Evaluation of Terminalia macroptera (Combretaceae) Guill. & Perr stem bark extract incorporated into an emulgel for the potential management of rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease which causes inflammation and damage to the joint. The goals of treatment are to stop inflammation, relieve symptoms, improve physical function and overall well-being. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Terminalia macroptera stem bark (TMB) ethanol extract and formulate it into an herbal emulgel (TME) for the potential management of RA. Methods: Phytochemical analysis and anti-inflammatory activity of TMB were first evaluated using standard analytical methods and complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) induced arthritis model in rats respectively. Post-formulation, physical characterization of the carbopol 940 based herbal emulgels (TME) and the reduction in the induced rat paw sizes by the herbal emulgels were evaluated using diclofenac emulgel as the positive control. Results: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, saponins, and alkaloids. Inflammatory activity of the extract gave the highest percentage inhibition with TMB (50 mg/kg). The formulated herbal emulgels had good spreadability, extrudability, pH ranging from 4.5±0.2 to 6.9±0.4 and viscosity ranging from 0.36 ± 0.20 to 8.37 ± 0.65 Pas at 6 rpm and 0.26 ± 0.01 to 10.67±0.96 Pas at 12 rpm. TME emulgel significantly (p < 0.05) reduced oedema formation and arthritic index induced by complete Freund’s adjuvant in rats. TME showed dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity comparable with commercial diclofenac emulgel. Conclusion: TMB showed an excellent inhibitory activity on the induced paw of the tes

Serological Qualitative Diagnoses of Helicobacter pylori in Patients Accessing Care at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital Jos, Nigeria

The widespread Helicobacter pylori infection is a substantial global health problem affecting approximately 50% of the worldwide population, with 50% infection rates in developed countries and 80% in developing countries, mainly concentrating in resource-limited settings. The mode of transmission is through the faecal-oral route, contamination of food and water, where inadequate sanitation practices, low socioeconomic status and overcrowdedness seem to relate to the high prevalence of H. pylori infections. This study sought to serologically determine the prevalence of H. pylori and the disease-associated burden in patients accessing care in a Tertiary Hospital. This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital, North-Central Nigeria, for four months (September to December 2022). There, 551 blood specimens were collected from the patients into plain tubes and spun to obtain serum for the serological qualitative analysis. Out of the 551 screened specimens for H. pylori, 79% (n=437) were 58.4% reactive female and 41.6% male. Ages 15-49 had 62%, 50-70 yrs had 26.5%, and less than 14 yrs had 11.4% respectively. Furthermore, 64.3% of female patients presented with burning pains, nausea/vomiting, and trouble breathing.In comparison, 35.5% of the male counterparts presented symptoms of dyspepsia, and 32.1% had either taken one of the Nonsteroidal-inflammatory drugs. 86.7% of the suspected patients were hand washed after using the toilet, 83.3% had a loss of appetite, 55.4% reported alcohol intake and 35.9% smoked instead. 47.7% ate from mama-put, 30.1% from street-vended foods and 22.2% from classified restaurants, while 94.7% got their drinking water from sachet, bottled, borehole or tap, and well water, respectively.Serum antibody detection of H. pylori infection was higher in female than male patients accessing care at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos. This revealed that gender could be considered a potential risk factor. Thus, early risk identification factors, such as other transmission routes, are urgently needed in defining clinical and epidemiological characteristics to facilitate appropriate supportive care and prompt treatment

Poultry Manure Addition Affects Production, Plant Nutritional Status and Heavy Metals Accumulation in Green Amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus)

Poultry manure (PM) application may be critical as source of contaminants and may affect crop quality. Experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons to determine effects of PM on performance and quality of green amaranth including some minerals and heavy metals in soil and plant tissues. In both years, PM were applied at 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 t∙ha-1. Application of PM increased soil chemical properties, leaf mineral content, growth and marketable yield of green amaranth compared with the control. Soil pH, organic matter, N and P and leaf mineral N and P were increased up to 40 t ha-1 PM, but soil and leaf K, Ca, Mg, ash, protein, fiber contents were increased up to 20 t ha-1 PM. The lowest fat was observed at 20 t ha-1 PM. Dry matter declined as PM level increased. The PM influenced soil and leaf As, Cu and Zn, the abundance of heavy metals in soil and green amaranth leaf increased as level of PM increased. In soil and green amaranth leaves, levels of As, Cu and Zn as affected by PM did not exceed maximum permissible limits. The best green amaranth quality was obtained at 20 t ha-1 PM and may likely provides a good balance between yield and economic outlay. © 2019 Friends Science Publishers Keywords: Amaranthus hybridus; As; Cu; Leaf mineral content; Soil chemical properties; Z

