Effects of Salt, Detergents and Alum on Fatty Acid Profile in Cooked Eggs

In Abakaliki, as in most other parts of Nigeria, it is a common practice among commercial sellers of boiled eggs to boil them with chemicals such as omo, klin, table salt and alum, which gives the egg ashy appearance after cooking.  The effects of cooking with these chemicals on the fatty acid profile of eggs from four species of birds (gallus gallus): Quail (corturnix delegorgei), Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris), local chicken (Gallus varius) and high-breed chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) were investigated. Fifteen eggs from each bird were bought from various places where they are reared in Abakaliki. Eggs were divided into five groups: A, B, C, D and E, with three eggs in each group. Eggs in groups A, B, C, and D were boiled with omo, klin, table salt and alum, respectively. Group E eggs served as the control group and were boiled with water only. Fatty acid profile was determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC, AKAPTA). The results showed significant (P<0.05) reduction of fatty acids contents of the eggs compared to the control. The effects which were species-dependent were found to be least in the quail egg and highest in the high-bred chicken. The detergents (klin and omo) had more devastating effects compared to alum and table salt. Thus boiling eggs with any of the chemicals studied reduces their nutritional quality and should be discouraged. Keywords: Egg, fatty acid profile, detergents, salt and alu

Multi-drug resistance and biofilm production among diarrheagenic Escherichia coli pathotypes isolated from stools of children with acute diarrheal disease

Background. Diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) is an etiological agent of childhood diarrhea. Resistance against commonly used drugs in the empirical treatment of enteric infections has increased among DEC. Relationship between antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation in microorganisms have been widely reported. This study was aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance and biofilm production pattern among DEC pathotypes isolated from stools of children aged 0–5 years with acute diarrheal disease in Abakaliki, Nigeria. Materials and methods. Diarrheal stool samples were obtained from 60 children and E. coli were isolated and identified using standard guidelines provided for laboratory diagnosis of enteric pathogens. Molecular identification was done by amplification of E. coli universal stress protein A (uspA) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Detection of virulent genes of DEC pathotypes was performed in a group of multiplex PCR using their specific primers. Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method was used to determine the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates while biofilms production was detected by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide dye in a 96-well plate. Results. DEC was isolated in 40 stools among which EIEC [40% (n = 16)] was commonly detected followed by ETEC [30% (n = 12)], EAEC [20% (n = 8)] and typical EPEC [10% (n = 4)]. Half of EAEC showed the highest multidrug resistance against ampicillin, cefoxitin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and tetracycline with the strongest biofilm production followed by all the EPEC which were resistant to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and tetracycline with moderate biofilm production. All the LT-ETEC exhibited the least resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline with the weakest biofilm production. Conclusion. High frequency of the EIEC pathotype suggests its role as the primary etiological agent of diarrhea in children. Correlation between high drug resistance and biofilm production among the pathotype may indicate that biofilms may provide compatible uptake of resistance genes

Cucumeropsis mannii seed oil ameliorates Bisphenol‐A‐induced adipokines dysfunctions and dyslipidemia

