Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences

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    Open Access
    16S rrna gene sequencing:a practical approach to conferring the identity of food borne bacteria
    (2019-08-12) Chukwu, E.E.; Nwaokorie, F.O.; Coker, A.O.; Avila-campos, M.J.; Ogunsola, F.T.
    One of the main challenges for clinical practice and public health surveillance is rapid and accurate identification of food borne pathogens. In Nigeria, the use of sophisticated molecular tools for foodborne pathogens detection has not been extensively adopted. Bacterial strains isolated from food products sold in Lagos, Nigeria, were subjected to phenotypic techniques and 16S rRNA gene sequencing for specie level identification. Bacterial identification was performed using colonial morphology, Gram staining, conventional biochemical tests, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The pairwise sequence similarities between all the bacterial species with official names were analysed. Out of the 30 bacterial strains isolated and sequenced, 29 (96.7%) strains had nucleotide identity to known bacterial species in the GenBank. One (3.3%) sequence contained a large number of undetermined nucleotides and was not associated with specific strain identification. This technique was efficient showing 96.6% of the isolates being identified to the genus level and 93.1% being identified to the species level. The strains that were not identified due to low similarity levels were assigned phylogenetic positions, suggesting that they may belong to new taxa. This study demonstrates that 16S rDNA sequence analysis is more accurate and objective for identification of foodborne pathogens and also offers the possibility of rapidly recognizing yet undescribed taxa.
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    Open Access
    Adhesion molecules and rejection of renal allografts
    (Kidney international, 1997) Solez, K; Racusen, LC; Abdulkareem, FB; Kemeny, E; Willebrand, EV; Truong, L D
    Adhesion molecules and rejection of renal allografts. Despite an increasing amount of immunohistochemical and molecular biology data relating to the pathogenesis of kidney transplant rejection, the pathological diagnosis of this condition still rests on routine light microscopy. The detection of changes in expression and distribution of adhesion molecules in renal allograft biopsies may open a new era of increased accuracy of rejection diagnosis. Of the various adhesion molecule reactivities, peritubular capillary VCAM-1 staining appears to be the most specific rinding for chronic rejection. This same staining reaction is seen in acute rejection, but may have less specificity in that setting.
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    Open Access
    Adult Lymphomas in Lagos Nigeria: A Fourteen Year Study
    (Nigerian Quarterly Hospital of Medicine, 2007) Anunobi, C C; Banjo, A A F; Abdulkareem, FB; Daramola, A O; Akinde, R O; Abudu, E K
    Objective: we present a 14 year retrospective histopathological study of 92 cases of adult lymphomas in Lagos. The aim is to document the histologic types, age and sex distribution. Materials and method: The materials consisted of slides and paraffin embedded blocks of all cases of lymphoma in adults above the age of 16 years seen between 1991 and 2004 at the Morbid Anatomy Department of Lagos University Teaching Hospital Idi-Araba Lagos. Results: Of ninety two cases of lymphoma studied, male and female patients accounted for 59(64%) and 33(36%) cases respectively, giving a M: F ratio of 1.8:1. The most frequently biopsied site is the cervical lymph node. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) which accounted for 60 cases occurred most frequently in the 46-55 years age group and gives a male: female ratio of 2:1. Intermediate grade, high grade and low grade variants of NHLs accounted for 39%, 34% and 27% respectively. Hodgkin's lymphoma mostly affected patients of younger age group, 25-35 years with a M:F ratio of 1.7:1. Mixed cellularity 17 (55%) was the commonest subtype of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Conclusion: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is commoner than Hodgkin's lymphoma. The age and sex distribution agrees with reports from other parts of Nigeria and Africa with minimal variations.
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    Open Access
    Aetiology and risk factors for neonatal sepsis at the lagos university teaching hospital, idi-araba, Lagos, nigeria
    (2016-09) Shobowale, E.O.; Ogunsola, F.T.; Oduyebo, O.O.; Ezeaka, V.I.
