Toxicity potentials and novelty-induced behavior effects of JEDDY decoction

JEDDY decoction, a plant medicine, is prepared by the “Village Chemist” of Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria for the treatment of hemorrhoids, pile, flatulence, abdominal distention, indigestion and colic. It is a popular OTC herbal medicine, available in Nigeria especially in the South-west. Hence, the main objective of the research was to carry out scientific studies on its toxicity potentials as well as possible central effects. Twenty four albino rats of both sexes were obtained and divided into four groups (n=6 per group) for the administration of three dose levels of JEDDY decoction and the vehicle. In sub-chronic toxicity test, JEDDY decoction was  administered orally to rats at daily doses of 334, 667 and 1334  ìl/kg/day/30 days. Generally, their behavioral, mortality, biochemical and histopathological outcomes were evaluated. Noveltyinduced behavior (NIB) was observed on both day 1 and day 30 of administration of JEDDY  decoction and the vehicle. The animals were sacrificed on day 30 after the NIB scoring and blood sample was obtained for biochemical assays for triglycerides, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate  aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) using the serum. These biochemical assays were also carried out on the liver obtained from rats treated with both JEDDY decoction and the vehicle, respectively. ANOVA, followed by Post hoc analysis using student Newman Keuls test was used in establishing significant levels for all the data obtained statistically. The sub-chronic administration of JEDDY decoction revealed a  dose-dependent decrease in the body weight of the treated groups but the percentage change was statistically not significant when compared with the control. The sub-chronic administration at all the three dose levels revealed no significant effect on locomotion and rearing activities when compared with the control. Acute administration of JEDDY decoction at the three dose levels (344, 667 and 1334 ìl/kg/30 days, p.o.) also revealed no significant effects on locomotion activities when compared with the control but the ANOVA revealed that there was a significant decrease in grooming activities at the dose of 667 ìl/kg only when compared with the control. Biochemical analysis showed that there was a significant decrease on triglyceride and cholesterol level due to JEDDY decoction administration when compared with the control. Furthermore, biochemical analysis showed that sub-chronic administration of JEDDY decoction caused no significant effect on ALT, AST and ALP in rats when compared with the control. Thus, oral acute and sub-chronic administration of JEDDY decoction had no significant potential toxicity effect in rats.Keywords: JEDDY decoction, herbal, toxicity, grooming, behavior

Trends in vaginal hysterectomy in a Nigerian teaching hospital: A 14-year review

Background: The procedure of vaginal hysterectomy is a fast disappearing art. This study looks at 14 years’ experience of vaginal hysterectomy in Ile‑Ife, Nigeria.Objectives: To determine and compare the rate, indications, and complications of vaginal hysterectomy over a 14-year period at Ile‑Ife, Nigeria.Methods: The medical records of patients managed with vaginal hysterectomies performed from 1st January 2005 to 31st December 2018 were reviewed. The demographics and indications for vaginal hysterectomy were extracted. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Service Solutions – IBM version 22. Frequencies and percentages were calculated and associations compared where applicable using Chi‑square with level of significance set at <0.05.Results: Pelvic organ prolapse accounted for 0.8% of gynecological admissions and vaginal hysterectomy accounted for 2.3% of major  gynaecological operations. The mean age was 66.1 ± 9.2 years with a mean age of menopause of 15.2 ± 7.1 years. The mean parity was 6.2 ± 1.6. Pelvic organ prolapse was the commonest indication. The mean blood loss at surgery was 314.2 ± 184.8 ml. The modal post‑operative complication was post‑operative anemia, and hypertension was the commonest comorbidity. The mean duration of surgery was 3 ± 0.9 h and the mean duration of admission was 5.4 ± 2.7 days.Conclusion: The rate of vaginal hysterectomy is on the decline. This may be due to case under reporting, limiting of family size, or low uptake of farming occupation in our society. Key words: Comorbidities; complications; incidence; indications; vaginal hysterectomy

EVALUATION OF ANTITRYPANOSOMAL AND ANTI INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES OF SELECTED NIGERIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS IN MICE

The extracts of nine selected Nigerian medicinal plants were investigated on Trypanosoma brucei brucei infected mice. The anti-inflammatory properties of hexane fraction of the most promising U. chamae extract was assessed by acute oedema of the mice paw model while the modulatory effect of the extract on Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity (DTH) resp onse on in vivo leucocytes mobilization was evaluated. ‘Dose- probing acute toxicity tests’ established an oral and intraperitoneal LD50 for T. ivorensis stem bark as >1600 5000 mg/kg. Extracts of Khaya senegalensis, Harungana madagascariensis, Terminalia ivorensis, Curcuma longa, Ocimum gratissimum and Alcornea cordifolia showed weak anti-trypanosomal effect and did not exhibit significant clearance in parasitemia at the test dose administered compared with the positive control (Diminal®). However, the leaf extract of U. chamae and its hexane fraction demonstrated a significant response (P < 0.01). The fraction at 1000 mg/kg inhibited oedema by 107%. Uvaria. chamae demonstrated both anti-trypanosomal and anti-inflammatory properties by increasing the survival time of infected mice due to reduction in parasitemia caused by T. brucei brucei

