The East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Editorial: On the Utility and Safety of Food Additives

Kennedy O Abuga — 2025-02-28

A food additive is any substance that is deliberately added to foods to yield specific desirable effects such
as preservation and organoleptic attributes. These conferred attributes are crucial in the marketability,
acceptability, aesthetics, shelf life and value enhancement of foods. Food additives have been in use by
mankind since antiquity. The Egyptians coloured food with saffron, while the Romans added alum
(potassium aluminum sulfate) to whiten it. Interestingly, in the 19th century, bakers in England used alum
to make bread whiter and bulkier. The Indians used spices (curries) in food preservation and traded in the
same with other continents, thus resulting in the renowned inbound caravans from Europe. Salting was so
effective and highly valued to the extent of being applied as ‘payment/wages’ among the Romans.
Actually, the word ‘salary’ bears its etymology (Roman, ‘sal’) form this practice. The deliberate use of
salt to preserve fish and meat, through dehydration was commonly used in diverse cultures. Traditional
methods for food preservation include pickling with vinegar, salting, smoking, sugaring and
alcoholization.

High Potassium Bromate Levels in Bread Brands marketed in Mwanza and Kagera regions of Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study

Rosemary Magoiga — 2025-02-28

Bread production often involves the addition of potassium bromate to enhance
product quality. The study analyzed potassium bromate levels in bread brands
from Mwanza and Kagera regions, Tanzania. This analysis was conducted due to
the carcinogenic risks associated with potassium bromate when it exceeds the
US-FDA's permissible concentration of 0.02 mg/kg. Twenty-one bread samples
were randomly collected from the study areas and analyzed for potassium
bromate content using David Pearson’s qualitative and quantitative methods at
the Tanzania Bureau of Standards laboratories. The results obtained showed
that all samples contained potassium bromate, with concentrations ranging from
1.02 - 4.85 μg/g, which is significantly above the permissible limit. Consequently,
all brands tested are unsafe for human consumption due to excessive bromate
levels. This indicates a significant public health risk and underscores the need for
stricter regulatory enforcement to ensure adherence to food safety standards.

Quality Evaluation of Oxytetracycline Injection and Water Soluble Powder Veterinary Products Marketed in Nairobi City, Kenya

Shakina Y Otieno — 2025-02-28

The antibiotic oxytetracycline is extensively applied in veterinary medicine in
diverse formulations including injectable solution, water soluble powder and
wound sprays. The drug is liable to degradation during processing and shelf life,
which may compromise its quality attributes. A survey on the quality of
oxytetracycline injection and water soluble powder products available in
agroveterinary (agrovet) and pharmacy stores in Nairobi city, Kenya was
carried out. Thirteen injectable and 11 water soluble powder samples were
subjected to British Pharmacopoeia and United States Pharmacopeia quality
specifications. Whereas all the injections complied with assay specifications, only
three complied with colour of solution and none complied with pH specification.
Furthermore, all water soluble powder samples failed the pH test, while two did
not comply with assay specifications. The results obtained demonstrate the
existence of substandard oxytetracycline products in the study area. Proper
adherence to good manufacturing and distribution practices as well as post
market surveillance studies are required to ensure optimal quality of veterinary
drugs in the market.

Isolation and Antioxidant Activity of Harmalol from Grewia villosa Willd. Stem and Root Bark

Julia Kimondo — 2025-03-01

Grewia villosa Willd. is a deciduous shrub found in arid parts of Kenya and used as both food and medicine. The study aimed to isolate compounds present in Grewia villosa stem and root bark extract and assess their antioxidant activity. Grewia villosa stem and root bark were collected from Loitokitok, Kajiado County, Kenya. They were dried in the shade, pulverized to fine powder, and extracted in methanol/dichloromethane 1:1 mixture for 72 h. The solvent was removed by rotary evaporation. The crude extract was subjected to column chromatography over silica gel to obtain one pure compound. Analysis by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy identified the isolated pure compound as 1-methyl-4,9-dihydro-3H-β-carbolin-7-ol (harmalol). Antioxidant activity was performed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) standard protocol. Harmalol displayed significant antioxidant activity (115.22 µg/ml) comparable to that of the methanol extract. This compound was previously isolated from the root of G. villosa but was not fully characterized spectroscopically. This study is the first report of NMR characterization of harmalol.

Determinants of non-Adherence among Tuberculosis Patients on Treatment at Mbagathi County Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

Jackline M Kathomi — 2025-03-01

Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of mortality globally. Non-adherence leads
to development of drug resistance, treatment failure and relapse, increased
transmission of the bacilli and prolonged morbidity and mortality. A cross-sectional
study with a sample of 138 participants, selected by simple random sampling,
interviewed using a structured questionnaire was implemented. Telephone
interviews on patients who were identified as lost to follow up was conducted. Data
was populated in an Excel sheet and analyzed descriptively and inferentially via
logistic regression using Stata version 13 software. A total of 137 tuberculosis
patients was enrolled, two thirds of whom were males, with a median age of 32 (IQR
25,42). The prevalence of non-adherence was 7.30% (n=10). Medication complexity
(aOR 14.67, 95% CI 2.44-88.07, p =0.003) and forgetting to take medications (aOR
9.11, 95% CI 1.16-71.54, p =0.036) were the main determinants associated with nonadherence.
Attention should be devoted to these factors by finding means to help
patients remember to take their medications and adopting fixed dose combinations
and pill organizers to reduce medication complexity.