    Background. Neonatal sepsis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, accounting for a large proportion of neonatal deaths annually. Every year, 4 million neonates die, and one-third of these deaths is attributed directly to neonatal sepsis. Objectives. To determine the prevalence of neonatal sepsis, characterise and identify causative organisms and identify possible risk factors. Specific objectives were to determine the aetiological agents responsible for neonatal sepsis at Lagos University Teaching Hospital and also to identify the risk factors responsible for the development of neonatal sepsis. Methods. Venous blood pairs were collected from clinically septic admitted neonates and inoculated into BACTEC Peds Plus (BD, USA) bottles aerobically in the BACTEC 9050 system. Organisms were identified using the Microbact 12A/E system and biochemicals. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data for risk factors, which were analysed with the SPSS version 17. Results. Of 250 neonates who were sampled, 85 (34%) had pathogens recovered from their bloodstream, with Klebsiella pneumoniae the predominant organism. Risk factors for sepsis were being delivered outside the hospital (p=0.01), and by frequent changes in antibiotics (p=0.00). Conclusion. The burden of neonatal sepsis is still high in our environment as evidenced by our isolation rate of 34%. A concerted effort needs to be made to reduce this.
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    Open Access
    Aetiology of bacteraemia among adult aids patients attending lagos university teaching hospital (luth), lagos, nigeria
    (2009-09-03) Ogunsola, F.T.; Arewa, D.G.; Akinsete, I.E.; Oduyebo, O.O.; Akanmu, A.S.; Odugbemi, T.O.
    Background: Bacteraemia is a relatively common event in HIV-infected patients, especially in late infection. Studies in Africa have shown that more than 23% of AIDS patients have bacteraemia but there is paucity of data from Nigeria. Methods: Blood samples from 67 consecutive patients with A/OS attending the Lagos University Teaching Hospitafbetween April and August 2000 were cultured. Temperature, ESR, Full blood count, and where possible C04 counts were obtained. Socio-demographic details were also recorded. Thirty apparently healthy people were randomly selected from a low-risk population to act as non-AIDS controls. The Oxoid Signal Blood Culture System was used to investigate bacteraemia. Antibiotic sensitivity tests were carried out on all isolates. Results: Twenty-two (33%) of the 67 AIDS patients were culture positive. Nontyphoidal Salmonella spp (45.5%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (22. 7%) and Staphylococcus aureus (18.2%) were most commonly isolated. One isolate each of Klebsie/la pneumoniae, Pseudomonas eeruqtnose and Bacillus spp were identified. All bacteraemic patients had temperatures above 3B°C and white blood cell counts ranged between 2, 700 - 13, 500/mm'. There was a high rate of antibiotic resistance particularly to ch/oramphenicol, tetracyclines, cotrimoxazole and blactam antibiotics. However, most isolates were still susceptible to gentamicin and the fluoroquinolones. There was no significant difference in the socio-demographics of the bacteraemic AIDS and non-bacteraemic AIDS patients. Conclusion: Salmonella spp. were the most common aetiological agent of bacteraemia among AIDS patients seen at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Niqerie. A high temperature was a pointer to the presence of bactaeraemia while total white blood cell counts were not useful. It is recommended that blood culture should be done for AIDS patients with elevated temperature irrespective of the total white blood cell count.
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    Open Access
    Aetiology of catheter-associated bacteriuria in Lagos University Teaching Hospital
    (2005) Okafor, U.E.; Ogunsola, F.T.; Osinupebi, O.A.
