Garlic (Allium sativum) contains various biologically active components that play a significant role in the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections. It contains sulfur compounds like allicin, ajoene, allylmethyltrisulfide, diallyltrisulfide, diallyldisulphide and others which exhibit various biological properties like antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic and cardiovascular effects. The objective of the current review was to relate various literatures and assess the anti-microbial potential of garlic extract. The antimicrobial potency of garlic can be maximised by increasing the concentration of the extract. Garlic extract of 100% concentration showed a maximum zone of inhibition against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Background. Mushrooms are increasingly becoming an important component of diets worldwide, and it is of paramount importance to choose appropriate substrates to grow them. The objective of this study was to grow Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom using different agricultural substrates. Methods. Corncobs, finger millet straw, and bamboo waste were collected from different sites of the Awi Zone. The substrates were chopped into small pieces, and 500g of their dry mass alone and their combination was measured, packed in a polythene bag, moistened, and pasteurized. The cooled substrates were inoculated with a spoon of P. ostreatus spawn brought from Debre Berhan University. The bags were placed in the growing room, and growth parameters were recorded continuously with environmental variables. The experimental setup was a complete randomized design, six treatments with three replicates. Results. The fastest spawn running phase of P. ostreatus was 28.71±0.80 days, pinhead formation was 32.36±0.26 days, and fruiting bodies formation was 5.19±0.74 days after the pinhead was recorded on the corncob substrate. The highest fresh weight and biological efficiency with the significant statistical association were obtained from P. ostreatus grown on finger millet straw (253.07±1.05 and 50.20±0.47, respectively). The highest average number of pinheads and fruiting bodies (29.60 and 11.44, respectively) was recorded on finger millet straw. The lowest biological efficiency (20.80±0.41), fresh weight (101.48±0.91), number of pinheads (14.40), and number of fruiting bodies (4.25) were recorded from a mixture of corncob and bamboo waste (50 each) substrates. Conclusion. Finger millet straw is recommended as the best substrate for the cultivation of P. ostreatus. The mixed substrate of corncob and bamboo waste (1:1) for P. ostreatus cultivation is not encouraged due to poor growth performance.

Background: Feeding the world's future population while still facing a variety of socioeconomic and climate change scenarios with uncertain outcomes is a key global societal concern that should be addressed in a science-based manner. Ethiopia boasts a great diversity of wild edible plant species (WEPS), but millions of its citizens still suffer from chronic hunger every year. In this context, we here document the use and conservation of WEPS in the Awi Agäw community, Northwestern Ethiopia. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study from October 2021 to June 2022. Ethnobotanical and conservation status data were collected via semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, field walks and market surveys. A total of 374 respondents from three districts (Guangua, Jawi and Ankasha) were purposely selected for the study. Descriptive statistics, including preference rankings, frequencies and direct matrix rankings, were employed for the data analysis. Results: We identified a total of 39 WEPS plant taxa distributed among 26 families and 32 genera. The Moraceae and Rosaceae had the greatest numbers of plants, with five and three species, respectively. The WEPS are regularly consumed in the study area to alleviate hunger. However, threats such as habitat loss, agricultural expansion, deforestation for firewood and other reasons, and pesticide use threaten WEPS availability. Conclusion: Therefore, community-based conservation interventions need to be encouraged to safeguard WEPS and associated traditional knowledge. Furthermore, nutritional quality analysis is recommended for the selection of promising WEPS candidates.

Background:Mushrooms are increasingly becoming an important component of diets worldwide and it is of paramount importance to choose appropriate substrates to grow them. The objective of this study was to grow Pleurotus ostreatus using different agricultural substrates.Methods:Corncobs, Finger millet straw and Bamboo waste were collected from different sites of Awi zone. The substrates were chopped in to small pieces and 500g of their dry mass alone and their combination was measured packed in polythene bag, moistened, and pasteurized. The cooled substrates inoculated with a spoon of P. ostreatus spawn brought from Debre Berhan University. The bags were placed in growing room and growth parameters were recorded continuously with monitoring of environmental variables. The experimental setup was completely randomized design, six treatments with three replicates.Results: The fastest spawn running phase of P. ostreatus was observed in 28.71±0.80 days, pinhead formation of 32.36±0.26 days and fruiting bodies formation of 5.19±0.74 days after pinhead appearance was recorded on Corncob substrate. The highest fresh weight and biological efficiency with significant statistical association was obtained from the P. ostreatus grown on Finger millet straw (253.07±1.05 and 50.20±0.47 respectively). The highest average number of pinhead and fruiting bodies (29.60 and 11.44 respectively) was recorded on Finger millet straw. The lowest biological efficiency (20.80±0.41), fresh weight (101.48±0.91), number of pinhead (14.40), number of fruiting bodies (4.25) was recorded from a mixture of Corncob and Bamboo waste (50% each) substrates.Conclusion:The use of mixed Corncob and Bamboo waste (1:1) for cultivation of P. ostreatus is not encouraged due to poor growth performance.