From Wiley via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2022-12-25, rev-recd 2023-01-07, accepted 2023-02-06, pub-electronic 2023-02-18Article version: VoRPublication status: PublishedThis study demonstrated the therapeutic potentials of Cucumeropsis mannii seed oil (CMSO) capable of alleviating BPA‐induced dyslipidemia and adipokine dysfunction. In this study, we evaluated the effects of CMSO on adipokine dysfunctions and dyslipidemia in bisphenol‐A (BPA)‐induced male Wistar rats. Six‐week‐old 36 albino rats of 100–200 g weight were assigned randomly to six groups, which received varied doses of BPA and/or CMSO. The administration of BPA and CMSO was done at the same time for 42 days by oral intubation. The adipokine levels and lipid profile were measured in adipose tissue and plasma using standard methods. BPA induced significant (p < .05) increases in triglycerides, cholesterol, leptin, LDL‐C, and atherogenic and coronary risk indices in adipose tissue and plasma, as well as a decrease in adiponectin and HDL‐C levels in Group II animals. BPA administration significantly (p < .05) elevated Leptin levels and reduced adiponectin levels. BPA plus CMSO reduced triglycerides, cholesterol, leptin, LDL‐C, and atherogenic and coronary risk indices while increasing adiponectin levels and HDL‐C in adipose tissue and plasma (p < .05). The results showed that BPA exposure increased adipose tissue as well as serum levels of the atherogenic index, triglycerides, cholesterol, coronary risk index, LDL‐C, leptin, and body weight with decreased adiponectin levels and HDL‐C. Treatment with CMSO reduced the toxicities caused by BPA in rats by modulating the body weight, adiponectin/leptin levels, and lipid profiles in serum and adipose tissue. This study has shown that CMSO ameliorates BPA‐induced dyslipidemia and adipokine dysfunctions. We suggest for further clinical trial to establish the clinical applications

Comparative Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) Analysis of Chemical Compounds of Moringa oleifera Leaves and Seeds from Abakaliki, Nigeria

Moringa oleifera is a medicinal plant widely used in forkloric medicine in Africa and Asia for the treatment of ailments such as ulcer, wound, inflammation, heart problem, cancer, stroke, obesity, anemia and liver damage. Moringa oleifera leaf and seed samples from Abakaliki, Nigeria were used for chemical constituents’ analysis. The chemical constituents of the methanol extract of Moringa oleifera leaves and seeds were investigated using Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Sixteen chemical constituents were identified in the leaf methanol extract with 9-octadecenoic acid (20.89%), L-(+)-ascorbic acid- 2,6-dihexadecanoate(19.66%), 14 –methyl -8-Hexadecenal  (8.11%) , 4- hydroxyl-4-methyl-2-pentanone (7.01%), 3-ethyl-2, 4-dimethyl-pentane (6.14%) and phytol (4.25%), octadeamethyl-cyclononasiloxane (1.23%), 1, 2-benzenedicarboxylic acid ( 2.46%), 3, 4-epoxy- ethanone comprising (1.78%), N-(-1-methylethyllidene)-benzene ethanamine (1.54%), 4, 8, 12, 16-tetramethylheptadecan-4-olide (2.77%), 3-5-bis (1, 1-dimethylethyl)-Phenol (2.55%), 1-Hexadecanol (1.23%), 3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethyl-2 hexadecene-1ol (1.17%), hexadecanoic acid (2.03%) and 1, 2, 3-propanetriyl ester-9 octadecenoic acid(1.23%) as the chemical constituents while five chemical constituents were identified in methanolic seed extract with oleic acid (84%), L-(+)- ascorbic acid- 2,6-dihexadecanoate (9.80%), 9-octadecenoic acid (1.88%), methyl ester-hexadecanoic acid (1.31%) and 9-octadecenamide (0.78%) as the chemical constituents.  The compounds identified through the GC-MS analysis were used in various applications as anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardio protective, cancer preventive, flavour and anti-infertility agents. Keywords: GC-MS analysis, chemical constituents, Moringa oleifera, methanol extract, leaves and seed