    A prospective study to determine the causative agents of catheter-related bacteriuria ivas carried out on 99 patients with median age of 55 years, on admission in the Oncology, Pediatric S111ge1y and Obstetric and Gynecology wards of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. There was significant bacteriuria in seventy-one (72%) of the 99 urine samples. All catheter urine samples were contaminated by day 5 Gram-negative bacilli were predominant (89.3%) of which Pseudomonas aeruginosa (26.2%) was the most common, while Escherichia coli and Enterobacter aerogenes accounted for 15.5% each, closely followed by Proteus ,nirabilis (14.3%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.5%). The Gram positive isolates Enterococcus faecal is (8.3%) and Staphylococcus saprophyticus (2.4%) made up only 10.7% of isolates. Most of the isolates front catheterised patients were resistant lo the common antibiotics such as ampiciltin, cotrimoxazole, gentamicin and ceftriaxone with high susceptibility to ojloxacin and ceftazidime though the isolates of Enterococcus faecalis 1vas also resistant to ofloxacin. However; isolates of S. saprophyticus 111ere still susceptible to the penicillins and tetracycline.
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    Open Access
    Airborne pollen records of Shomolu local government area in Lagos State
    (AcademicPres, 2014-12-08) Adeniyi, Tiwalade A.; Adeonipekun, Peter A.; Olowokudejo, James D.; Akande, Idowu S.
    Data on the prevalence of pollen in the atmosphere is limited and almost non-existent for Lagos State and Nigeria. Pollen grains are known to be highly allergenic and thus they are potential causes of respiratory diseases. To investigate airborne incidence of pollen, so as to construct a pollen calendar and contribute to current trends in the development of aeropalynology/allergy study in Nigeria, three highly populated locations in Shomolu Local Government areas of Lagos State: University of Lagos, Bariga and Gbagada, were sampled. Aero-samplers were harvested monthly from January 2013 to December 2013. After acetolysis treatment and analysis, the total pollen count was 4393, belonging to 38 pollen taxa and 29 families. The main taxa include Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Amaranthaceae, Ludwigia and Alchornea. Monthly pollen counts were highest in October and lowest in June. Almost three-quarters of the total pollen content came from grasses and weeds. This composition reflects the ornamental and grassland flora of the town, as well as the natural vegetation surrounding the urban area. The total pollen concentration correlates positively with the temperature and negatively with the wind, rainfall and relative humidity, which was similar in the dominant taxa Amaranthaceae and Alchornea. Dominant taxa Cyperaceae and Ludwigia have significant positive correlation with wheezing cough. Results from this work will form the basis for a forecast service required to inform and educate the general public and allergy sufferers about pollen distribution in Lagos State.
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    Open Access
    Allergenicity of dominant aeropollen in Nigeria: Part I
    (Current Allergy & Clinical Immunology, 2017-10) Adeniyi, Tiwalade Adeyemi; Adeonipekun, Peter Adegbenga; Olowokudejo, James Dele; Akande, Idowu
    Several pollen grains have been studied in detail for purification and characterisation of allergenic components in the advanced countries; however, many are yet to be studied in the tropics, including Nigeria. To close this gap, four pollen grains (Poaceae – Cynodon dactylon, Panicum maximum; Cyperaceae – Cyperus rotundus and Mariscus alternifolius) found dominant in the air from previous aeropalynological studies in Nigeria were selected. The pollen grains were harvested from fresh anthers and their proteins were extracted, quantified, separated and subjected to Western-blot analysis. The allergenic proteins were also identified. While C. dactylon had the highest protein content (17.09 mg/mL), M. alternifolius had the lowest (11.19 mg/mL). Western-blot analysis showed that individuals were most susceptible to the 35 kDa protein of C. dactylon (76%). Furthermore, only C. dactylon proteins of 14.5 kDa and 35 kDa were identified with their exact matches in the ProFound database (Cyn d 12 and Cyn d 1 respectively), whereas the peptide sequences of eight protein bands were newly added to the database. Of these, the Profilin protein group (14 kDa) is common to all studied pollen grains – an indication of veritable immunotherapeutic potential. This study is the first in Nigeria to record allergenic proteins in these pollen grains and to create a foundation for the development of immunotherapy drugs for allergy treatment in the country
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    Open Access
    Analyses of antisickling potency of Carica papaya dried leaf extract and fractions
    (Academic Journals, 2010-11) Imaga, Ngozi Awa; Adepoju, Olusegun A.
