Comparative Adsorption of Spiramycin on Veegum®, Activated Charcoal and Garcinia kola Heckel (Guttiferea) Seed

Purpose: To investigate the adsorptive interaction of Garcinia kola with spiramycin, since the kola is widely chewed as a tonic and spiramycin attains high concentrations in saliva.Methods: Spiramycin solutions of different concentration were added to a fixed mass of Garcinia kola (200 mg), activated charcoal or Veegum®. Shaking was carried out at room temperature after which the dispersion was filtered and the filtrate assayed for residual drug concentration. The process was repeated under different equilibrium conditions of pH and ionic strength. The adsorption data obtained for the three adsorbents were analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich’s plots.Results: At neutral pH, drug adsorprtion by Garcinia kola, activated charcoal and Veegum® were 67, 54 and 71 %, respectively; differences in adsorption was not significant (p = 0.09). However, the other two adsorbents exhibited adverse adsorption characteristics in terms of negative adsorption capacity (-5.78 mol.kg-1) and constant (-1141 mol-1L). For each of the adsorbents, pH and ionic strength affected the extent of adsorption, due to their effect on adsorbent surface charge. Correlation with Langmuir and Freundlich relationships were poor, the correlation coefficient for the latter being 0.97, 0.894 and 0.351 for Garcinia kola, Veegum® and activated charcoal, respectively.Conclusion: The study reveals that Garcinia kola significantly adsorbs spiramycin under alkaline conditions comparable to salivary pH, and therefore should not be taken concurrently with the drug in order to minimize reduction in drug levels.Keywords: Garcinia kola, Spiramycin, Adsorption, Antidote, Interaction, Langmuir plot, Freundlich’s plo

DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF A MULTIPOINT TEMPERATURE DATALOGGER

 In this work, a low cost six- multipoint temperature data logger was developed. It was designed using LM35 as the sensor, and arduino Uno as the data processing element. The response time of the sensor was observed to be between three and four minutes. The comparative evaluation of the system with other established thermometers show that no two temperature meters gave the same values. However the most important thing is that all the systems recorded the same temperature flow pattern. This indicates that the systems actually senses change in the surrounding effectively. In relation to the alcohol thermometer, the designed system shows an accuracy of +0.4oC at temperatures below 300C and +1.850C at temperatures above 300C. The system gives room for effective and adjustable temperature data logging procedure. Hence, the system is recommended for use in monitoring low temperature systems. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v35i2.3

Maternal and perinatal outcome of severe pre-eclampsia in Enugu, Nigeria after introduction of Magnesium sulfate

Background: Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) is the most effective seizure prophylaxis in the management of severe preeclampsia, and its use is progressively spreading in our environment. It was introduced at the pioneer teaching hospital of southeastern Nigeria in 2007. A study on the outcome of its use is therefore necessary.Objectives: The objective was to determine the effect of introducing MgSO4 on the maternal and perinatal outcomes of severe pre-eclampsia in Enugu, South eastern Nigeria.Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of all cases of severe pre-eclampsia managed at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu (UNTH), Nigeria, from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2008 - 2 years before, and 2 years after the introduction of MgSO4 – was performed.Result: The prevalence of severe preeclampsia within the study period was 3.3%. The mean age of study participants was 24.5 ± 2.9 years. Thirty women received MgSO4 while 47 women received diazepam. Eclampsia occurred only in a member of the diazepam group but there were no maternal deaths. Babies from the diazepam group were more likely to have low 1 minute Apgar scores but the association was not significant [OR = 3.08 (95% CI 0.78, 13.33)]. Longer hospital stay was significantly lower among women who received MgSO4 [OR = 0.32 (95% CI 0.11, 0.93)]. Perinatal mortality did not differ between the groups.Conclusion: MgSO4 is effective in the management of severe pre-eclamptics at the UNTH, Enugu. Therefore, its accessibility and wider use should be promoted

A Simple UV Spectrophotometric Method for the Determination of Levofloxacin in Dosage Formulations

Purpose: The present study was undertaken to develop a validated, rapid, simple and low-cost ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometric method for estimating levofloxacin (LFX) in dosage preparations. Method: UV spectrophotometric analysis was performed spectrophotometrically at a pre-determined max of 290 nm with 0.1M HCl as diluent/blank. The method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision, reproducibility, and specificity as per International Conference on Harmonization (ICH)guidelines. The method was also used in the determination of the content of levofloxacin in two commercial brands of levofloxacin in the Nigerian market. Results: The regression data for the calibration plots exhibited good linear relationship (r = 0.999) over a concentration range of 0.25 – 12.0 ìg/ml and the linear regression equation was y = 0.075x + 0.018.Mean recovery accuracy was 98.7 %, which was not significantly different from the expected value (p = 0.05), while coefficient of variation (CV) for both intra-day and inter-day was < 7 %. The method was specific for levofloxacin in the presence of common excipients, and when it was applied to two marketed brands, levofloxacin content was 99.69 ± 2.38 and 102.65 ± 3.64 %, respectively, of labeled claim. Conclusion: The proposed method gave good validation results and the statistical analysis performed proved that the method is precise, accurate and reproducible, and hence can be employed for routine analysis of LFX in bulk and commercial formulations

