Hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of the aqueous leaf extract of murraya koenigii in normal and alloxan – diabetic rats

The hypoglycaemic effect of aqueous leaf extract of Murraya koenigii was studied in normal and alloxan- induced diabetic rats. The extract was administered orally at 100 mg/Kg, 150 mg/Kg and 200 mg/Kg bodyweight each to respective groups of animals (Groups I, II and III) for seven days. Group IV received normal saline and served as control for the normal rats. For the alloxan-induced diabetic rats, the same dosage pattern was administered to three groups of rats for seven days (Groups V, VI and VII) while group VIII which received normal saline served as control. At the various dose levels administered, the glucose lowering effect was more pronounced in the alloxan-diabetic rats than in control rats. Whencompared with chlorpropamide, the glucose lowering effect of aqueous extract of Murraya koenigii was significantly (

Natural coagulates for wastewater treatment; a review for application and mechanism

The increase of water demand and wastewater generation is among the global concerns in the world. The less effective management of water sources leads to serious consequences, the direct disposal of untreated wastewater is associated with the environmental pollution, elimination of aquatic life and the spread of deadly epidemics. The flocculation process is one of the most important stages in water and wastewater treatment plants, wherein this phase the plankton, colloidal particles, and pollutants are precipitated and removed. Two major types of coagulants are used in the flocculation process included the chemical and natural coagulants. Many studies have been performed to optimize the flocculation process while most of these studies have confirmed the hazardous effects of chemical coagulants utilization on the ecosystem. This chapter reviews a summary of the coagulation/flocculation processes using natural coagulants as well as reviews one of the most effective natural methods of water and wastewater treatment

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Physicochemical and heavy metals values of Nigerian crude oil samples

Crude oil samples collected from Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) Benin City representing three different oil wells each for Onshore and Offshore and labeled A, B, C for Onshore and D, E, F for offshore were analyzed for their ash content, volatile matter, pH, relative density and metal content. The results showed that manganese recorded the highest concentration, while copper had the least. The mean values of the ash in both the Onshore and Offshore crude oil are in the order C>A>B for the Onshore and E>F>D for the Offshore oil samples analyzed, and the overall ash content for all the samples analyzed are in the order C>E>B>F>D>A. The values of the volatile matter in both the onshore and off shore crude oil samples obeyed the order B>A>C for the onshore and D>F>E for offshore crude oil samples, while the general trend was in the order C<E<B<F<D<A. The mean pH values of both the onshore and offshore samples were (7.89) for A, (7.62) for B, (7.93) for C, and (8.03) for D, (8.23) for E, (8.11) for F. The relative density of crude oil samples determined at temperature 34oC were of the order C<E<B<F<D>A, The concentration of the heavy metals ranged from 2.20 – 3.5 ppm for Mn, 1.42-1.62 ppm for Ni, 1.04 – 1.44 ppm for Fe, 0.68 – 0.74 ppm for Cr, 0.48 – 0.54 ppm for Zn, 0.28 – 1.12 ppm for Co, 0.31-0.34 ppm for Cd, 017 – 0.19 ppm for Pb and 0.08-0.12 for Cu. It was obvious from these studies and previous ones that Nigerian crude have low metal content. However, the low concentrations could pose an intrinsic health hazard considering their cumulative effect in the environment. Keywords: Heavy metals, crude oil, petroleum, Nigeria International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences, 6(1): 10-15, 201

Hypoglycaemic And Hypolipidaemic Effects Of The Aqueous Leaf Extract Of Murraya koenigii InNormal And Alloxan – Diabetic Rats

The hypoglycaemic effect of aqueous leaf extract of Murraya koenigii was studied in normal and alloxan- induced diabetic rats. The extract was administered orally at 100 mg/Kg, 150 mg/Kg and 200 mg/Kg bodyweight each to respective groups of animals (Groups I, II and III) for seven days. Group IV received normal saline and served as control for the normal rats. For the alloxan-induced diabetic rats, the same dosage pattern was administered to three groups of rats for seven days (Groups V, VI and VII) while group VIII which received normal saline served as control. At the various dose levels administered, the glucose lowering effect was more pronounced in the alloxan-diabetic rats than in control rats. When compared with chlorpropamide, the glucose lowering effect of aqueous extract of Murraya koenigii was significantly (p <0.05) lower at the dose levels administered in both normal and alloxan-diabetic rats

Harvesting of botryococcus sp. biomass from greywater by natural coagulants

Harvesting of Botryococcus sp. from greywater by Moringa oleifera and Strychnos potatorum seed flours was optimized by response surface methodology. Three factors including dosage (10–60 mg L−1), settling time (30– 120 min), and pH (6–9) were investigated. Optimal operating parameters were obtained with dosage of 35 mg L−1, pH of 7.5, and settling time of 75 min, which demonstrated predicted and experimental recovery of 86.80 and 85.60% for M. oleifera, and 41.33 and 38.30% for S. potatorum, with R2 coefficient of 0.947 and 0.953, respectively. The interaction between the factors was significant (p < 0.05) at the optimal operating parameters. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observed that the surface appearance of M. oleifera seed flour was smoother compared to S. potatorum, which reflects the higher potential of M. oleifera seed flour to adhere to microalgae cells. Natural coagulants have the potential as an alternative technique for harvesting microalgae from greywater

Therapeutic and Safety Evaluation of Combined Aqueous Extracts of Azadirachta indica and Khaya senegalensis in Chickens Experimentally Infected with Eimeria Oocysts

Coccidiosis is a disease of economic importance in poultry causing morbidity and mortality. Reports show that Azadirachta indica and Khaya senegalensis have been used individually in the treatment of avian coccidiosis. We thus investigated the efficacy and safety of the combined aqueous extracts of these plants for the treatment of experimentally induced coccidiosis in broiler chickens using oocyst count, oxidative stress biomarkers, serum biochemistry, histology, and haematological parameters. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, and steroids in both extracts. In addition, alkaloids and flavonoids were present in Azadirachta indica. There was significant (p<0.05) dose dependent decrease in oocyst count across the treatment groups with 400 mg/kg of the combined extract being the most efficacious dose. Immunomodulatory and erythropoietic activity was observed. There were decreased intestinal lesions and enhanced antioxidant activity across the treatment groups compared to the negative control. Administration of the combined extract did not cause damage to the liver as ALT, AST, and ALP levels were significantly reduced in the uninfected chickens treated with the extracts compared to control suggesting safety at the doses used. The combined aqueous extracts of K. senegalensis stem bark and Azadirachta indica leaves were ameliorative in chickens infected with coccidiosis