Prevalence of antibodies to influenza viruses among handlers of live pigs at three locations in Ibadan, Nigeria

The authors investigated the prevalence of haemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibodies to four strains of influenza viruses among handlers of live pigs in Ibadan, Nigeria. Venous blood specimens were collected from thirty pig handlers (out of a total of forty-eight) at three locations in Ibadan in April and May 2008. The overall prevalence of antibodies to influenza viruses was 100%, while those of influenza A and B viruses were 68.3% and 58.3%, respectively. The prevalence of influenza A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1), A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2), B/Shanghai/361/2002-like and B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like was 46.7%, 90.0%, 76.7% and 40.0%, respectively. A total of 96.7% (n = 30) of pig handlers tested had polytypic influenza antibody reactions. This is the first report to document the prevalence of influenza antibodies among pig handlers in Nigeria and shows that humans who have regular and direct contact with live pigs in Ibadan are exposed to different strains of influenza viruses

Isolation of influenza A viruses from pigs in Ibadan, Nigeria

The authors investigated influenza virus types in pigs in Ibadan, a city in Oyo State, south-western Nigeria. From April to June 2008, nasal swabs were collected from pigs at three locations in Ibadan. Influenza A viruses (four A [H1N1], two A [H3N2] and one A [H1N1]-A [H3N2] double reactant) were isolated from 7 of the 50 apparently healthy Landrace pigs tested. This study is the first documented isolation of swine influenza viruses in Nigeria and it reveals that different strains of influenza viruses co-circulate in pigs in Ibadan. These pigs serve as reservoirs of different subtypes of influenza viruses and potential ‘mixing vessels’ in which genetic reassortment and the generation of future human pandemic strains could occur. These findings support the need for adequate and periodic surveillance among swine populations and pig handlers in Nigeria to detect circulating strains of influenza viruses. This would serve as an effective early warning system

Antibody levels against rabies among occupationally exposed individuals in a Nigerian University

The authors investigated the levels of anti-glycoprotein antibodies against rabies virus in the sera of occupationally exposed humans at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. A quantitative indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect rabies virus anti-glycoprotein antibodies in sera from 20 zoological garden workers, 20 veterinarians and 30 clinical veterinary students at the University of Ibadan. The sera were obtained between September 2008 and February 2009. Of these 70 healthy individuals, 29 (41.4%) consisting of 15 zoological garden workers (75.0%), 13 veterinarians (65.0%) and 1 veterinary student (3.3%) were immune to rabies virus (antibody titre >0.5 equivalent units per ml), while 41 (58.6%) were not immune. The prevalence of rabies anti-glycoprotein antibody was higher within the older segment of the study population than among the younger veterinary students. Almost all those who had spent at least 10 years on the job had higher levels of rabies vaccination compliance and were immune. Our results indicated that there is low anti-rabies immunity among occupationally exposed individuals at the University of Ibadan. There is a need for a complete course of primary and booster vaccinations of professionals exposed to the rabies virus. The impact of these results on rabies control in Nigeria is discussed

