The use of Moringa oleifera (dan-da-lun) seed for the sedimentation and decontamination of household water Part II: Community-based study

The seeds of Moringa oleifera were tested as clearing and sedimentation agents in household water in Thaung Gyi Lay village with 110 households. Questionnaires were completed for each household and follow-up visits were carried out to ascertain the hypothetical acceptability (attitude), initial acceptability (behaviour) and experimental acceptability. It was observed that 78.9 per cent of the people accepted to use Moringa oleifera seeds if these were easily available. For continuous use of Moringa oleifera seeds, 47.3 per cent wanted to use, 44.7 per cent could not decide and only three households (2.7 per cent) did not want to use these. It was observed that the taste and pH of water did not change after treatment with Moringa oleifera seeds. There was no complaint about the treated water. This study will highlight the acceptance to use Moringa oleifera seeds for the sedimentation of turbid water.

The usefulness of Moringa oleifera (dan-da-lun) seed for the sedimentation and decontamination of turbid water from ponds and revers Part I: Laboratory investigations

The seeds of Moringa oleifera were tested as the clearing and sedimentation agents in tubid water from various sources (1) DMR pond (2) Yangon river (3) Bago River (4) Hline River (5) Hlinethaya Pond (6) artesian well from laydaunkkan and (7) Thanlyin River. the turbidity reduction of 80.00 to 99.5 percent paralled by a primary bacterial reduction of 90.00 to 99.99 per cent were obtained within the first one to two hours of treatment, the bacteria being concentrated in the coagulated sediment. It was observed that 100 mg (one ywe) of the seed powder served as a clearing agent in one litre of turbid water. However, the difference of clearing activity was not significant with different amounts of powder, lwhen 50 mg, 100 mg and 200 mg respectively were used with constant water quantity (one litre) within 24 hours. Moreover, the effect of the seeds could not alter the original pH of the tested water samples. The powder of M. oleifera leaves, bark and roots had no power to clear the turbidity of tested water samples.

The association of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and gastroenteritis

A total of 619 cases of adults with gastroenteritis admitted to Yangon General Hospital, Workers' Hospital and Infectious Diseases Hospital were included in this study. It was observed that 33 percent were suffering from gastroenteritis due to enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC). The most prominent EPEC sero-groups encoutered were 01, 026, 055, 086, 0114, 0125 and 0128. The antibiotic sensitivity pattern showed that 87 percent of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) were resistant to ampicillin, 58 percent to chloramphenicol, 49 percent to streptomycin, 55 percent to benzyl penicillin, 44 percent and 21 percent respectively to tetracyclline and septrin. They were all sensitive to nalidixic acid but 97 percent to gentamicin, 96 percent to sisomycin and 95 percent to tobramycin respectively.

The relationship between congo red binding capacity and the virulence of Shigella strains

Study of pathogenic mechanisms of bacteria has been facilitated by the discovery of easily identifiable markers that are used to differentiate between virulent and avirulent organisms of a given bacterial species. One of these markers is a congo red binding phenotype. In this study, 55 isolates of shigellae were tested for their congo red binding capacity and the results were compared with those of HEp-2 tissue culture assay. Shigella isolates (85.45 percent) which invade into HEp-2 cells can also absorb congo red dye from the agar medium as well as from the solution. Non-invasive or avirulent Shigella (14.55 percent) cannot bind congo red resulting in white colonies formation. The present study shows that congo red binding capacity of virulent Shigella indicating that this assay can be used as a quick marker and inexpensive alternative to other invasive assays to determine the virulence of these bacteria.

Identification of Escherichia Coli toxins by Bead ELISA

Seven hundred and eleven isolates of Escherichia Coli and 21 isolates of other bacteria were tested for the production of toxins as shiga-like toxin 1 (SLT I or VT 1), shiga-like toxin 2 (SLT II or VT 2) and heat labile toxin (LT) by Nead ELISA method. It was observed that 31 percent of children and 50 Percent of adults with diarrhoea and gastroenteritis were caused by enterotoxin. The verotoxin E. Coli strains belonged to serogroups 026, 055, 086, 0125, 0142 and 0157 and other untypable serogroups.

Antibacterial activity of bee products (bee venom & royal jelly) : An in-vitro study

Bee products namely royal jelly and bee venom provided by Bee Keeping Department of Myanmar were processed for their biological activity especially, antibacterial activity. The growth of 10 commonly encountered organisms were tested in media containing varying concentrations of bee venom and royal jelly. It was found that royal jelly and antibacterial activity on Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella dysenteriae, Aeromonas and Vibrio spp. whereas bee venom had antibacterial effect on one gram-negative bacillus (Shigella dysenteriae) and gram-positive cocci (Staphylococcus and Streptococcus spp.) tested.