    Carica papaya dried leaves have been indicated in sickle cell anemia management by local indigenous folk and in recent scientific research. In this research, dried C. papaya leaves were extracted using the soxhlet extraction method with 5 different solvents to give five different fractions namely hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water. This research examined the crude extract and the various leaf extract fractions of C. papaya L. (Caricaceae) for possible in vitro antisickling activities on Hbss red blood cells obtained from non-crisis state sickle cell patients involving the use of positive (phydroxybenzoic acid 5 mg /ml) and negative (normal saline) controls for the antisickling experiments. Pretreatment of SS cell suspensions with C. papaya leaf extract and fractions all inhibited formation of sickle cells under severe hypoxia at varying degrees, with only 0 - 5% sickle cells in the crude extract at 60 min compared with untreated SS cell suspensions which had over 80% sickle cells. Analysis of two different concentrations of C. papaya crude extract (10 and 5 mg/ml) showed the 10 mg/ml extract as the concentration with highest antisickling effect. Butanol extract showed the highest antisickling activity at 10 mg/ml concentration, while the ethyl acetate extract had the highest antisickling activity at 5 mg/ml concentration. These results further indicate the possibility of C. papaya leaf extract as potential phytotherapy for sickle cell anemia.
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    Open Access
    ANALYSES OF THE EFFECTS OF SWEDISH BITTERS ON SELECTED METABOLIC PROFILES
    (Moksha Publishing House, 2013) Imaga, Ngozi Awa; Valentine, Oluwaseun James
    Swedish Bitters® is a traditional herbal tonic that has detoxification potential and has been claimed to contribute to weight loss and normal functioning of body organs. In this study Swedish Bitters was analyzed for its phytochemical, proximate and antioxidant constituents as well as a measurement of the effects of daily administration of 3.5 ml of the extract to rats for three weeks on tissues and organs of rats in vivo. The presence of Phenol and Tannins at levels of 418.61 and 817.27 μg GAE / mg respectively were obtained. The antioxidant assay of the extract showed that it had its highest level of DPPH radical scavenging activity (22.6 %) at 100 % and total reducing antioxidant power was highest (0.87) at 25 %. The proximate analysis of the extract showed that the moisture content was the highest at 80 %. There was a noted reduction in blood cholesterol levels and an increase in the level of triglycerides relative to the control. The antioxidant enzyme assays which were carried out on the sera of the rats showed that there was a reduction in the levels of SOD and CAT in the test group compared to the control. There was also a slight decrease in the level of GSH in the test group compared to the control, while the level of MDA in the test group increased when compared with the control which suggests increased levels of lipid peroxidation. However these results were not statistically significant. The results obtained from the liver function tests did not suggest any form of damage caused by the administration. There was also no statistical difference in the blood glucose levels of the treated rats relative to the control. From the study, it can be concluded that short-term administration of Swedish bitters had no marked end-organ damage, but rather helped reduce the level of cholesterol in vivo.
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    Open Access
    Angiotensin receptor blockade with Losartan attenuates pressor response to handgrip contraction and enhances natriuresis in salt loaded hypertensive subjects: a quasi-experimental study among Nigerian adults
    (2019) Agbaraolorunpo, F.M.; Sofola, O.A.; Anigbogu, C.N.; Azinge, E.C.
    Introduction: sympathetic and Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone systems play crucial roles in blood pressure response to increased salt intake. This study investigated the effects of angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) and sympathetic excitation on the responses of blood pressure (BP) and peripheral vascular resistance (PVR) in salt loaded normotensive (NT) and hypertensive (HT) Nigerian subjects. Methods: 16 NT and 14 HT participants, that were age-matched [39.9 ± 1.3 vs 44.1±2.1yrs (P= 0.10)], underwent 5 days each of oral administration of 200mmol NaCl, and 200mmol NaCl + 50mg Losartan, preceded by a baseline control condition. BP and PVR responses to 30% Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) of handgrip (HG) for one minute were determined at baseline, after salt load and after salt + Losartan. Data were presented as Mean ± SEM, and analyzed with two-way ANOVA and paired t-test, with P<0.05 accepted as significant. Results: BP and PVR were significantly increased by HG at baseline, after salt load and after salt + Losartan in NT and HT. Salt load augmented the HG-induced SBP (P=0.04) and MABP responses (P=0.02) in HT. While Losartan attenuated the HG- induced Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) response (P=0.007) and DBP response (P=0.003) in HT and NT respectively after salt + Losartan. HG-induced PVR response was significantly accentuated after salt load in HT (P=0.005), but it was not significant in NT (P=0.38). Conclusion: the implication of our finding is that angiotensin II receptor blockade possibly attenuates salt-induced sympathetic nerve excitation in black hypertensive patients.
