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Microbial spoilage was monitored in 520 samples of dates in the rutab stage purchased from retail outlets in Al-Hofuf City, Saudi Arabia, and incubated in the laboratory under different conditions. No spoilage was observed in 130 samples incubated in open containers at 5 or 30 degrees C for up to 60 days. Spoilage occurred in 42 of 130 samples incubated in covered containers at 5 degrees C after about 80 days and was caused mainly by Penicillium spp. and Cladosporium spp. Mixed populations of lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and molds were mostly responsible for spoilage in about 10 to 14 days of the 130 samples incubated in covered containers at 30 degrees C. The dominant spoilage organisms under these conditions were Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, Lactobacillus fructivorans, Lactobacillus collinoides, Lactobacillus salivarius, Zygosaccharomyces mellis or Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, Candida sphaerica, Candida rugosa, Candida colliculosa, Candida pelliculosa, Candida famata, Pichia anomala, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium spp. Although some variations among date cultivars in susceptibility to microbial spoilage were observed, moisture content and storage temperature were the most critical factors affecting spoilage.

Background: Budd-chiari syndrome (BCS) is rare disorder, varied in etiology, inconsistent in presentation, unpredictable in progression, and challenging in therapy., Aim of Study: The aim of this study is to review experience of Budd-Chiari syndrome at KFSH, Riyadh; over a ten-year period., Methods: In a retrospective study using a computer data search of the medical records from May 1990 to May 2000, 43 patients' charts suspected of BCS were reviewed. 29 patients were found to have BCS, diagnosed by Doppler ultrasound, venography, MRI, or CT with or without liver biopsy., Findings: Of the 29 patients, 18 were male (62.1%) and I 1 were female (37.9%); mean age was 35.4 (range 17-69 years). Nine patients had Behcet's disease; seven patients had malignancy (five HCC, one melanoma and one hypernephroma). Eight patients had antiphospholipid syndrome, two patients had no known cause and three (one related to trauma, the other related to protein C deficiency and the third related nephrotic syndrome). Nineteen patients presented acutely with abdominal pain, progressive ascites and hepatomegaly. Ten patients had subacute presentation mimicking cirrhosis of liver. Five patients had web in the intrahepatic IVC or ostium HV and the remaining 24 patients had thrombosis of hepatic veins. Five patients received surgical shunts, three had balloon dilatation of webs, 11 had anticoagulant therapy and seven patients had symptomatic treatment. Eleven patients died, six of them had malignancy, two died while awaiting liver transplantation and three died with fulminant hepatic failure. Fourteen patients are still on follow-up., Conclusion: Budd Chiari syndrome in Saudi Arabia is related to a defined cause in majority of patients (92%). Behcet's disease is a dominant cause of BCS in Saudi Arabia. This is in contrast to world literature where around 50% of patients are of unknown etiology.

According to the results obtained, three steps in Gergoush fermentation were identified. Step one is the primary starter preparation and comprises a 12-15 h propagation of the natural thermotolerant bacterial flora of the legume ingredient of Gergoush using the legume and boiled milk as a propagation medium. This primary starter is then used in step two to inoculate a wheat flour dough to produce the adapted starter in a 1-2-h fermentation time. The adapted starter is finally used in step three to raise the main Gergoush dough. In all of the three steps of Gergoush fermentation, three genera of bacteria dominated. They were tentatively identified as lactic acid bacteria, Bacillus spp. and Clostridium spp. Their counts reached a maximum in the primary starter stage of 2.2 x 10(7), 2.8 x 10(8) and 7.3 x 10(7) CFU/g, respectively. These bacteria produced lactic, acetic and butyric acids. The concentrations of the acids were maximum in the primary starter and reached values of 0.6%, 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively, and the pH decreased from 6.1 to 4.1. Baked Gergoush has a pH of about 5 and contains about 59% starch, 16% protein, 18% fat, 6.5% water and 0.5% ash.

The microflora of a Sudanese sorghum flour, a spontaneously fermented sourdough and a long-term sourdough produced in a Sudanese household by consecutive re-inoculations, was studied. The dominant contaminants of sorghum flour were Gram-negative, catalase-positive, rod-shaped bacteria with counts of about 10(5) cfu g-1. The spontaneously fermented sorghum sourdough showed a bacterial succession from Gram-negative, catalase-positive contaminants to Enterococcus faecalis, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus fermentum and Lact. reuteri. The total bacterial count reached about 10(10) cfu g-1 and the pH dropped from 6.4 to 3.35 in about 42 h. In this phase, only the Latter two species remained dominant in a ratio of 1:1. From the Sudanese long-term dough, seven strains of Lactobacillus were isolated, representing the dominant flora. Sequence comparison of partial 16S rRNA gene sequences were used to clarify their phylogenetic positions. Five strains were classified as Lact. vaginalis and could be regarded as heterogeneous biovars of this species. The other two strains could be assigned to Lact. helveticus. RAPD-PCR and sugar fermentation patterns were useful in differentiation of these strains.