potential threat it poses. In the present study, the residues of one antibiotic (Chloramphenicol), five hormones (progesterone, 17-beta Estradiol, Estrone, 17a-Ethynylestradiol, and one), three environmental contaminants (4-para-nonylphenol, 4-tert-octylphenol, and Bisphenol A), one barbiturate (Primidone) and one analgesic (Diclofenac sodium salt), were investigated from fish samples from the rivers Pra, Narkwa, and the Volta. The results show a high concentration of drugs in River Pra in comparison to those in Rivers Narkwa and Volta. The hazard quotients (HQs) for the environmental contaminants were all above 1, except Bisphenol A. Furthermore, the HQs from this study suggest that consumers of fish from any of the three rivers stand a hazard risk of Chloramphenicol (19), 17a-Ethynylestradiol (4), Estrone (1.366), Diclofenac sodium salt (3.29), Progesterone (4.598), 4-tert-octylphenol (87.2), and 4-para-nonylphenol (7.252), but negligible risk against E2 (0.687), Primidone (0.014), Testosterone (0.16), and Bisphenol A (0.642). Of the fish species studied, the highest concentration of all pharmaceuticals put together is found in Clarias gariepinus, Labeo senegalensis, and Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus in that order.

Street-vended grilled beef sausages as potential vehicles of bacterial and fungal pathogens: An exploratory survey in Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region of Ghana.

Grilled beef sausage is a popular street delicacy in many countries, and Ghana is no exception. This study assessed street-vended grilled beef sausages as a potential vehicle of microorganisms that present food safety risks to the general public in Ho City. Twenty grilled beef sausages were obtained from various vended locations within Ho municipality by convenient sampling and were analyzed by standard microbiological protocols for food safety followed by statistical analysis with a test of significant difference at p < .05. Total aerobic bacteria count of the potential foodborne pathogens ranged from 2.75 × 104 to 1.85 × 107 CFU/g. The microbial species identified included Staphylococcus aureus with a load from 6.15 × 102 to 1.67 × 105 CFU/g, Escherichia coli from 4.2 × 102 to 3.9 × 104 CFU/g, Bacillus cereus from 3.05 × 102 to 7.1 × 104 CFU/g, and Salmonella spp. from 2.8 × 102 to 5.5 × 104 CFU/g. Total fungal counts also ranged from 0.0 to 9.83 × 103 CFU/g, and the species identified included Aspergillus spp. and Rhizopus spp. all of which were within the acceptable limits of the International Commission for Microbiological Specification of Foods. However, for total viable bacteria, 75% of the samples were above the acceptable limits in the guidelines by the Ghana Standards Authority, indicating that the consumption of grilled beef sausages poses serious food safety and hygiene risks to consumers. Hygienic processing of the sausages under sanitary environments, proper handling and preservation procedures, and periodic follow-up visits to the vended areas should be employed to reduce the risk of occurrence of potential pathogens in the products.

Protocols for assessing antibacterial and water coagulation potential of Moringa oleifera seed powder.

This research evaluated Moringa oleifera seed powder (MOSP) as an antibacterial agent, and a coagulant. In the former, clinical isolates of Salmonella sp., Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were used, and in the latter, river and stream water were used. Both the isolates and water samples were treated with MOSP at varying final concentrations of 0.001, 0.002, 0.004 and 0.017 g/ml. For the antibacterial assay, a dose of 0.017 g/ml of MOSP was effective on all three isolates with CFU/ml reduction of 99.4, 78.8 and 57.3% on Salmonella sp., E. coli and S. aureus respectively. An ANOVA confirmed this finding at P<0.05; 0.0014 between the treated and control samples. The water treatment assay also showed a reduction of total hardness, fluoride, phosphate, nitrate, total iron and manganese levels below the water quality standards. The MOSP could serve as a cost-effective product for process integration in raw water treatment systems in rural and urban settings. The study shows bioactivity of the seed powder of Moringa, and provides grounds to isolate the active component for commercialization and usage by the wider population with limited or no access to potable water.

Correlation of lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide metabolites, trace elements, and antioxidant enzymes in patients with sickle cell disease.

BACKGROUND: Lipid peroxidation plays a very important role in sickle cell pathophysiology. The formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) may lead to endothelial dysfunction. Nitric oxide (NO) is a known vasodilator which plays a role in endothelial function. The current study determined the association between MDA and NO metabolites (NOx), trace elements, and antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) in patients with SCD. The ratio of MDA/NOx was also determined as an index of oxidative stress in the study groups. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving 90 patients with SCD and 50 "healthy" controls. Blood samples (n = 140) were collected from the study groups. The plasma, sera, and red cells were kept at -20°C for biochemical analyses. Hemoglobin (Hb) and NOx levels were determined in the plasma using Labsystem Multiskan MS and Griess reagent system, respectively. Super oxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels were determined in the red cells using assay kits from Cayman chemicals. Lipid peroxidation biomarker MDA was determined in the sera using the TBARS assay. Levels of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) were also determined in the sera using Variant 240FS. MDA and NOx ratio was computed for the study groups and compared. RESULTS: Levels of Hb, NOx, SOD, CAT, and Zn were significantly lower in the patients with SCD (P < .001). MDA, Fe, and MDA/ NOx ratio were, however, significantly higher in the patients with SCD (P < .001). There was no significant correlation between MDA and NOx, SOD, CAT, Fe, and Zn in the study groups. MDA, however, correlated positively and significantly with Cu in the HbSS patients with vaso-occlusive crises (VOC). Gender did not affect the levels of oxidative stress markers. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study suggest a link between lipid peroxidation and Cu in HbSS patients with VOC. Increased MDA/NOx ratio may contribute to sickle cell pathophysiology by promoting oxidative stress.

Elemental minerals and microbial compositions as well as knowledge and perceptions regarding kaolin (clay) consumption by pregnant women in the Ho municipality of Ghana.

INTRODUCTION: Kaolin is a type of clay consumed mostly by women especially pregnant women of which the act of clay eating is termed geophagy. Different people use this type of clay for diverse purposes. Notwithstanding, most Ghanaians consume this clay out of cravings, taste and smell. There have been some attendant problems with the consumption of clay especially by pregnant women. This research sought to assess the mineral and microbial contents of kaolin and address the perceptions of pregnant women on geophagy. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional convenient sampling method to sample 217 pregnant women and sellers of clay (Ayilo). A face-to-face interview was conducted to administer a structured questionnaire to respondents. Mineral and microbial analyses were also conducted on the ore of the kaolin mined from Anfoega in the Volta Region of Ghana using standardized procedures. RESULTS: Results from this study suggests geophagy prevalence of 48.4% (n=217) among pregnant women in the Ho municipality of Ghana. Results obtained also suggest smell and taste of the clay, influenced the consumption by these pregnant women to a large extent. Strikingly, majority of the respondents had no knowledge on the adverse health implications clay consumption had on the human body. The physiological state of pregnancy also cause many to use it to treat nausea, other accompanying discomfort and in some instances to quench their hunger. Traces of Lead, Nickel and Arsenic were found in the clay. Common microorganisms identified were Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Mucor and Aspergillus spp. CONCLUSION: Geophagy is a common practice among pregnant women living in the Ho municipality in the Volta region, Ghana. Most of them consumed it for varied reasons. Although there are beneficial minerals, accumulated effects of these heavy metals can lead to various complications in pregnancy. The clay also contained pathogenic microorganisms. These pathogens have a whole range of deleterious effects on the human body ranging from gastrointestinal infections to cancer and so may not be safe to consume clay products from Anfoega, Ghana.