The effect of oral contraceptive pills (OCP) on body weight: A call for further studies

The relationship between oral contraceptives pills (OCP) and body weight gain has long been established and remains one of the major setback of OCP. This study therefore, was designed to establish the effect of OCP in rabbits. It was a six weeks study involving 15 female rabbits that were divided into three groups (A, B, and C). Group A served as the control, while B and C served as the test groups involving rabbits with lower and higher weights  respectively. Weight changes were determined in three phases: during 2 weeks of acclimatization; during 2 weeks post acclimatization (without OCP administration); and during 4 weeks post acclimatization (with OCP administration in the last 2 weeks). Throughout the period of the study, water, rabbit feed and grasses were given ad libitum. The results showed weight gain after acclimatization and after the next 2 weeks without OCP administration in all the groups. However, during OCP administration, weight gain (+0.06kg) was observed in group A, but weight loss (-0.06kg) in group C, while no weight change was observed in group B. The results of this study suggest therefore, that there is a need for further studies particularly on the dosing pattern of OCP.Keywords: Oral contraceptive pill, Weight, Female, Rabbits

Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Children in a Rural Community of Central Edo State, South-South Part of Nigeria

This cross sectional study assesses the nutritional status of children -as indicated by selected anthropometric parameters, in a rural community in Edo Central Senatorial Zone, South-South, Nigeria. The survey was  conducted amongst 900 primary school pupils in Esan West Local  Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. The age, sex, weight and height of the pupil, as well as selected socio-demographic characteristics of the  parents/guardian, were collected by means of a face-to-face interview and questionnaire respectively. Results showed that the overall prevalence of stunting and under-weight were 14.90% and 19.60% respectively. Stunting and under-weight were observed to be prevalent among males (16.2% and 20.8%) and age 9 – 12 years (23.2% and 32.5%). Children living with both parents and those living with mothers only, were most stunted growth and under-weight. Although Nigeria is referred to as the giant of Africa, her nutritional status remains a major public health challenge especially  amongst children. Therefore, to achieve her vision 2020, the nutritional status of children in rural communities must be improved.Keywords: Children, Malnutrition, Growth, Nigeria

Assessment of some Hepatic Enzyme activities in adult rabbits chronically fed crude Garcinia Kola

Therapeutic potentials of Garcinia kola (G. kola) have been extensively documented and several researches have asserted its protective uniqueness against liver disorders/diseases. It is the aim of this study to assess the level of some enzyme involved in liver cellular integrity in rabbits chronically fed G. kola. To achieve this objective,  twenty-four rabbits of comparable weights were randomly divided into four groups; consisting of a control (group A) and test (group B: BT1, BT2 and BT3). For 6 weeks, the control rabbits were fed standard animal feed with water  given ad libitum, while doses of reconstituted G. kola powder (1200, 1500 and 1800mg G. kola per kg body mass) were administered daily by gavage to the respective test groups B aside from feed and water. At the end of the experiment, a dose depended significant increased in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities was observed. On the other hand, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was significantly reduced compared to control. These results suggest that G. kola may have some biochemical influences on the liver with chronic usage and as such a need for regulation of it ingestion.Key words: Garcinia kola, Chronic, Crude, Liver, Male, Rabbits

Fruits intake and cardiovascular function in normotensive young adults: A 4 - Week Study

This study assessed the effect of increase fruits intake on cardiovascular health as specified by blood pressure and pulse rate. It is a 4 week study involving 70 apparently healthy normotensive students, between the ages of 20–30 years. They were recruited from the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and grouped into 7 (A - G). While group A received no fruit for the period of the study, B – G received as follows; guava, carrot, orange, apple, banana and a combination of all five fruits respectively. Blood pressure and pulse rate were determined before and after the study to assess the level of cardiovascular health. The results showed that blood pressure and pulse rate remained normal throughout the study. However, blood pressure and pulse rate fell non- significantly (p >0.05) in the treatment groups than those of the controls and as well as the values before treatment. Comparatively, carrot had the most percentage impact on systolic pressure (6.0%) while Apple had the most impact on diastolic pressure (8.81%) and pulse rate (8.49%). Thus, fruits intervention in normotensive  subjects is recommendable and may even be more beneficial for hypertensive individuals considering its clinical  advantage.Key words: Phyto-chemical, Fruits, Hypertension, Blood pressure, Pulse rat