Uju—Umuthi Omnandi
ABANYE abacwaningi bezokwelapha bajabule ngamandla oju okubulala amagciwane nokubohlisa ukuvuvukala. Iphephandaba laseCanada i-Globe and Mail liyabika: “Ngokungefani nenqwaba yamaphilisi anamandla aye ahluleka ukubulala amagciwane amelana nemithi, uju luyakwazi ukunqanda amanye awo ezilondeni ezinamagciwane.”
Lunani uju elwenza lukwazi ukwelapha? Impendulo ihlobene nenyosi eyisisebenzi eqongelela umpe ezimbalini. Amathe ale nyosi ane-glucose-oxidase, i-enzyme eyinhloko egaya ushukela ompeni. Ngemva kwalokhu kugayeka, kuvela i-hydrogen peroxide, ngokuvamile esetshenziselwa ukuhlanza izilonda nokubulala amagciwane. Ngokuvamile, i-hydrogen peroxide ayihlali isikhathi eside uma ifakwe esilondeni; kodwa uma ixubene noju, iba nomphumela ohlukile. Umbiko we-Globe uthi: “Esilondeni, uju lumuncwa uketshezi lomzimba ngandlela-thile, futhi lokhu kunciphisa i-asidi equkethwe uju.” Le enzyme isebenza ngaphansi kwalesi simo esingenayo i-asidi eningi. Ushukela woju ugayeka kancane kancane ngobuningi. Le nqubo ikhipha i-hydrogen peroxide eningi ngokwanele ukubulala amagciwane kuyilapho ingazilimazi izicubu ezinempilo ezizungezile.
I-Globe ithi uju lunezici eziningi ezingenza isilonda sisheshe siphole. “Ungqimba oluncane loju lubangela umswakama ovikela isikhumba futhi unqande nokwakheka koqweqwe. Uju lukhuthaza ukukhula kwemithambo yegazi emisha futhi lushukumisa amangqamuzana akha isikhumba esisha ukuba akhule.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, izithako ezinqanda umoya eziqukethwe uju zinamakhemikhali “abohlisa ukuvuvukala, athuthukise ukujikeleza kwegazi futhi avimbele ‘ukubhibha’ kwesilonda.”
Lo mbiko uyaxwayisa: “Kodwa-ke, uju alubalungele bonke abantu.” Kulinganiselwa ukuthi cishe amaphesenti amahlanu oju aqukethe amagciwane e-botulin. Izinhlangano ezinjenge-Botulism Reference Service yoMnyango Wezempilo waseCanada kanye nezinhlangano zezifo zezingane zixwayisa ngokuthi izingane ezingaphansi konyaka ubudala akufanele ziphiwe uju ngoba “izinsana azinawo amasosha omzimba asemathunjini aqine ngokwanele ukuba azivikele kuleli gciwane.”