title: The antimicrobial efficacy of Fijian honeys against clinical isolates from diabetic foot ulcers

authors: Saraf, Rajneeta

subjects: diabetic foot ulcers

abstract: A diverse range of illnesses has been treated with honey since ancient civilizations. There has been growing interest by health care professionals in wound care products based on New Zealand Manuka honey and Australian honey of similar Leptospermum spp. In Fiji, local honeys have been used in homes to treat diabetic foot ulcers which have failed to heal by conventional therapeutic methods. This suggests that Fiji honeys may confer antimicrobial activity against the isolates from diabetic foot ulcers and this inference was tested in this study. The antimicrobial activity of 30 natural and two processed honeys was determined using some clinical isolates from diabetic foot ulcers, namely: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida albicans.  The antimicrobial activity of the natural honeys, determined by an agar well diffusion assay and expressed as the concentration of phenol with equivalent activity, was found to be between 4.1 and 14.5% phenol. The mean inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the honeys determined by an agar incorporation technique, was found to range from 4.8% to more than 9.1% (v/v) honey (9.1% being the highest concentration tested). In comparison, the activities of two processed honeys were between 4.5 - 8.9% phenol equivalence and did not inhibit the clinical isolates from diabetic foot ulcers at the highest concentration of honey tested (9.1%). The results demonstrate that Fijian honeys could be utilized as herbal remedy for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. However, to assess the potential of Fijian honeys on diabetic foot ulcers, there is a need for clinical trials on these wounds.

text: The antimicrobial efficacy of Fijian honeys against clinical isolates from diabetic foot ulcers A diverse range of illnesses has been treated with honey since ancient civilizations. There has been growing interest by health care professionals in wound care products based on New Zealand Manuka honey and Australian honey of similar Leptospermum spp. In Fiji, local honeys have been used in homes to treat diabetic foot ulcers which have failed to heal by conventional therapeutic methods. This suggests that Fiji honeys may confer antimicrobial activity against the isolates from diabetic foot ulcers and this inference was tested in this study. The antimicrobial activity of 30 natural and two processed honeys was determined using some clinical isolates from diabetic foot ulcers, namely: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida albicans.  The antimicrobial activity of the natural honeys, determined by an agar well diffusion assay and expressed as the concentration of phenol with equivalent activity, was found to be between 4.1 and 14.5% phenol. The mean inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the honeys determined by an agar incorporation technique, was found to range from 4.8% to more than 9.1% (v/v) honey (9.1% being the highest concentration tested). In comparison, the activities of two processed honeys were between 4.5 - 8.9% phenol equivalence and did not inhibit the clinical isolates from diabetic foot ulcers at the highest concentration of honey tested (9.1%). The results demonstrate that Fijian honeys could be utilized as herbal remedy for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. However, to assess the potential of Fijian honeys on diabetic foot ulcers, there is a need for clinical trials on these wounds.

year: 2009

title: Melt-extruded polyethylene oxide (PEO) rods as drug delivery vehicles: Formulation, performance as controlled release devices and the influence of co-extruded excipients on drug release profiles

authors: Mucalo, Michael R.

abstract: The utility of controlled release medication formulations lies in their ability to keep drugs at steady levels in the blood plasma of recipients and within the termini of the maximum and minimum effective therapeutic levels. This avoids the “ups” and “downs” of medication levels within the body which would have been the result had conventional immediate release tablets been administered instead. In the veterinary field, controlled release medications are essential¹ because of the logistical difficulties of administering drugs on a regular (e.g., daily) basis to animals. The chief advantages of controlled release veterinary medications lie in the ease with which they can be administered; decrease in stress for animals, owing to less need for rounding up and frequent dosing; and, most importantly for farmers, the reduced cost of treatment relative to that for a multiple dosage regime.

text: Melt-extruded polyethylene oxide (PEO) rods as drug delivery vehicles: Formulation, performance as controlled release devices and the influence of co-extruded excipients on drug release profiles The utility of controlled release medication formulations lies in their ability to keep drugs at steady levels in the blood plasma of recipients and within the termini of the maximum and minimum effective therapeutic levels. This avoids the “ups” and “downs” of medication levels within the body which would have been the result had conventional immediate release tablets been administered instead. In the veterinary field, controlled release medications are essential¹ because of the logistical difficulties of administering drugs on a regular (e.g., daily) basis to animals. The chief advantages of controlled release veterinary medications lie in the ease with which they can be administered; decrease in stress for animals, owing to less need for rounding up and frequent dosing; and, most importantly for farmers, the reduced cost of treatment relative to that for a multiple dosage regime.

year: 2012

title: Spatial and temporal characteristics of the underwater soundscape around the Motiti Protection Area: Ōtaiti/Astrolabe Reef and Motiti Island

authors: Riegel, Maria Sophie

subjects: Underwater Soundscapes

abstract: Marine ecosystems around the world have been impacted by degradation and loss of biodiversity as a result of human impacts and climate change. The monitoring and management of ecologically significant areas is vital in understanding the effects of habitat degradation on marine ecosystems. Traditional monitoring methods are often expensive, time consuming, labour intensive and invasive. Soundscapes offer a unique opportunity for monitoring habitats in a way that is cost effective, minimally invasive and efficient. The aim of this study was to use passive acoustic monitoring to create a baseline data set using ambient sound data to investigate the spatial and temporal changes in ambient sound pressure levels, and to identify biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic sound sources which make up the marine soundscapes at the Motiti Island and Ōtaiti/Astrolabe Reef. Five diverse and ecologically significant sites in the Motiti Protection Area – at Ōtaiti/Astrolabe Reef and Motiti Island, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand were selected and monitored over the course of a year. This provided a wide variety of data to show the diel, lunar and seasonal patterns and trends in acoustic biological activity in order to represent the ecosystems accurately. The results showed that all sites showed strong diel patterns, with a sound pressure level increase of ~6-10dB during daylight hours compared to dark hours, and evident peaks during dawn and dusk hours as a result of biological choruses composed largely of sea urchins. There were also strong seasonal trends among the five sites, with Summer having the overall highest sound pressure level compared to Spring, Autumn and Winter, this also had an effect on the peaks in dusk choruses, which were also found to be highest during Summer. Lunar phases were also found to have an impact on the sound pressure levels of all five sites, with increased sound pressure levels during the new moon, compared to sound pressure levels during the full moon. This study created a baseline data set for a culturally, ecologically, and economically valuable area. Passive acoustic monitoring was found to be an incredibly useful tool in understand the ecosystems health and biological condition, and offers an alternative to traditional monitoring which is an effective, minimally invasive, and less labour intensive way of monitoring marine ecosystems.

text: Spatial and temporal characteristics of the underwater soundscape around the Motiti Protection Area: Ōtaiti/Astrolabe Reef and Motiti Island Marine ecosystems around the world have been impacted by degradation and loss of biodiversity as a result of human impacts and climate change. The monitoring and management of ecologically significant areas is vital in understanding the effects of habitat degradation on marine ecosystems. Traditional monitoring methods are often expensive, time consuming, labour intensive and invasive. Soundscapes offer a unique opportunity for monitoring habitats in a way that is cost effective, minimally invasive and efficient. The aim of this study was to use passive acoustic monitoring to create a baseline data set using ambient sound data to investigate the spatial and temporal changes in ambient sound pressure levels, and to identify biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic sound sources which make up the marine soundscapes at the Motiti Island and Ōtaiti/Astrolabe Reef. Five diverse and ecologically significant sites in the Motiti Protection Area – at Ōtaiti/Astrolabe Reef and Motiti Island, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand were selected and monitored over the course of a year. This provided a wide variety of data to show the diel, lunar and seasonal patterns and trends in acoustic biological activity in order to represent the ecosystems accurately. The results showed that all sites showed strong diel patterns, with a sound pressure level increase of ~6-10dB during daylight hours compared to dark hours, and evident peaks during dawn and dusk hours as a result of biological choruses composed largely of sea urchins. There were also strong seasonal trends among the five sites, with Summer having the overall highest sound pressure level compared to Spring, Autumn and Winter, this also had an effect on the peaks in dusk choruses, which were also found to be highest during Summer. Lunar phases were also found to have an impact on the sound pressure levels of all five sites, with increased sound pressure levels during the new moon, compared to sound pressure levels during the full moon. This study created a baseline data set for a culturally, ecologically, and economically valuable area. Passive acoustic monitoring was found to be an incredibly useful tool in understand the ecosystems health and biological condition, and offers an alternative to traditional monitoring which is an effective, minimally invasive, and less labour intensive way of monitoring marine ecosystems.

year: 2022