A population-based cross-sectional study of age-specific risk factors for high risk human papillomavirus prevalence in rural Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cervical cancer, caused by persistent infection with carcinogenic human papillomavirus (HR-HPV), is particularly prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa and is associated with a high mortality rate. Some studies in West Africa, including our own, have found unusually high HR-HPV across all ages with a slight peak in older women. This increased prevalence at older ages may complicate screen-and-treat programs, which are implemented in regions where HPV prevalence declines with age and typically target women between 30-49 years. A better understanding of the determinants of high HR-HPV prevalence at older ages is needed. The goal of this study is to explore risk factors for HR-HPV prevalence by age among women in our population-based study in Irun, a rural town in southwestern Nigeria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>1,420 women were administered a clinic-based questionnaire regarding sexual and reproductive behavior, marital status (including co-wives), and malaria exposure. Logistic regression compared questionnaire responses and PCR positivity for a set of 13 carcinogenic HR-HPV types. Results were stratified by age (15-29, 30-45, 46-55, and 56+ years).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Birth control use and age at first pregnancy were associated with HR-HPV (<it>p-value </it>= 0.03 and 0.05, respectively). Early age at sexual debut and multiple sex partners were risks for HR-HPV, but did not reach significance (<it>p-value </it>= 0.1 and 0.07, respectively). Neither self-reported malaria nor presence of co-wives in the household was associated with HR-HPV (<it>p-value </it>= 0.85 and 0.24, respectively). In age sub-categories, early age at sexual debut was a significant risk factor for HR-HPV among women 35-45 years (<it>p-value = 0.02</it>). Early age at first pregnancy remained a significant risk factor for women aged 56+ years (<it>p-value </it>= 0.04). Greater than 2 sex partners and use of birth control were associated (though not significantly) with HR-HPV in women aged 30-45 (<it>p-value </it>= 0.08, respectively).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this high-risk region with elevated HR-HPV prevalence at older ages, we confirmed previously described, behavioral determinants of HR-HPV. There was no association with self-reported malaria or co-wives, which we had hypothesized might correlate with HR-HPV at older ages.</p

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Do prices influence the demand for information about new health technologies? Evidence from a field experiment in Nigeria

We study how prices influence the demand for information about a new preventative health technology. We conducted a field experiment in Nigeria where women were offered the opportunity to get screened for cervical cancer (at baseline 2/3 of women had no knowledge of cervical cancer screening). Field staff made house calls to give women information about the test and also distributed vouchers that randomly varied the price of screening at the point of service. We find an inverse U-shaped relationship between prices and the demand for information: going from zero to a small positive price increased the demand for information about the test, but increasing the price further (by 100%) resulted in a net decrease in the demand for information. We argue that these results have interesting implications for the debate about the pricing of new health technologies in developing countries

In vivo Interaction between Extracts of Khaya grandifoliola (Welw) CDC (Meliaceae) and Artemisinin in a Murine Malarial Model

Aims: To evaluate the antimalarial activity of the aqueous (KGA) and n-hexane (KGN) extracts of the stem bark of Khaya grandifoliola (Meliaceae) in combination with artemisinin (ART) in mice. Study Design: Preclinical antimalarial assessment in mice subjects. Place and Duration of Study: Biological Laboratory, Drug Research and Production Unit, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife between November 2006 and September 2007. Methodology: In the first phase, 65 mice inoculated intraperitoneally with Plasmodium berghei were divided into groups of five mice each. Oral administration of KGA and KGN (50-400 mg/kg each) and artemisinin (0.2-1.6 mg/kg) was done for four days starting on the day of inoculation in the 4-day antimalarial test model. Giemsa-stained thin blood smear, from the tail of each mouse, was microscopically assessed for the parasitized and total number of red blood cells of ten fields. The combinations of the sub - effective doses of each of KGA and KGN (100 mg/kg) with ART (0.2 mg/kg) were similarly evaluated and assessed. Results: The median effective doses (ED50) were 0.29, 140 and 160 mg/kg for Artemisinin, KGA and KGN, respectively. The combinations (KGA: ART and KGN: ART) resulted in improved parasitemia suppression which were statistically significant (P = .05) when compared with the percentage parasitaemia obtained for individual agents of the combinations. Conclusion: Extracts of K. grandifoliola potentiated the antimalarial activity of Artemisinin. The results showed beneficial interaction with potentials in antimalarial combination therapy

Performance of Abelmoschus esculentus (L) Moench (OKRA) under Various Applications of Pesticides and Fertilizers in an Oxic Paleustalf

This study was conducted to determine the performance of okra, (Abelmoschus esculentus&nbsp;(L) Moench) under various applications of pesticides and fertilizer in Oxic Paleustalf. A field experiment was carried out to examine the effect of the combination of varying levels of neem (100%, 75% and 50% concentration), cypermethrin (350 ml and 250 ml), poultry manure (6000 kg and 8000 kg) and NPK fertilizer (112 kg and 83 kg) on the growth, yield and yield component of okra. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replicates.The results show that the application of the various pesticides and fertilizer have significant effects P= 0.05 on the performance of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). The combined application of 100% neem, 350 ml/ha cypermethrin, 8000 kg/ha poultry manure and 112 kg/ha NPK fertilizer reduced pest population compared to the control plot. The combination of 50% neem, 350 ml/ha cypermethrin, 6000 kg/ha poultry manure and 112 kg/ha NPK fertilizer produced the best yield in the numbers and weight of okra fruits.It is concluded that the Combined application of pesticides and fertilizer resulted in the control of pest population and significantly P= 0.05 increased the soil fertility and yield of okra planted on Oxic Paleustalf