Effect of Cadmium Levels on the Growth Curve of Candida albicans.

Environmental pollution by toxic heavy metals is one of the most pressing problems. Metals are released in the environment in industrial effluent. Cadmium is one of the heavy metal toxic to microorganisms; however, there are yeast strains resistant to this metal. One of yeast species Candida albicans is a diploid fungus (a form of yeast) that is a causal agent of opportunistic oral and genital infections in humans. In the present study, effect of Cadmium on the growth curve of Candida albicans was demonstrated. Candida albicans was grown both in the presence and absence of Cadmium in YEPD media. Growth curves of the Candida albicans were plotted to study the growth pattern of the yeast isolate. It was found that Candida albicans grow well at 50 μg/ml concentration of cadmium. The organism was found to be resistant to the used heavy metal. Growing metal resistant cells is very important as it can ensure better removal through the process of biosorption. Such approaches may help in the removal of toxic metals from the environmental thus reducing environmental pollution.

Use of CHROMagar candida for the presumptive identification of candida species directly from clinical specimens in resource-limited settings

Identification of yeast isolated from clinical specimens to the species level has become increasingly important. Ever-increasing numbers of immuno-suppressed patients, a widening range of recognized pathogens, and the discovery of resistance to antifungal drugs are contributing factors to this necessity. A total of 487 yeast strains were studied for the primary isolation and presumptive identification, directly from clinical specimen. Efficacy of CHROMagar Candida has been evaluated with conventional methods including morphology on Corn meal between 80 agar and biochemical methods by using API 20 C AUX. The result of this study shows that CHROMagar Candida can easily identify three species of Candida on the basis of colonial color and morphology, and accurately differentiate between them i.e. Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, and Candida krusei. The specificity and sensitivity of CHROMagar Candida for C. albicans calculated as 99%, for C. tropicalis calculated as 98%, and C. krusei it is 100%. The data presented supports the use of CHROMagar Candida for the rapid identification of Candida species directly from clinical specimens in resource-limited settings, which could be very helpful in developing appropriate therapeutic strategy and management of patients

Determination of residues of sulphonamide in eggs and laying hens

Eggs were collected from different areas of Faisalabad city. The quantity of sulphonamides was determined in yolk, white and whole egg and compared with the permissible limit 1 micro g/ml for sulphadimethoxine available in literature. In another experiment, a group of hens were kept at a poultry farm after medicating them with darvisal liquid to see if the residues of sulphonamide pass into the eggs of poultry. The period of existence of residues was noted

Pattern of medical disorders in adults in district Lakki Marwat, Pakistan

The objective of this study was to determine the pattern of various diseases /problems with which the patients present to a medical specialist in District Lakki Marwat. A total of 862 patients ranging in age between 15 and above from various parts of district Lakki Marwat, presenting to a weekly based clinic were studied from March, 2006 to June 2006. A printed proforma containing details of history, findings of clinical examination and reports of investigations was filled for each patient. After completion of the study period proformas were grouped in a systematic way and were studied to achieve the objective. Overall females dominated the picture. The highest number of patients fell in the group of cardiovascular diseases with a total of 222 [25.75%] patients followed by disorders of gastrointestinal system in 146 [16.93%] patients. Respiratory problems were observed in 126 [14.61%] patients. Sixty patients [6.96%] presented with Rheumatological problems, 40 [4.64%] with problems related to CNS, 34 [3.94%] with endocrine diseases, 16 [1.85%] with Uro-genital disorders, 12 [1.39%] with infectious disorders and 4 [0.46%] with metabolic problems. A group named miscellaneous comprised of 144 [16.74%] patients who had nonspecific symptoms like headache, giddiness, body-aches and weakness with no positive findings on clinical examination. Fifty eight patients [6.72%] had both diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The number of female patients presenting to physician are more than the male patients in District Lakki Marwat. Hypertension is the commonest disorder and majority is unaware of their high blood pressure