Effects of treatment on free radicals in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in South Western Nigeria.

Background: Formation of Malondialdehyde (MDA), a free radical, in Tuberculosis patients does occur when Tubercule bacilli induces reactive oxygen species as a result of phagocytic respiratory burst. Objectives: This study evaluated the effect of treatment on plasma level of Malondialdehyde among patients infected with Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Osogbo South Western Nigeria. Methodology: Descriptive cross sectional study among 110 patients, grouped into four categories (three TB patient categories and controls). All patients were screened for presence or absence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in their sputum and HIV 1 & 2 in their blood using standard techniques. The level of free radical (Malondialdehyde, MDA) was determined by Thiobabituric acid reacting method. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software version 17.0 Results: Serum Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly lower in TB patients on drugs (TBD) compared with the new cases on treatment (NCT). (0.17+0.88mol/L Vs 0.27+0.08mol/L, p<0.05). Varying degrees of correlations were also found between free radicals and electrolytes. Conclusion: Reduced serum MDA levels in TBD suggested a reduction in the levels of free radical injury once treatment was commenced. Therefore serum free radical may be an index of monitoring response to treatment in tuberculosis management

African Polyherbal Formulation Possesses Chemopreventive and Chemotherapeutic Effects on Benzene - Induced Leu kemia in Wistar Rats

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are effective cancer treatment options but they are accompanied by serious side effects and complications such as systemic cytotoxicity, chemo - or radio - resistance. Therefore, more effective therapies are sorely needed. This study investigated the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects of a polyherbal formulation on benzene induced eukemia in Wistar rats. The polyherbal formulation is composed of fruits such as Orange, Lime, Lemon, Pineapple, Grape and Vege tables like; Pumpkin leave, Garden egg suspended in honey medium. Method s : Leukemia was induced by injecting 0.2 ml of benzene solution intravenously through the tail of young rats at 48 h intervals for four times. Leukemia developed in 92% of rats some w eeks after the last benzene injection and following up weekly observation for leukemia development in appropriate rat groups. Leukemia burden was assessed using indicator parameters such as total leukocyte, red blood cell count, hematocrit, and hemoglobin concentration. Exactly 0.48 ml of the polyherbal formulation was administered orally by gavage using oral cannular once daily post leukemia induction for four weeks. Results: Leukemia induction reflected in significant reduction in hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, red cell count and a marked and a significant increase in leukocyte count over the control (p < 0.05). There is significant difference between the chemopreventive group and chemotherapeutic (leukemia positive group treated with poly - herbal f ormulation) and the leukemia positive control group untreated. Conclusion: This study reveals profound activity of the poly - herbal formulation at preventing and reversing experimentally developed leukemia in the rat groups, hence the ability of the polyhe rbal formulation in alleviating the cancer symptom

African Polyherbal Formulation Possesses Chemopreventive and Chemotherapeutic Effects on Benzene- Induced Leukemia in Wistar Rats

Background: Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are effective cancer treatment options but they are accompanied by serious side effects and complications such as systemic cytotoxicity, chemo- or radio-resistance. Therefore, more effective therapies are sorely needed. This study investigated the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects of a polyherbal formulation on benzene induced leukemia in Wistar rats. The polyherbal formulation is composed of fruits such as Orange, Lime, Lemon, Pineapple, Grape and Vegetables like; Pumpkin leave, Garden egg suspended in honey medium. Methods: Leukemia was induced by injecting 0.2 ml of benzene solution intravenously through the tail of young rats at 48 h intervals for four times. Leukemia developed in 92% of rats some weeks after the last benzene injection and following up weekly observation for leukemia development in appropriate rat groups. Leukemia burden was assessed using indicator parameters such as total leukocyte, red blood cell count, hematocrit, and hemoglobin concentration. Exactly 0.48 ml of the polyherbal formulation was administered orally by gavage using oral cannular once daily post leukemia induction for four weeks. Results: Leukemia induction reflected in significant reduction in hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, red cell count and a marked and a significant increase in leukocyte count over the control (p < 0.05). There is significant difference between the chemopreventive group and chemotherapeutic (leukemia positive group treated with poly-herbal formulation) and the leukemia positive control group untreated. Conclusion: This study reveals profound activity of the poly-herbal formulation at preventing and reversing experimentally developed leukemia in the rat groups, hence the ability of the polyherbal formulation in alleviating the cancer symptom