Damage Caused By the Bean Bruchid, Callosobruchus Maculatus (Fabricius) on Different Legume Seeds on Sale in Awka and Onitsha Markets, Anambra State, South Eastern Nigeria

The damage caused by the bean bruchid, Callosobruchus maculatus(Fabricius) on eight different legume seeds on sale in Awka and Onitshamarkets in Anambra State, Southeastern Nigeria, were studied betweenJanuary and April, 2008. Clean legume seeds purchased from local marketswere screened to remove previous infestations. Laboratory reared strain ofbruchids from local markets were used to infest the legumes. Samples of 200g weights of different legume seeds were artificially infested with the weevils at different male: female ratios. Six different legume seeds out of the eight used were attacked by the weevils. Emergence holes and weight loss were the observed effects to the seeds. The highest number and percentage of exit holes and weight loss were observed in legumes challenged with bruchids at higher male: female ratios

Assessment of the validity of rapid diagnostic test kits available in the Nigerian market for Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Early diagnosis is important in TB disease control. The use of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits drastically reduces the time required for reaching clinical diagnosis and this has been successful in diagnosis of HIV, syphilis and more recently malaria to mention a few. What is the case for RDTs for diagnosis of tuberculosis? Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the performances of results produced by different rapid diagnostic test strips available in the Nigerian market for TB. A total of one hundred and eighty-four (184) subjects aged between 12-68 years were recruited for the study. These were referred from the chest clinic with a high index of suspicion of TB. Sputum samples were collected for AFB detection using the Ziehl-Neelsen and Auramine-phenol staining techniques. Blood samples were collected for serology tests using five (5) different rapid diagnostic test kits from different manufacturers, HIV status determination and evaluation of the haematological parameters we carried out. As a result, there were significant differences in the results obtained between AFB tests and serological methods with P&lt;0.01 in all cases. The sensitivity and specificity respectively of the five different kits were 28.6% and 32.0% (Nova), 19.5% and 29.2% (Fistech), 9.1% and 27.1% (Diaspot), 12.4% and 27.7% (Abcon) and 12.4% and 27.7% (Global).finally, findings from this study show that these rapid serological tests are poor in diagnosing tuberculosis and cannot be recommended for use in this environment.© 2015 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Tuberculosis, rapid diagnostic tests, acid fast bacill

International Perspectives: Birth-Associated Neonatal Encephalopathy: Postresuscitation Care in West African Newborns

The West African subregion has the highest burden of neonatal mortality globally and the neonatal mortality rate is decreasing very slowly. A high proportion of newborn deaths are preventable and improved quality of care can reduce long-term morbidity in survivors. Perinatal asphyxia is the major cause of death and disability in term infants in the subregion. Neonatal resuscitation training programs have reduced stillbirths and early neonatal mortality but the overall effect on survival to discharge, population-based perinatal mortality, and long-term impairment is uncertain. Gaps in the health system and quality of postresuscitation care for affected newborns may defeat gains from global efforts to improve care around the time of birth. The aim of this review is to discuss the current situation of postresuscitation care of term infants with presumed birth-associated neonatal encephalopathy in West Africa. Limitations in diagnosing and treating affected infants and feasible interventions to improve acute and postdischarge care are discussed

The impact of surgically induced ischaemia on protein levels in patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery

The goal of targeted therapy has driven a search for markers of prognosis and response to adjuvant therapy. The surgical resection of a solid tumour induces tissue ischaemia and acidosis, both potent mediators of gene expression. This study investigated the impact of colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery on prognostic and predictive marker levels. Tumour expression of thymidylate synthase, thymidine phosphorylase, cyclin A, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), carbonic anhydrase-9, hypoxia inducible factor-1α, and glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) proteins was determined before and after rectal cancer surgery. Spectral imaging of tissue sections stained by immunohistochemistry provided quantitative data. Surgery altered thymidylate synthase protein expression (P=0.02), and this correlated with the change in the proliferation marker cyclin A. The expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α, VEGF, and GLUT-1 proteins was also different following surgery. Colorectal cancer surgery significantly impacts on intratumoral gene expression, suggesting archival specimens may not accurately reflect in situ marker levels. Although rectal cancer was the studied model, the results may be applicable to any solid tumour undergoing extirpation in which molecular markers have been proposed to guide patient therapy

The effect of surgically induced ischaemia on gene expression in a colorectal cancer xenograft model

Delays in tissue fixation following tumour vascular clamping and extirpation may adversely affect subsequent protein and mRNA analysis. This study investigated the effect of surgically induced ischaemia in a xenograft model of a colorectal cancer on the expression of a range of prognostic, predictive, and hypoxic markers, with a particular emphasis on thymidylate synthase. Vascular occlusion of human tumour xenografts by D-shaped metal clamps permitted defined periods of tumour ischaemia. Alterations in protein expression were measured by immunohistochemistry and spectral imaging, and changes in mRNA were measured by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. Thymidylate synthase expression decreased following vascular occlusion, and this correlated with cyclin A expression. A similar reduction in dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase was also seen. There were significant changes in the expression of several hypoxic markers, with carbonic anhydrase-9 showing the greatest response. Gene transcriptional levels were also noted to change following tumour clamping. In this xenograft model, surgically induced tumour ischaemia considerably altered the gene expression profiles of several prognostic and hypoxic markers, suggesting that the degree of tumour ischaemia should be minimised prior to tissue fixation