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    Open Access
    Anthropometric, Socio-demographic and biochemical risk factors of hypertension in Lagos, Nigeria
    (Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group, 2021-01-20) EBUEHI, O.A.T.
    Background: Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and all cause death globally and in Africa. The prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria is 28.9%. In Nigeria, analytical studies to determine risk factors and potential biomarkers of hypertension are lacking. This study was conducted to determine lifestyle, anthropometric, socio demographic, and biochemical risk factors associated with hypertension in Lagos, Nigeria. Method: This case–control study was conducted among 410 participants, aged 18–65 years. A well-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from cases and controls. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were taken. Blood samples were also collected for biochemical analysis. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine risk factors associated with hypertension. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: In total, 205 hypertensive cases and 205 normotensive controls were recruited. The mean ± SD age of the participants was 39.25 ± 11.49 years. Overall, 180 (44%) of participants were female. Logistic regression analysis indicated that obesity (OR = 3.324, 95% CI = 1.693–6.527, P= 0.000), family history (OR = 2.861, 95% CI = 1.731–4.729, P= 0.000), hypercholesterolemia (OR = 2.940, 95% CI = 1.577–5.480, P= 0.001), insufficient fruits and vegetables intake (OR = 0.152, 95% CI = 0.085–0.273, P= 0.000), frequent intake of dietary salt (OR = 0.400, 95% CI = 0.198–0.810, P= 0.011), and smoking status (OR = 3.709, 95% CI = 1.061–12.964, P= 0.040) were significantly associated with hypertension. Conclusion: Population-based approaches to reduce exposure to hypertension risk factors are required for effective prevention and control of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases in Lagos, Nigeria.
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    Open Access
    Anti-fertility effect of calcium channel blockers on male rats: association with oxidative stress.
    (2011) Morakinyo, AO; Iranloye, BO; Daramola, AO; Adegoke, OA
    Purpose: Calcium ions are vital in many biologic processes including a variety of enzymatic reactions, activation of excitable cells, coupling of electrical activation to cellular secretion, haemostasis, bone metabolism and sperm functions. Calcium channel blockers (CCB) appear to have a reversible anti-fertility effect on male rats which does not occur through inhibition of the pituitary-gonadal axis. While the effects of CCB on male reproductive function have been investigated, less information is available regarding other reproductive indices and the underlying mechanism in the pathogenesis of male reproductive dysfunction. Therefore, the involvement of oxidative mechanisms in the adverse manifestation induced by CCB on male reproductive functions is investigated in this study. Methods: For this purpose, lipid peroxidation; enzymatic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione reduced; epididymal sperm count, motility; histopathology of the testes, epididymis, seminal vesicle, prostate glands; and reproductive performance were determined. Results: CCB administration in rats causes significant oxidative stress in the male reproductive milieu in term of increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) level and a concomitant decrease in catalase, superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione enzyme activities in the testes. In addition, CCB treatment significantly decreased the sperm count, sperm motility, fertility index, implantation count, and litter size in this study. Conclusion: There is substantial evidence that CCB induces significant oxidative stress in the testes, which appears to be responsible for the adverse effects of decreased sperm count and motility ultimately leading to reduced fertility in rats.
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    Open Access
    Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of rhizozome extract of Zingeber Officinale.
    (African. J. Biomedical Research., 2002) Raji Y., Udoh U.S., Oluwadara O.O., Akinsomisoye O.S., Awobajo O., Adeshoga K.
    The rhizome extract of Zingiber officinale was investigated for anti inflammatory and analgesic properties in albino rats and Swiss mice respectively. The extract (50 and 100 mg/kg b.w) produced significantly (P<0.05) inhibition of the carrageenan – induced rat paw oedema and a reduction in the number of writhing induced by acetic acid in mice. The results show that rhizome extract of Z.officinale possesses anti inflammatory and analgesic agent(s).
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    Open Access
    Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of rhizozome extract of Zingeber Officinale.
    (African. J. Biomedical Research., 2002) Raji Y., Udoh U.S., Oluwadara O.O., Akinsomisoye O.S., Awobajo O., Adeshoga K.
    The rhizome extract of Zingiber officinale was investigated for anti inflammatory and analgesic properties in albino rats and Swiss mice respectively. The extract (50 and 100 mg/kg b.w) produced significantly (P<0.05) inhibition of the carrageenan – induced rat paw oedema and a reduction in the number of writhing induced by acetic acid in mice. The results show that rhizome extract of Z.officinale possesses anti inflammatory and analgesic agent(s).
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    Open Access
    ANTI-PROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS AND ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF BRYOPHYLLUM PINNATUM WHOLE PLANT ON SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE
    (Journal of Industrial Research and Technology, 2016) Lawal, R.A.; Onawola, O.O.; Agunbiade, O.T.; Adefisan, I.O.; Badmus, I.A.; Ebuehi, O.A.T.
    Plants derived natural products are the source of most active components of medications, which in turn play a significant role in the treatment or prevention of human illnesses. Tropical plants have been investigated intensively during the last decades in order to evaluate the possibility of developing new, sustainable, natural and affordable drugs that can play a significant role in the treatment or prevention of human illnesses. Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken, is an erect, succulent, perennial shrub that has been reported to have a lot of medicinal properties including antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-tumor. The aim of this study was to determine the anti¬ proliferative potential of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Bryophyllum pinnatum using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) model. The concentration range tested (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, lOmg/ml), for the aqueous extract of Bryophyllum pinnatum exhibited strong anti-proliferative activity with a percentage inhibition of 73.12% at lOmg/ml following 24 hours of incubation. This value was compared to value obtained from the percentage inhibition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the control drug, Methotrexate at 125pg/ml(86.7%). Thefindings suggest that aqueous extract of Bryophyllum pinnatum has high anti-proliferative potential and maybe a good source for the production of drugs with strong anti-proliferative potential.
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    Open Access
    Anticlastogenic Properties of Methanolic Extract of Cnestis ferruginea Leaves
    (Faculty of Applied Sciences, LAUTECH, 2006) Badmus, J. A.; Odunola, O. A.; Ola-Davies, O. E.; Adisa, R. A.
    The inhibitory activity of methanolic extract of Cnestis ferruginea was investigated in bone marrow cells of mice using micronucleus assay. The mice were fed with the extracts of two different concentrations (100 and 200mg/kg body weight) while control mice were fed with corn oil for six days ad libitum. On the seventh day the mice were administered a single dose of sodium arsenite (2.5mg/kg) and sacrificed after 24hrs. Bone marrow smear were prepared for observation of clastogenic effect. Results show micronuclei formation in the polychromatic erythrocyte (PCEs) in the Sodium arsenite treated mice. Clastogenecity induced by sodium arsenite was significantly reduced in mice pretreated with the extract at 100mg/kg body weight while more significant reduction was noted at 200mg/kg body weight. The result indicates a dose dependent relationship of the inhibitory activity of the extract against sodium arsenite induced clastogenecity.
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    Open Access
    Antidepressant Activity of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Annona muricata L., in Sprague-Dawley Rats
    (American Journal of Biochemistry, 2017-07-01) EBUEHI, O.A.T.
    Background: Annona muricata L. is a plant renowned for several therapeutic folklore uses, in many Caribbean communities where as revealed in literature the leaves, bark and roots are made into tea for calming effects as sedative, heart tonic and hypertensive medication. In Nigeria, these potential health benefits are untapped since A. muricata is classified as an under-utilized plant. The present study determined the antidepressant and behavioral properties of the Nigerian grown Annona muricata in Sprague-Dawley rats using the open field test and forced swim test. Methods: Rats were administered A. muricata leaf extract (50, 150 and 300mg/kg) alone, as well as in combination with imipramine or sertraline (10mg/kg) for 14days. Results: The extract was found to reduce the explorative tendencies of the rats in the open field test. In the forced swim test the extract caused a significant reduction in immobility time and increased swimming time. Combination of the extracts with imipramine or sertraline further decreased the explorative tendencies at 150mg/kg concentration and the immobility time at 150 and 300mg/kg. Conclusion: The results obtained proposed a sedative and antidepressant-like effect of ethanol extract of A. muricata, confirming the ethnomedicinal use of the ethanol leaf extract of A. muricata for the management of depression.
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    Open Access
    Antidepressant Activity of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Annona muricata L., in Sprague-Dawley Rats
    (Scientific & Academic Publishing, 2017) Bikomo, E.O.; Magbagbeola, O.A.; Ebuehi, O.A.
    Background: Annona muricata L. is a plant renowned for several therapeutic folklore uses, in many Caribbean communities where as revealed in literature the leaves, bark and roots are made into tea for calming effects as sedative, heart tonic and hypertensive medication. In Nigeria, these potential health benefits are untapped since A. muricata is classified as an under-utilized plant. The present study determined the antidepressant and behavioral properties of the Nigerian grown Annona muricata in Sprague-Dawley rats using the open field test and forced swim test. Methods: Rats were administered A. muricata leaf extract (50, 150 and 300mg/kg) alone, as well as in combination with imipramine or sertraline (10mg/kg) for 14days. Results: The extract was found to reduce the explorative tendencies of the rats in the open field test. In the forced swim test the extract caused a significant reduction in immobility time and increased swimming time. Combination of the extracts with imipramine or sertraline further decreased the explorative tendencies at 150mg/kg concentration and the immobility time at 150 and 300mg/kg. Conclusion: The results obtained proposed a sedative and antidepressant-like effect of ethanol extract of A. muricata, confirming the ethnomedicinal use of the ethanol leaf extract of A. muricata for the management of depression.
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    Open Access
    Antidiabetic and Hypolipidemic Implications of Oolong Tea (Camellia sinensis extract)
    (Asian Journal of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 2013) Imaga, Ngozi Awa; Hunga, Seyon
    Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea known for its high antioxidant content and its purported use in managing several conditions such as obesity, diabetes and ageing. In this study oolong tea was analysed for its phytochemical composition, nutrient composition, antioxidant properties and its effect on selected rat organs and tissues. The extract was found to contain several phytochemicals with phenol (157.84 μg GAE/mg), flavonoids (158.15 μg GAE/mg) and tannins (343.3 μg GAE/mg) present in high concentration. The result of proximate analysis showed that most of the oolong tea is crude fibre (45%) with very low moisture content (4%). Antioxidant enzyme assay showed high level of total antioxidant activity and DPPH free radical scavenging activity with the highest activity at 25% concentration in both. Daily administration of extract to rats led to a decrease in the lipid profile of the test rats relative to control; also there was decrease in the glucose level of test rats relative to control. In vivo antioxidant enzyme assay showed a lower level of the antioxidants, GSH, SOD and Catalase in the test rats compared to control with a higher level of MDA suggesting increased lipid peroxidation in test rats. Liver function test revealed a lower level of liver function enzymes in the test rats suggesting improved liver function in the test rats probably due to the effect of the antioxidants in the extract. In conclusion, the oolong was well tolerated in vivo and gave indications of possible use as a hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic agent.