Browsing by Author "Atuheirwe, Maxine"

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    Antibacterial Activity of Locally Prepared Herbal Cough Extracts against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae
    (International Journal of Biochemistry Research & Review, 2019) Atuheirwe, Maxine; Iramiot, Jacob Stanley
    Cough due to Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae is currently managed by conventional antibiotics and herbal extracts in Uganda. However, much as these herbal extracts are extensively used, their antibacterial activity is not known. This study aimed at determining the antibacterial activity of the selected locally prepared herbal cough extracts against two bacterial strains i.e. Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 700603), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (ATCC 49619). Methods: The herbal cough extracts were screened for antibacterial activity using Agar-well diffusion method for determining zone of inhibition, macro broth dilution method for Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) determination and Streak plate method for Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC). Results: In vitro evaluation of antibacterial activity of the 5 brands of herbal cough extracts against K. pneumoniae and S. pneumoniae revealed that all extracts possessed significant antimicrobial effects against all microorganisms tested (p < 0.05). However, MM04 (35.6±0.0) mm and MM03 (33.6±1.5) mm had maximum zones of inhibition as compared to other herbal extracts against K. pneumoniae and S. pneumoniae respectively. Average MIC results for extracts against K. pneumoniae indicated that MM01 had the highest MIC (2.5000 mg/ml) while MM03 had the least MIC (0.0625 mg/ml). Average MIC results for extracts against S. pneumoniae showed MM01 had the highest MIC (2.0000 mg/ml) while MM03 3 had the least MIC (0.0438 mg/ml). Average MBC results for extracts against K. pneumoniae indicated that MM01 had the highest MBC (4.000 mg/ml) while MM03 had the least MBC (0.030 mg/ml). Average MBC results for extracts against S. pneumoniae showed MM01 had the highest MBC (4.000 mg/ml) while MM03 had the least MBC (0.033 mg/ml). Conclusion: The results obtained in present study were revealed that locally prepared herbal extracts had significant antibacterial activity. Hence they can be used as promising alternatives of antibiotics used against Respiratory Tract Infections due to K. pneumoniae and S. pneumoniae.
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    A Portable Magnetofluidic Platform for Detecting Sexually Transmitted Infections and Antimicrobial Susceptibility
    (Science translational medicine, 2021) Trick, Alexander Y.; Melendez, Johan H.; Onzia, Annet; Zawedde, Aidah; Nakku-Joloba, Edith; Kyambadde, Peter; Mande, Emmanuel; Matovu, Joshua; Atuheirwe, Maxine; Kwizera, Richard
    Effective treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is limited by diagnostics that cannot deliver results rapidly while the patient is still in the clinic. The gold standard methods for identification of STIs are nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), which are too expensive for widespread use and have lengthy turnaround times. To address the need for fast and affordable diagnostics, we have developed a portable, rapid, on-cartridge magnetofluidic purification and testing (PROMPT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. We show that it can detect Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the pathogen causing gonorrhea, with simultaneous genotyping of the pathogen for resistance to the antimicrobial drug ciprofloxacin in <15 min. The duplex test was integrated into a low-cost thermoplastic cartridge with automated processing of penile swab samples from patients using magnetic beads. A compact instrument conducted DNA extraction, PCR, and analysis of results while relaying data to the user via a smartphone app. This platform was tested on penile swab samples from sexual health clinics in Baltimore, MD, USA (n = 66) and Kampala, Uganda (n = 151) with an overall sensitivity and specificity of 97.7% (95% CI, 94.7 to 100%) and 97.6% (95% CI, 94.1 to 100%), respectively, for N. gonorrhoeae detection and 100% concordance with culture results for ciprofloxacin resistance. This study paves the way for delivering accessible PCR diagnostics for rapidly detecting STIs at the point of care, helping to guide treatment decisions and combat the rise of antimicrobial resistant pathogens.