Evaluation of Terminalia macroptera (Combretaceae) Guill. &amp; Perr stem bark extract incorporated into an emulgel for the potential management of rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease which causes inflammation and damage to the joint. The goals of treatment are to stop inflammation, relieve symptoms, improve physical function and overall well-being. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Terminalia macroptera stem bark (TMB) ethanol extract and formulate it into an herbal emulgel (TME) for the potential management of RA. Methods: Phytochemical analysis and anti-inflammatory activity of TMB were first evaluated using standard analytical methods and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced arthritis model in rats respectively. Post-formulation, physical characterization of the carbopol 940 based herbal emulgels (TME) and the reduction in the induced rat paw sizes by the herbal emulgels were evaluated using diclofenac emulgel as the positive control. Results: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, saponins, and alkaloids. Inflammatory activity of the extract gave the highest percentage inhibition with TMB (50 mg/kg). The formulated herbal emulgels had good spreadability, extrudability, pH ranging from 4.5±0.2 to 6.9±0.4 and viscosity ranging from 0.36 ± 0.20 to 8.37 ±  0.65 Pas at 6 rpm and 0.26 ±  0.01 to 10.67±0.96 Pas at 12 rpm. TME emulgel significantly (p < 0.05) reduced oedema formation and arthritic index induced by complete Freund's adjuvant in rats. TME showed dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity comparable with commercial diclofenac emulgel. Conclusion: TMB showed an excellent inhibitory activity on the induced paw of the test animals which makes it a suitable candidate in a topical herbal emulgel formulation (TME) for the potential use in the management of RA

Local Perception of Drivers of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change Dynamics across Dedza District, Central Malawi Region

Research on Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) dynamics, and an understanding of the drivers responsible for these changes, are very crucial for modelling future LULC changes and the formulation of sustainable and robust land-management strategies and policy decisions. This study adopted a mixed method consisting of remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS)-based analysis, focus-group discussions, key informant interviews, and semi-structured interviews covering 586 households to assess LULC dynamics and associated LULC change drivers across the Dedza district, a central region of Malawi. GIS-based analysis of remotely sensed data revealed that barren land and built-up areas extensively increased at the expense of agricultural and forest land between 1991 and 2015. Analysis of the household-survey results revealed that the perceptions of respondents tended to validate the observed patterns during the remotely sensed data-analysis phase of the research, with 57.3% (n = 586) of the respondents reporting a decline in agricultural land use, and 87.4% (n = 586) observing a decline in forest areas in the district. Furthermore, firewood collection, charcoal production, population growth, and poverty were identified as the key drivers of these observed LULC changes in the study area. Undoubtedly, education has emerged as a significant factor influencing respondents&#8217; perceptions of these drivers of LULC changes. However, unsustainable LULC changes observed in this study have negative implications on rural livelihoods and natural-resource management. Owing to the critical role that LULC dynamics play to rural livelihoods and the ecosystem, this study recommends further research to establish the consequences of these changes. The present study and future research will support decision makers and planners in the design of tenable and coherent land-management strategies

Improving dog bite victim survey and estimation of annual human deaths due to suspected rabies cases in three selected Liberian cities and environs, 2008-2017.

Rabies remains a public health challenge of unknown magnitude in Liberia in spite of the goal of ensuring that no human in the country dies of rabies by 2030. The annual prevalence of Dog Bite Victims (DBVs) and true load of Annual Human Deaths (AHDs) due to rabies were not known. We investigated three selected cities of Liberia for annual prevalence of DBVs and true load of AHD due to suspected rabies, using 10-year retrospective record, 2008-2017 obtained from Buchanan, Gbarnga, and Voinjama, three socio-economically important cities in post-conflict Liberia. Data were sourced at County Reference Hospitals and at the Liberia National Institute of Health for these cities and their local environs. In addition, household questionnaire survey was used to identify and audit data quality for unreported DBVs, and treatment received from traditional caregivers. The proportion was used to audit the 10-year data on unreported DBVs in the cities. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize annual DBVs over the 10-year period in the three cities, respectively. A standardized clinical decision tree model was used to estimate AHDs due to suspected rabies. Based on questionnaire survey, 140/365, 148/375 and 146/350 DBVs did not visit any orthodox health facility in Buchanan, Gbarnga and Voinjama cities, respectively in 2014. An estimated total of 559 DBVs died of suspected rabies in the three cities and their environs during the 10-year period. Mean yearly prevalence of DBVs was 179±106.82, 393±257.85 and 76.9±38.11 per 100,000 population, while mean AHDs due to suspected rabies was 14.3±8.47, 35.5±23.25, and 6.1±3.21 per 100,000 population in Buchanan, Gbarnga, and Voinjama cities, respectively. The present findings provide annual prevalence of suspected rabies cases, corrected for under-reporting in three selected cities of Liberia. The findings would be useful in planning for stepwise actions towards rabies elimination, ensuring that no human dies of rabies in Liberia by 2030