Analgesic Appraisal of Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae) Leaf Extracts Used in Management of Oral Lesion Pain in HIV/AIDS Patients in Rodents

Oral lesions, diarrhoea, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, tuberculosis and urinary tract infections are some of the opportunistic infections (OIs) which arise when the CD4 cells of the HIV/AIDS patient fall below 200 cells/mm3. HIV/AIDS infection complications include tissue damage from oral lesions accompanied with pains. Pain is a disagreeable sensory and sensitive experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. This condition requires immediate treatment with analgesics and antibiotics. However, the inability of rural dwellers to afford readily available drugs is a consequence for using herbs like Bidens pilosa whose local usefulness in the management of oral lesions of HIV/AIDS has not been proven scientifically. Therefore, the objective of this study was to provide the scientific basis in rats for the traditional healers’ use of Bidens pilosa leaves’ extracts in managing pain associated with oral lesions of HIV/AIDS patients in South Western Uganda. Assessment of the analgesic effects of Bidens pilosa was conducted using acetic acid in mice, formalin-induced pain and tail flick methods in rats. Both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the leaves of Bidens pilosa produced statistically significant dose dependent inhibition of acetic acid induced pain, non dose dependent pain reduction in formalin induced pain, (p < 0.05;student t-test) and non dose dependent tail withdrawal pattern (p < 0.05, Multivariate ANOVA test). Hence, we conclude that extracts of Bidens pilosa have an analgesic basis for their local use in treatment of oral lesions associated pain in HIV/AIDS patients in South-Western Uganda.

Bacterial Contamination of Blood and Blood Products at Mbarara Regional Blood Bank in Rural South Western Uganda

Background: Screening blood donors has practically eliminated viral and bacterial pathogens in blood used for transfusion. However, transfusion-associated bacterial sepsis remains an important health-care concern and the commonest cause of transfusion-related fatality in resource limited settings. Data on bacterial contamination of blood are scarce while the demand of blood transfusion is continuously growing. Therefore we conducted a study to determine the prevalence and type of bacterial contamination in donor blood and blood products, at the Mbarara Regional Blood Bank. Methodology: A total of 510 units of screened blood and blood products consisting of refrigerated whole blood and packed cells were randomly sampled following aseptic procedures from Mbarara Regional Blood Bank. Two samples from each unit were collected in universal containers containing Brain Heart Infusion Broth and incubated at 37℃ for up to 7 days. Subcultures were carried out on Blood agar, Chocolate agar and MacConkey agar. Isolates were identified by standard microbiologic techniques and drug susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: Of the 510 samples collected between June and October 2012, 18 (3.5%) samples showed growth. The contaminants were Staphylococcus aureus 17/18 (94.4%) and Streptococcus viridans 1/18 (5.6%). Isolates were sensitive to erythomycin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin and resistant to penicillin and cloxacillin. Conclusion: Blood and blood products from Mbarara Regional Blood have unacceptable levels of bacterial contamination that can affect patient safety especially in an area with high malaria endemicity. Therefore it is critical to improve hygiene precautions in order to minimize bacterial contamination and ensure patient safety.

In vitro Antibacterial Efficacy of <i>Bidens pilosa</i>, <i>Ageratum conyzoides</i>and <i>Ocimum suave</i>Extracts against HIV/AIDS Patients’ Oral Bacteria in South-Western Uganda

The objective of the study was to determine the antibacterial efficacy of Bidens pilosa Aqueous (BPA), Bidens pilosa Ethanolic (BPE), Ageratum conyzoides Aqueous (ACA), Ageratum conyzoides Ethanolic (ACE), Ocimum suave Aqueous (OSA) and Ocimum suave Ethanolic (OSE) extracts on HIV/AIDS patients’ oral bacteria. Healthy green leaves of the plants were collected in Ishaka Uganda, processed and portions separately extracted with hot distilled water and cold ethanol. The susceptibility, MIC and MBC of each extract were determined using standard protocols. The bacteria had significant (p Bidens pilosa, Ageratum conyzoides and Ocimum suave on oral lesions of HIV/AIDS patients made by traditional healers and local people in South-Western Uganda. We recommend a detailed study of structural identities and activities of the active antibacterial principle(s) in these plants for possible new drug entities and verification of the interactive effects of the principle(s) with ARVs and cotrimoxazole used daily by HIV/AIDS patients.