Quantification of Aflatoxin B1 in Ready-to-Use Food Thickeners in South-East Geo-Political Zone in Nigeria

A total of 150 ready to use food thickeners were randomly collected from various markets in both urban and rural settings. Four of the samples tested Achi (Brachystegia eurycoma), Akpalata (Afzelia africana), Ofor (Detarium microcarpum), and Ukpo (Mucuna flagellipes) were contaminated with fungal flora. The most common and prevalent fungi observed on incubated powdered form of food thickeners on media, were the Aspergillus group namely Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus niger. Pure isolates of A. flavus and A. parasiticus from various food thickeners from open markets in Nigeria were screened for their potential to produce aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)) on agar media. Ultraviolet (UV) light, a standard procedure was used to differentiate the toxin from non-toxin form of Aspergillus species. Further, aflatoxin quantification was done using thin layer chromatography (TLC) followed by fluorometry. A. flavus was more prevalent than A. parasiticus in all samples. Toxin and non-toxin isolates were grouped as per bright greenish-yellow fluorescence (BGYF) presumptive test under UV light. The amounts of AFB(1) from A. flavus isolates ranged between 0.94 to 3.83 mu g/g of agar and all positive A. parasiticus ranged from 0.22 - 2.87 mu g/g of agar. Analysis of food thickeners also revealed a high incidence and alarming levels of naturally produced aflatoxin. The levels of AFB(1) ranged between 4.0 and 95 mu g/g in various food thickeners tested. That the presence of aflatoxin in food thickeners poses a potential health threat to consumers in this part of Nigeria and elsewhere is discussed

Lead-induced Oxidative Stress and Chemoprotective Role of Dietary Supplements on Wistar Albino Rats

The heavy metal lead (Pb) is a common environmental pollutant with widespread distribution, and oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of its toxicity. The ameliorative effect of nutritional contents of palm oil and cod liver oil (dietary supplements) following exposure to sublethal concentration of Pb on adult Wistar albino rats was studied. Toxicity was induced by administering intraperitoneally, 30 mg/kg body weight of lead acetate at alternate days for 21 days. Groups treated with supplements received daily oral dose of 2.5 ml palm oil or cod liver oil or 1.25 ml palm oil and 1.25 ml cod liver oil (synergy). Increased activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, decreased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and increased concentrations of total bilirubin and lipid peroxidation product were observed in Pb exposed rats without nutritional supplement treatment. However, these negative oxidative states were ameliorated in rats by the concomitant administration of nutritional supplements, singly and in combination. Furthermore, non-significant changes were observed in the haematological parameters determined. These observations indicate potential therapeutic benefits in the use of palm oil and cod liver oil in the management of lead-induced toxicity

Modification of Lipid Peroxidation and Oxidative Stress In Hepatocytes of Diabetic Rats Treated with Root Extract of Sarcocephalus latifolius

Abstract: Increased oxidative stress and lipid disorders may exacerbate complications of diabetes mellitus. This study, therefore was designed to evaluate the effect of aqueous root extract of Sarcocephalus latifolius and Daniella oliveri (SDAE) on oxidative strees and lipid peroxidation in nondiabetic and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The alloxan (65mg/kg) induced diabetic rats were treated in 12-h cycles for 3 weeks with 250mg/kg of the extract and glibenclamide (5mg/kg); while the nondiabetic control rats received distilled water. The results indicated that hepatic catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were significantly increased in the diabetic animals (p<0.05) for both activities. The extract significantly reduced catalase activity (p<0.05) but non-significantly reversed the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity observed in diabetic liver tissues. However, glibenclamide treatement showed slight modification in the changes observed in diabetic liver tissues. A significant increase in MDA content and decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH) was observed in the hepatocytes of the diabetic untreated rats. The diabetic induced changes in both MDA and GSH were distinctly reversed by the extract. The study concluded that the combined root extract reversed diabetes -induced oxidative changes in the hepatocytes, thus suggesting its use for the management of diabetic complications

Intraperitoneal drain placement and outcomes after elective colorectal surgery: international matched, prospective, cohort study

Despite current guidelines, intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery remains widespread. Drains were not associated with earlier detection of intraperitoneal collections, but were associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased risk of surgical-site infections.Background Many surgeons routinely place intraperitoneal drains after elective colorectal surgery. However, enhanced recovery after surgery guidelines recommend against their routine use owing to a lack of clear clinical benefit. This study aimed to describe international variation in intraperitoneal drain placement and the safety of this practice. Methods COMPASS (COMPlicAted intra-abdominal collectionS after colorectal Surgery) was a prospective, international, cohort study which enrolled consecutive adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery (February to March 2020). The primary outcome was the rate of intraperitoneal drain placement. Secondary outcomes included: rate and time to diagnosis of postoperative intraperitoneal collections; rate of surgical site infections (SSIs); time to discharge; and 30-day major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade at least III). After propensity score matching, multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the independent association of the secondary outcomes with drain placement. Results Overall, 1805 patients from 22 countries were included (798 women, 44.2 per cent; median age 67.0 years). The drain insertion rate was 51.9 per cent (937 patients). After matching, drains were not associated with reduced rates (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 0.79 to 2.23; P = 0.287) or earlier detection (hazard ratio (HR) 0.87, 0.33 to 2.31; P = 0.780) of collections. Although not associated with worse major postoperative complications (OR 1.09, 0.68 to 1.75; P = 0.709), drains were associated with delayed hospital discharge (HR 0.58, 0.52 to 0.66; P < 0.001) and an increased risk of SSIs (OR 2.47, 1.50 to 4.05; P < 0.001). Conclusion Intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery is not associated with earlier detection of postoperative collections, but prolongs hospital stay and increases SSI risk

Studies of food thickeners in Nigeria for contamination by aflatoxigenic forms of Aspergillus and their detection by PCR

This paper reports the contamination of ready-to-use food thickeners, collected from the South-East geo-political zone in Nigeria, by aflatoxigenic form of Aspergillus species. A total of 150 samples from different open markets were observed for fungal contamination by using serial dilution-spread plate method. Although, Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium were the most frequently isolated fungi, Aspergillus species were found to be the most prevalent in all the samples. Furthermore, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus produced aflatoxin on yeast extract sucrose (YES) media incubated for 10 to 15 days at 27 degrees C in a CO(2) incubator. Aspergillus niger showed no sign of any secondary metabolite on the media, set at similar conditions. Although, light microscopy was used to identify these fungi, based on colony morphology, PCR method was used to confirm genetic variation among the Aspergillus group, using ITS set of primers. Gel electrophoresis of PCR products confirmed the presence of Aspergillus species at an amplification range from 500 to 600 bp in all the samples tested. PCR was found to be a sensitive and a more reliable tool for detection and identification of Aspergillus species in food thickeners as opposed to conventional light microscopy. This is a first kind of mycological survey on the contamination of ready-to-use food thickeners sold in Nigeria