SCAPS 3201 simulation of tunable heterostructured p-CdTe and n-CdS thin films-based solar cells

This paper presents a numerical simulation using SCAPS 3201 and an electrometer for the investigation of electrical behavior at the interface of heterostructured Cadmium telluride and cadmium sulfide thin films. The paper also explicitly compares the theoretical and experimental results of the synthesized materials via the electrodeposition route. Parameters such as electrical conductivity types and energy band gaps used in the simulation were obtained from the various analytical procedure employed in contrast to the conventional mode of application of the SCAPS simulation. In most research works on CdTe/CdS-based solar cells, the conductivity type, p-type, and n-type used in the SCAPS simulation were based on assumption. However, in this study, photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell measurement of the material's conductivity type helped in the identification of p-type CdTe and n-type CdS. The material's properties were examined using an X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer (UV-VIS), (PEC), and electrometer. The energy band gaps at varied cathodic potentials and the grain size of the CdTe thin films were estimated as 1.47–1.89 eV and 56 nm while that of the CdS was estimated at 2.37–2.46 eV and 115 nm. The results indicate a noticeable drastic improvement in the performance of electrodeposited p-CdTe and n-CdS thin film-based solar cells, which aid the tuning of the growth potential. The extracted electrical parameters (JSC = 15.22, Voc = 749, FF = 0.82 and QE = 9.0% at 520 nm) using SCAPS and electrometer are evidence of the improvement made and the results from both the SCAPS and electrometer are in tandem

Evaluation of electrolyte imbalance among tuberculosis patients receiving treatments in Southwestern Nigeria

Background: Electrolyte disturbances have been reported in both tuberculosis (TB) infection alone and TB-HIV co-infected patients. Objectives: To evaluate the effects of treatments on the imbalance of some electrolytes among patients infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Osogbo Southwestern Nigeria. Methodology: A total of one hundred and ten patients participated in this study. They were divided into four groups as follows: group 1 contains 50 normal patients without TB or HIV infection (M = 25; F = 25), group 2 20 new positive cases of TB patients without HIV infection (M = 13; F = 07), group 3 20 new positive cases of tuberculosis co-infected with HIV infection (M = 10; F = 10), and group 4 20 positive cases of TB patients on anti tuberculous drugs (M = 11; F = 09). All patients were screened for the presence and absence of TB, HIV and the level of some electrolytes in plasma (sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonates) were determined using standard methods. Results: Levels of sodium in TB patients on drugs (TBD) were significantly lowered compared to new case tuberculosis (NCT) patients (134.80 ± 5.83 mmol/L vs 142.10 ± 6.68 mmol/L) while potassium levels were significantly elevated in TB patients on drugs compared with their new case counterparts (3.75 ± 0.15 mmol/L vs 3.07 ± 0.42 mmol/L) P < 0.05 respectively. Chloride levels were significantly decreased in TB patients on treatment compared to new case tuberculosis NCT (99.26 ± 6.85 mmol/L vs 108.76 ± 8.42 mmol/L) while serum bicarbonate levels were significantly elevated in TB patients on drug (TBD) compared to their NCT counterparts (24.00 ± 1.81 mmol/L vs 21.00 ± 2.05 mmol/L, P < 0.05, respectively). Conclusion: Hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia, and hypochloremia characterized some of the electrolyte imbalance among TB patients receiving treatments. The raised level of bicarbonate may be attributed to overcorrection of respiratory acidosis often found in patients with tuberculosis. Monitoring electrolytes is therefore an important component of TB management