Background: Effective management of solid waste, generated as a result of human activities, is crucial. However, improper solid waste management seriously threatens the environment and public health in developing countries including Ethiopia. Objective: This study is aimed at assessing the status of solid waste management practices and identifying key factors in Awi Administrative Zone, Ethiopia. Methods: A community‐based cross‐sectional study design was used to collect the data and then analyze using descriptive statistics and logistic regression modeling. The survey was conducted in select kebeles (wards) (administrative subdivisions) of Injibara, Dangila, and Chagni towns, using two‐stage sampling techniques. Primary and secondary data sources were utilized. The per capita waste generation rate was calculated based on the total solid waste generated in kilograms per total family size of households per year. Results: The per capita per day solid waste generation rates for Injibara, Dangila, and Chagni were 0.443, 0.456, and 0.487 kg/capita/day, respectively. The composition of household solid waste mainly consisted of biodegradable and nonbiodegradable materials. It was concluded that a significant proportion of household solid waste comprised biodegradable organic matter, which could be efficiently recycled or decomposed through microbial activity. Of the households, 40.6% had access to door‐to‐door solid waste collection service, and 35.9% and 26.2% of the households disposed their solid waste on riverside bridge/drainage lines and roadside/open land, respectively. The regression analysis showed that the head of the household’s age, family size, monthly income, solid waste selling practice, solid waste reduction practice, awareness of solid waste disposal rules, frequency of household cleanup campaign participation, and awareness of the impacts of improper solid waste management on the environment and human health were significantly associated with improper solid waste management practices. Conclusion: The study revealed poor performance in solid waste management in the study area, attributed to factors such as inadequate collection system design and schedule, open burning of refuse, substandard condition of the final dumpsite, and lack of community awareness leading to illegal dumping. Recommendations: Based on the findings of the study, we recommend that the town municipality strengthen its door‐to‐door solid waste collection service and distribution of communal bin containers, conduct environmental assessments for better dumpsite selection, and implement a community‐based waste management system to ensure sustainable solutions and continuous education on proper solid waste management practices.

Foodborne diseases remain a major public health problem worldwide, particularly in developing countries. The consumption of raw milk poses significant public health risks due to potential contamination with pathogenic bacteria. The objective of the present review was to determine the bacteriological load of raw milk and estimate the prevalence of bacterial pathogens associated with public health risk in Ethiopia. A total of 62 previous studies were included in the analysis from PubMed, Research Gate and Google Scholar databases following the PRISMA guidelines. The mean total bacterial count of raw milk from 32 previous studies was computed to be 6.46 log10 cfu/mL whereas the total coliform count was estimated to be 4.64 log10 cfu/mL. The maximum and minimum loads for the total bacterial count were between 9.00 and 4.51 log10 cfu/mL respectively. The total coliform count ranged from 2.89 to 8.78 log10 cfu/mL. The prevalence rates of the 30 studies analyzed for E.coli O157:H7, S. aureus, Salmonella spps and L. monocytogens were determined to be 6.19%, 21.42%, 12.79% and 10.74% respectively. The prevalence rate of E.coli O157:H7 in the collected milk samples ranged from 0.20 to 36.63% whereas that of S. aureus ranged from 8.64 to 55.14%. The prevalence rates of Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogens ranged from 8.50 to 28.57% and 2.60–20.00%, respectively. The majority of the studies analyzed (86.67%) for prevalence estimation employed conventional culture methods and biochemical tests for the identification of bacterial pathogens in raw milk. The mean bacterial load was above the Ethiopian standard authority and European Union guideline set for the bacteriological quality of raw milk. Strengthening milk safety policies, promoting pasteurization, and educating producers and consumers are critical for reducing health risks while preserving cultural practices.