Helminthiasis in pregnancy in the Niger - Delta Region of Nigeria

Background: Helminthic infestations during pregnancy have significant public health implications. This study seeks to determine the prevalence of intestinal helminths among pregnant women in the Niger Delta Region in Nigeria and to identify possible predisposing factors.Methods: Pregnant women attending antenatal clinics were randomly selected in 6 health facilities. Stool and blood samples were collected from each woman. The stool sample was examined for ova and cyst of parasites while blood samples were analyzed for eosinophil count and packed cell volume. Proforma designed for the purpose was used to obtain sociodemographic information. Students t-test was used to test relationship between variables with a p value <0.05 considered statistically significant.Results: The mean age of the patients was 27.9±5.2 years and the mean gestational age was 27.635±.4 weeks. The overall prevalence of helminthiasis in pregnancy was 91 (22. 7%), with Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm being the most predominant at 9. 7% and 8.2% respectively. The highest prevalence per health facility was in Emohua, a rural community with a prevalence of 48.5% and the least was at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching  Hospital with a prevalence of 17.8%. There were significant association of helminthiasis with eosinophilia, anaemia, clay (nzu) eating, socioeconomic class, and source of water.Conclusion: The prevalence of helminthiasis in pregnancy is high in the Niger delta region. It is associated with the lower socioeconomic class. Introduction of routine stool analysis and use of antihelminthic in pregnancy will help to reduce associated morbidity from intestinal helminth.Keywords: Helminthiasis; Pregnancy; Eosinophil Count; Anaemia; Nigeri

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) improve the growth and nutrient use efficiency in maize (Zea mays L.) under water deficit conditions

Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that affects crop yield worldwide. An eco-friendly tool that can broadly improve plants' tolerance to water stress is bioionocula comprising plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). In this study, the effect of two PGPR Cupriavidus necator 1C2 (B1) and Pseudomonas fluorescens S3X (B2), singly and/or co-inoculated at two inocula sizes (S1 - 3 × 103 cells g−1 dry weight (dw) soil and S2 - 3 × 106 cells g−1 dw soil), on growth, nutrient uptake, and use efficiency was assessed in maize (Zea mays L.) plants grown at three levels of irrigation (80% of water holding capacity (WHC) – well-watered, 60% of WHC - moderate water deficit stress, and 40% of WHC - severe water deficit stress) in a greenhouse experiment. The impact of water deficit and bioinoculants on soil microbial activity (fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis) was also evaluated. Moderate and severe water deficit negatively affected soil microbial activity, as well as, maize growth, by reducing plants' shoot biomass and increasing root/shoot ratio at 60 and 40% of WHC. Bioinoculants mitigated the negative effects on shoot biomass, especially when PGPR were co-inoculated, increasing up to 89% the aerial biomass of plants exposed to moderate water deficit. Bioinoculation also increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) use efficiency, which may have led to higher maize growth under water deficit conditions. The size of the inocula applied had marginal influence on biometric and nutrient parameters, although the higher concentration of the mixture of PGPR was the most effective in improving shoot biomass under moderate water deficit. This study shows that rhizobacterial strains are able to increase nutrient use efficiency and to alleviate water stress effects in crops with high water demands and have potential applications to keep up with productivity in water stress scenarios.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chromium Stress Mitigation by Polyamine-Brassinosteroid Application Involves Phytohormonal and Physiological Strategies in Raphanus sativus L.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) and polyamines (PAs) are well-established growth regulators playing key roles in stress management among plants. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of epibrassinolide (EBL, an active BR) and spermidine (Spd, an active PA) on the tolerance of radish to oxidative stress induced by Cr (VI) metal. Our investigation aimed to study the impacts of EBL (10−9 M) and/or Spd (1 mM) on the biochemical and physiological responses of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) under Cr-stress. Applications of EBL and/or Spd were found to improve growth of Cr-stressed seedlings in terms of root length, shoot length and fresh weight. Our data also indicated that applications of EBL and Spd have significant impacts, particularly when applied together, on the endogenous titers of PAs, free and bound forms of IAA and ABA in seedlings treated with Cr-stress. Additionally, co-applications of EBL and Spd modulated more remarkably the titers of antioxidants (glutathione, ascorbic acid, proline, glycine betaine and total phenol) and activities of antioxidant enzymes (guaicol peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase) in Cr-stressed plants than their individual applications. Attenuation of Cr-stress by EBL and/or Spd (more efficient with EBL and Spd combination) was also supported by enhanced values of stress indices, such as phytochelatins, photosynthetic pigments and total soluble sugars, and reduction in malondialdehyde and H2O2 levels in Cr-treated seedlings. Diminution of ROS production and enhanced ROS scavenging capacities were also noted for EBL and/or Spd under Cr-stress. However, no significant reduction in Cr uptake was observed for co-application of EBL and Spd when compared to their individual treatments in Cr-stressed seedlings. Taken together, our results demonstrate that co-applications of EBL and Spd are more effective than their independent treatments in lowering the Cr-induced oxidative stress in radish, leading to improved growth of radish seedlings under Cr-stress

Effectiveness of glycated haemoglobin in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus among pregnant women in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

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Nanoparticles and biochar with adsorbed plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria alleviate Fusarium wilt damage on tomato and watermelon

The addition of biochars and nanoparticles with adsorbed Azotobacter vinelandii and Bacillus megaterium alleviated damage from Fusarium infection in both tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) plants. Tomato and watermelon plants were grown in greenhouse for 28 and 30 days (respectively) and were treated with either nanoparticles (chitosan-coated mesoporous silica or nanoclay) or varying biochars (biochar produced by pyrolysis, gasification and pyrogasification). Treatments with nanoparticles and biochars were applied in two variants - with or without adsorbed plant-growth promoting bacteria (PGPR). Chitosan-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles with adsorbed bacteria increased chlorophyll content in infected tomato and watermelon plants (1.12 times and 1.63 times, respectively) to a greater extent than nanoclay with adsorbed bacteria (1.10 times and 1.38 times, respectively). However, the impact on other endpoints (viability of plant cells, phosphorus and nitrogen content, as well antioxidative status) was species-specific. In all cases, plants treated with adsorbed bacteria responded better than plants without bacteria. For example, the content of antioxidative compounds in diseased watermelon plants increased nearly 46% upon addition of Aries biochar and by approximately 52% upon addition of Aries biochar with adsorbed bacteria. The overall effect on disease suppression was due to combination of the antifungal effects of both nanoparticles (and biochars) and plant-growth promoting bacteria. These findings suggest that nanoparticles or biochars with adsorbed PGPR could be viewed as a novel and sustainable solution for management of Fusarium wilt