Assessment of the knowledge and management of diarrhoea among women in Abakaliki metropolis, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Background: Diarrhoea remains the 2nd cause of death among children globally despite the fact that the resources to control and prevent it are inexpensive and widely available. Aim: This study was carried out to evaluate the perception of mothers regarding diarrhoea so as to identify areas in need of further education and enlightenment campaign in this community. Methods: A total of 365 mothers were surveyed at 4 Primary Health Centers in Abakaliki, South-Eastern Nigeria between January and March 2015. Pre-tested questionnaires were administered to participants who had the information translated and explained to them in local dialects. Results: Piped water was not available in this metropolis. Most participants, 88.0%, (321/365) usually wash their hands with soap and water after using the toilet. Majority of the respondents, 93.7% (342/365) agreed that inadequate sanitation and hygiene was associated with childhood diarrhoea, but there were those who believed that teething, 48.0% (175/365) can also cause diarrhoea. Overall diarrhoea incidence in the study population was 38.4% (140/365). Prevalence was lowest in children below the age of 1 year (p=0.001). Hand washing and keeping children in daycare centers had negative and positive association with diarrhoea risk respectively. Management of diarrhoea with Oral Rehydration Salt/Salt Sugar Solution was most practiced by mothers above the age of 30 years (91.7%) as well as those with the highest level of education (92%) while management which included stopping breastfeeding and normal feeding were mostly practiced by mothers below 20 years (21.9% and 34.4% respectively) and those with primary level of education (15.1 % and 18.9% respectively). Conclusion: Health education and enlightenment campaign regarding hand washing, need to continue breastfeeding /normal feeding should be scaled up in this community, especially among young mothers, those with little or no formal education as well as in day care centers

NUTRITIONAL POTENTIAL OF AZADIRACHTA INDICA SEEDS

Azadirachta indica seeds have since remained unexploited as a possible source of nutrient probably due to its irritating odour, bitter taste and insufficient scientific data. Its application has majorly been in the treatment of diseases due to its great medicinal properties. The fresh seeds of Azadirachta indica (neem) fruit were analyzed for their proximate and mineral compositions using Standard Official Methods. The seeds were harvested, dried, the hard seed coat removed and the cotyledons ground to reduce particle size so as to expose larger surface area. The investigation for proximate composition revealed that the seeds contained 16.81 ± 0.65 % crude protein, 3.53 ± 0.46 % ash, 2.67 ± 0.58 % moisture, 35.13 ± 0.12% crude lipid, 3.87 ± 0.29 % crude fibre and 37.99 ± 1.88 % carbohydrate. Analysis of the mineral composition yielded the following values in µg/g of nitrate 7.17 ± 0.08, calcium 26.20 ± 9.41, magnesium 0.08 ± 0.03, phosphate 40.45 ± 2.54 and iron 2.70 ± 0.16. The result revealed that the seeds were very rich in crude protein which is usually low in plant materials, crude lipid and carbohydrate while fibre, ash and moisture occurred at lower amounts. The mineral analysis further revealed that fresh seeds of Azadirachta indica are potentially rich in mineral composition. Phosphate has the highest concentration of 40.45µg/ml followed by calcium, while the values of nitrate, iron and magnesium were relatively low with magnesium having the least concentration. These minerals are needed for the proper functioning of the body system. Phosphorus is an important constituent of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and nucleic acids and is also essential for acid-base balance, bone and tooth formation. Calcium is important in construction and maintenance of bone and normal function of nerves and muscles. This seed therefore can be useful for nutritional purposes in food/feed formulation and a valuable source of scarce plant protein. Keywords: Azadirachta indica, proximate, plant protein, minerals, seeds, feed, nee

Early onset of neurological features differentiates two outbreaks of Lassa fever in Ebonyi state, Nigeria during 2017-2018.

Lassa fever (LF) is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness with various non-specific clinical manifestations. Neurological symptoms are rare at the early stage of the disease, but may be seen in late stages, in severely ill patients.The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological evolution, socio-demographic profiles, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of patients seen during two Lassa fever outbreaks in Ebonyi State, between December 2017 and December 2018. Routinely collected clinical data from all patients admitted to the Virology Centre of the hospital during the period were analysed retrospectively. Out of a total of 83 cases, 70(84.3%) were RT-PCR confirmed while 13 (15.7%) were probable cases. Sixty-nine (83.1%) patients were seen in outbreak 1 of whom 53.6% were urban residents, while 19%, 15%, and 10% were farmers, students and health workers respectively. There were 14 (16.8%) patients, seen in second outbreak with 92.9% rural residents. There were differences in clinical symptoms, signs and laboratory findings between the two outbreaks. The case fatality rates were 29.9% in outbreak 1 and 85.7% for outbreak 2. Neurological features and abnormal laboratory test results were associated with higher mortality rate, seen in outbreak 2. This study revealed significant differences between the two outbreaks. Of particular concern was the higher case fatality during the outbreak 2 which may be from a more virulent strain of the Lassa virus. This has important public health implications and further molecular studies are needed to better define its characteristics

