No abstract

Background Bacterial pathogens have evolved numerous defense mechanisms against commercial antimicrobial agents, and their resistance to most of the available antimicrobials is increasing. Medicinal plants are a potential source of antimicrobial agents during the spread and emergence of infectious disease caused by resistant microorganisms. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the antimicrobial activity and acute toxicity of 80% methanol extracts of leaves of Artemisia absinthium , seeds of Datura stramonium , and fruit of Solanum anguivi . Materials and Methods The 80% methanol extracts were prepared by cold maceration. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against five bacterial species using agar-well diffusion at concentrations of 125, 250, and 500 mg/mL in the presence of positive and negative controls. Minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by broth dilution. The acute toxicity study was done following OECD guidelines. Results The 80% methanol extract of the fruit of S. anguivi exhibited better activity against most of the bacterial strains, of which Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium was found to be the most susceptible, with minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of 1.3 mg/mL and 1.95 mg/mL, respectively, while the seed extract of D. stramonium showed the least activity against most test organisms. The acute toxicity study showed that all three plants had an LD 50 >2,000 mg/kg body weight, and were thus safe. Conclusion The results of this study revealed that the methanol extracts of the three plants ( A. absinthium , D. stramonium , and S. anguivi ) had different degrees of antibacterial activity against the selected pathogenic bacteria and were safe at higher doses, thus being of great potential to be developed as antibacterial agents. The study also provided scientific evidence to support the continued traditional use of these medicinal plants by communities in different parts of Ethiopia to treat infectious diseases.

Background There is a paucity of data on public awareness of cancer in Ethiopia. This study assessed cancer signs, symptoms, and risk factors awareness among individuals aged 18 and older in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Method A population-based face-to-face interview was conducted applying a validated cancer awareness measure (CAM) tool. A total of 600 adults (315 males and 285 females) were recruited using a multistage sampling technique. One open-ended and ten closed-ended questions were used to assess awareness of cancer signs and symptoms. To assess awareness of cancer risk factors, one open-ended and twelve closed-ended questions were used. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the association between sociodemographic status and awareness of cancer signs, symptoms, and risk factors. Results Based on the responses for the open-ended questions, unexplained bleeding (23.16%) and smoking (24.17%) were the most frequently recalled cancer sign and risk factor, respectively. Based on the responses for the closed questions, the majority of respondents identified tiredness all the time (80.7%) as a cancer symptom and alcohol use (82.5%) as a cancer risk factor.  The odds of cancer signs and symptoms awareness was higher in those with primary (AOR = 4.50, 95% CI, 1.72–11.79, p = 0.02), secondary (AOR = 4.62; 95% CI 1.86–11.43; p = 0.001), and tertiary (AOR = 7.51; 95% CI 3.04–18.56; p < 0.001) education than those who were illiterate. The odds of awareness about cancer signs and risk factors was 0.28 (95% CI 0.12–0.65; p = 0.003) and 0.22 (95% CI 0.83–0.58; p = 0.002) times lower, respectively, among individuals aged 60 and older than those aged 18 to 29. Conclusions Young adults who attended formal education of primary or higher level may have a better cancer signs and symptoms awareness. Future education interventions to increase awareness of the society in Addis Ababa may target illiterate and the elderly.