Gastroprotective Effects of DAS-77 (a Phytomedicine) in Ulcer Models in Rats

Purpose: DAS-77 is a phytomedicine that contains the dried bark of Mangifera indica and root of Carica papaya. This study investigated the antiulcer effects of DAS-77 in rats.Methods: DAS-77 was administered orally twice daily for five consecutive days at doses of 50 - 400 mg/kg. Ulcer was induced in rats with ethanol, indomethacin, pylorus ligation (PL) and cold restraint stress (CRS). Ulcer scores were recorded based on examination of excised stomachs. Estimations of gastric content volume, pH and titratable acidity in the PL model and determination of the levels of antioxidants and malondialdehyde (MDA) in gastric tissues in the CRS model were also done.Results: In all the models, DAS-77 produced significant dose-dependent reductions in ulcer score. Peak effects were produced at the dose of 400 mg/kg with ulcer inhibition values of 98.57, 76.23, 99.28 and 96.70 % compared to 100.00, 93.79, 98.92 and 96.79 % for  misoprostol/cimetidine, respectively, for the ethanol, indomethacin, PL and CRS models. In the PL model, DAS-77 caused a significant increasein pH of gastric content but a reduction in volume and titratable acidity. At doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg in the CRS model, DAS-77 significantly increased the level of reduced glutathione (GSH) and diminishedMDA.Conclusion: The results obtained in this study suggest that DAS-77 possesses gastroprotective activity possibly due to reduced gastric secretion and acidity, and antioxidant activity.Keywords: DAS-77, Phytomedicine, Mangifera indica, Carica papaya, Gastroprotective effects, Ulcer

Performance and carcass characteristics of Yankasa ram fed with variable levels of biscuit waste and Leucaena leucocephala based diets

A study was conducted to find out the performance and carcass characteristics of sheep fed diet in which biscuits waste (BWM) and Leucaena leucocephala leaf hay (L/h) mixture were used to replace maize and wheat offal mixture at zero (control), 25, 50, 70 and 100% replacement levels. In a completely randomize design, the experimental diet where designated B0, B1, B2, B3, B4, respectively. The 20 growing Yankasa rams aged between 9 to 11 months with an initial average life weight of 12.17 ± 0.33 kg were randomly assign to the 5 dietary treatment with four rams per treatment. Data were collected to estimate dry matter intake (g/d /W0.7 kg), daily mean life weight gain (g/d), feed efficiency and carcass indices. Dietary replacement of maize and wheat offal mixture with biscuit waste meal and L. leucocelphala leaf hay mixture significantly (P< 0.05) influenced the entire variable measured. However, animal on diet B1 and B2 in which biscuits waste and L. leucocephala leaf mixture replaced 25 and 50% maize and wheat offal mixture, were better when compared to the control (B0) and other test diet in terms of performance and carcass characteristics. This was evident by higher DMI (77.18 and 76.84 g/d /W0.75 kg), ADWG (134.40 and 129.52 g/d), feed efficiency (0.199 and 0.195), live shrunk weight (21.50 and 20.10 kg), dressing percentage (85.81 and 84.33%), chilled carcass weight (18.33 and 16.83 kg), wholesale cuts leg (9.18 and 8.73%), rack (3.11 and 2.78%), BSF (4.53 and 3.83%), neck added (2.51 and 1.78%) and rib eye area (6.06 and 8.29) which were obtained from the animal on these two diets. Broadly, the result in the present study indicated that 25 and 75% replacement level of maize and wheat offal mixture with biscuits waste and L. leucocephala leaf hay mixture are ideal for ruminant animal production because it improve both the performance and carcass characteristics of rams.Key words: Performance, carcass, biscuit waste, Yankasa ram

Detection of Q129H Immune Escape Mutation in Apparently Healthy Hepatitis B Virus Carriers in Southwestern Nigeria

As the global effort to eradicate hepatitis B continues, immune escape mutations (IEMs) and drug resistance mutations (DRMs) affecting its diagnosis, treatment, and prevention are compromising this goal. However, knowledge about the prevalence and circulation of these mutations in Nigeria is scarce. Serum samples (n = 199) from apparently healthy prospective blood donors, pregnant women, and individuals presenting with fever in southwestern Nigeria were analyzed for the presence of IEMs and DRMs by means of nested PCR in the HBV S (HBs) and HBV polymerase (Pol) genes, followed by phylogenetic and mutational analyses. In total, 25.1% (n = 50/199) of samples were positive for HBV, as measured by PCR. In 41 samples (20.6%), both fragments could be amplified, whereas the HBs gene and the Pol gene fragment alone were detected in 0.5% (n = 1/199) and 4% (n = 8/199) of samples, respectively. Sequences were successfully obtained for all 42 HBs gene fragments but for only 31/49 Pol gene fragments (totaling 73 sequences from 44 individuals). All sequences were identified as HBV genotype E. IEMs were present in 18.2% (n = 8/44) of the sequences of HBV-positive individuals with available sequences. IEM Q129H was detected in eight out of the 44 (18.2%) HBV isolates sequenced in this study; however, no DRMs were observed. This study confirms the circulation of HBV IEMs and reports the presence of Q129H IEM for the first time in Nigeria. Intensified research on the dynamics of IEM is necessary in order to enhance the elimination of HBV.Peer Reviewe