<i>Cucumeropsis mannii</i> seed oil ameliorates Bisphenol‐A‐induced adipokines dysfunctions and dyslipidemia

From Crossref journal articles via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: epub 2023-02-18, issued 2023-02-18Article version: VoRPublication status: Publishe

<i>Cucumeropsis mannii</i> seed oil protects against bisphenol A-induced hepatotoxicity by mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress in rats

From Crossref journal articles via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: epub 2023-10-20, issued 2023-10-20Article version: AMPublication status: PublishedOBJECTIVES This study looked at how CMSO affected male Wistar albino rats' liver damage caused by bisphenol A. METHODS The standard HPLC method was used to assess the CMSO's phenolic content. Then, six (n = 8) groups of forty-eight (48) male Wistar rats (150 20 g) each received either CMSO or olive oil before being exposed to BPA for 42 days. Groups: A (one milliliter of olive oil, regardless of weight), B (BPA 100 mg/kg body weight (BW)), C (CMSO 7.5 mg/kg BW), D (CMSO 7.5 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW), E (CMSO 5.0 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW), and F (CMSO 2.5 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW). KEY FINDINGS A surprising abundance of flavonoids, totaling 17.8006 10.95 g/100 g, were found in the HPLC data. Malondialdehyde, liver enzymes, reactive oxygen species, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin levels were all significantly elevated by BPA (p 0.05). Additionally, nuclear factor-B, interleukin-6, interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor, and histological alterations were all considerably (p 0.05) caused by BPA. The altered biochemical markers and histology were, however, noticeably recovered by CMSO to a level that was comparable to the control. CONCLUSION Due to the abundance of flavonoid components in the oil, CMSO protects the liver from BPA-induced hepatotoxicity by lowering oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions

Cucumeropsis mannii seed oil protects against bisphenol A-induced hepatotoxicity by mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress in rats

From Oxford University Press via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2023-07-05, accepted 2023-10-11, epub 2023-10-20, cover 2024-01, collection 2024-01-01, corrected-typeset 2024-03-05Acknowledgements: We appreciate the management of the Department of Biochemistry Institutional Research Ethics Committee, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria.Publication status: PublishedObjectives: This study looked at how Cucumeropsis mannii seed oil (CMSO) affected male Wistar albino rats’ liver damage caused by bisphenol A (BPA). Methods: The standard HPLC method was used to assess the CMSO’s phenolic content. Then, six (n = 8) groups of 48 male Wistar rats (150 20 g) each received either CMSO or olive oil before being exposed to BPA for 42 days. Groups: A (1 ml of olive oil, regardless of weight), B (BPA 100 mg/kg body weight (BW)), C (CMSO 7.5 mg/kg BW), D (CMSO 7.5 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW), E (CMSO 5.0 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW), and F (CMSO 2.5 mg/kg BW + BPA 100 mg/kg BW). Key findings: A surprising abundance of flavonoids, totalling 17.8006 10.95 g/100 g, were found in the HPLC data. Malondialdehyde, liver enzymes, reactive oxygen species, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin levels were all significantly elevated by BPA (P = 0.05). Additionally, nuclear factor-B, interleukin-6, interleukin-1, tumour necrosis factor, and histological alterations were all considerably (P = 0.05) caused by BPA. The altered biochemical markers and histology were, however, noticeably recovered by CMSO to a level that was comparable to the control. Conclusions: Due to the abundance of flavonoid components in the oil, CMSO protects the liver from BPA-induced hepatotoxicity by lowering oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions