Background: Worldwide, bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs) constitute an important cause of morbidity and mortality in clinical settings. Due to the limited laboratory facilities in sub-Saharan Africa, poor diagnosis of BSIs results in poor clinical outcomes and leads to a risk of antimicrobial resistance. The present work was carried out to describe the microbiological features of BSIs using the data collected from Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali (CHUK). Methods: A retrospective study was carried out at CHUK. The blood culture results of 2,910 cases – from adults, children and infants – were reviewed in the Microbiology service from October 2017 to October 2018. The following variables were considered: age, gender, admitting department, blood culture results, and antimicrobials sensitivity test results. Data were entered and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2013. Results: Twelve percent (341/2,910) of blood culture results reviewed were positive with 108 (31.7%) Gram positive bacteria and 233 (68.3%) Gram negative bacteria. The most prevalent pathogens were Klebsiella pneumoniae 108 (31.7%) and Staphylococcus aureus 100 (29.3%). This study revealed a high resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics such as penicillin, trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole, and Ampicillin with 91.8, 83.3, and 81.8% of resistance, respectively. However, bacteria were sensitive to imipenem and vancomycin with 98.1 and 94.3% of sensitivity, respectively. The pediatrics and neonatology departments showed a high number of positive culture with 97/341 (28.4%), and 93/341 (27%) respectively. The overall prevalence of multidrug resistance was 77.1%. Conclusion: The prevalence of bacterial pathogens in BSIs was found to be high. The antibiotic resistance to the commonly used antibiotics was high. Appropriate treatment of BSIs should be based on the current knowledge of bacterial resistance pattern. This study will help in formulating management of diagnostic guidelines and antibiotic policy.

Ammi visnaga (A. visnaga) is an annual herb that has been used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments attributed to the presence of its bioactive compounds. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the phytochemical properties of the hydroalcoholic extract of A. visnaga using in vitro and in vivo models. Our findings demonstrated that the extract contained a variety of beneficial components, including phenols, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, saponins, khellin, and visnagin. The total polyphenolic content and total flavonoid content were 23.26 mg/GAE/g dry weight and 13.26 mg/GAE/g dry weight, respectively. In vitro tests demonstrated that the extract possessed antioxidant properties as evidenced by the ability to scavenge free radicals, including DPPH, ABTS, nitric oxide (NO), phosphomolybdate, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Further, the extract was found to inhibit hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced hemolysis. In a 90-d in vivo study, female Wistar rats were administered 1 g/kg of A. visnaga extract orally resulting in a significant increase in total white blood cell count. Although morphological changes were observed in the liver, no marked alterations were noted in kidneys and spleen. In a female Swiss albino mice model of acetic acid-induced vascular permeability, A. visnaga significantly inhibited extravasations of Evans blue at doses of 0.5 or 1 g/kg with inhibition percentages of 51 and 65%, respectively, blocking tissue necrosis. The extract also demonstrated potential immunomodulatory properties in mice by enhancing antibody production in response to antigens. In silico molecular docking studies demonstrated a strong affinity between khellin or visnagin and immunomodulatory proteins, NF-κB, p52, and TNF-α. These findings suggest that A. visnaga may be considered a beneficial antioxidant with immunomodulatory properties and might serve as a therapeutic agent to combat certain diseases.

Background: Glutathione peroxidase 1 gene (GPX1) is one of the antioxidant enzyme that remove the reactive oxygen species in a continuous process. Since the identification of a well‐characterized functional polymorphism named p.Pro198Leu (rs1050450 C>T) in GPX1 gene, abundant studies have evaluated the association between p.Pro198Leu polymorphism and tumor risk in diverse population. But, the available results related to breast cancer are conflicting and absent in Africa. The present case–control study was planned to assess the presence of GPX1 Pro198Leu polymorphism in Rwanda population to determine whether it is associated with the risk of developing breast cancer.Methods: Genomic DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes of 41 patients with breast cancer and 42 healthy controls were enrolled and genotyped GPX1 Pro198Leu polymorphism by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing.Results: No significant difference in the frequencies of Pro/Pro (49%) and Pro/Leu (51%) genotypes in cancer cases and in controls (50% each) were found. The allelic frequencies of Pro and Leu were 74% versus 26% and 75% versus 25% in breast cancer cases and controls respectively. No association was observed in allele frequencies of Pro and Leu, and familial history. Only an overall association of GPX1 Pro198Leu with grade of cancer (Pro/Leu vs. Pro/Pro: p = .0200) was detected.Conclusion: The result of this study suggested that GPX1 Pro198Leu polymorphism could not be a risk factor for breast cancer in Rwanda. However, large‐scale studies on the effect of this polymorphism on the factors disturbing the redox homeostasis are needed for conclusive understanding.

Worldwide, the use of antibiotics is losing effectiveness due to the substantial resistance to the antimicrobial developed by many pathogenic bacteria. African populations including Rwanda, use frequently traditional medicine for primary care. This study aimed to determine the phytochemicals and the antimicrobial activity of Ocimum. suave (O. suave) against selected human pathogenic bacteria (two strains of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, two strains of E. coli, S. pneumonia, S. pyogene, K. oxytoca, H. influenza, S. sonei). The leaf and stem extracts were prepared using maceration technique. The antimicrobial activities of extracts were evaluated using the impregnated disc and agar well diffusion methods. The tests revealed the presence of phytochemical substances such as tannins, flavonoids, saponins, steroids alkaloids and phenolics in leaves and only saponins in stem. S. aureus ATCC 43300 was the most sensitive while H. influenza was the most resistant among the microorganisms tested. Aqueous and methanolic crude extract of O. suave displayed maximum diameter of inhibition zone against bacteria (9-26.5 mm and 9-23.5 respectively) and Two-way ANOVA showed statistical significance difference between their means. T-test was used in comparison with standards antibiotics and showed that the distilled water extracts exhibited much higher activity against all tested organisms than activity of streptomycin. Combination of distilled water and methanol extracts with streptomycin revealed synergistic activity against E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. pneumonia ATCC 49618. The leaves of O. suave have a great potential antibacterial activity and should be fully explored for future treatment. Keywords: phytochemical; antimicrobial activity; Ocimum suave, Rwanda

Cancer, distinguished by the uncontrolled proliferation and spread of malignantly altered cells, poses a substantial worldwide health concern. The complex series of events in cancer progression entails intricate molecular and genetic changes occurring within specific cellular targets. Cancer chemoprevention has emerged as a crucial approach to alleviate the burden of cancer on healthcare systems. This strategy involves the utilization of pharmacologically natural molecules and active substances to impede, suppress, forestall, or reverse the progression of invasive cancer. Among these substances, Vernonia amygdalina Delile (VAD) demonstrated therapeutic properties. This review elicits the detailed potential of VAD in combating multiple cancers by targeting cancer pathways. VAD has demonstrated noteworthy preventive capabilities by inhibiting cellular growth, migration, and invasion of cancer cells, stimulating cell death, and regulating signaling routes associated with cancer initiation. Furthermore, the VAD's leaf extract has been identified to contain bioactive molecules that contribute to its cytotoxic, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. Despite progress in the exploration of VAD's chemopreventive attributes, there are shortcomings in both in vivo studies and individual molecular scrutiny. Future research efforts should emphasize in vivo experimentation and clinical trials while carefully delineating the signaling pathways involved.