Pharmacognostic and physicochemical analysis of the leaves of Fadogia andersonii Robyns (Rubiaceae)

Fadogia andersonii has long been used in Africa in treatment of diseases including inflammation, arthritis, malaria and as aphrodisiac. The use and demand of this medicinal plants has been growing over long period of time. This study was carried out to determine some important pharmacognostic parameters of F. andersonii leaf. Evaluation of the fresh, powdered leaves was carried out to determine the macro-morphological, qualitative and quantitative microscopic, chemomicroscopic features, physicochemical properties and elemental analysis of the leaves. The leaves are pinnate opposite arranged, oblique lamina, glabrous appearance, elliptical in shape, entire margin with reticulate venation. The microscopy revealed straight polygonal wall of epidermal cells, paracytic stomata, unicellular trichomes, xylem, phloem, prismatic & druse crystals, and starch grains. Chemomicroscopy revealed presence of cellulose, cutin, lignin, tannins, starch, calcium oxalate crystals and gum & mucilage. The physicochemical parameters for the leaves estimated include moisture contents (13.11%), total ash value (5.67%), water soluble ash (1.33%), acid insoluble ash (2.00%), water extractive values (13.33%) and alcohol extractive values (10.67%). Elemental analysis revealed the presence of iron, copper, manganese, zinc, nickel, and lead. The pharmacognostic standard observed in this study will be of help in correct identification and quality control of F. andersonii

Stress Level and Academic Performance among Students of Colleges of Health Sciences and Technology in Funtua Senatorial District, Katsina State Nigeria

The cutting-edge world, which is said to be a world of accomplishment, is additionally a world of stress. One discovers stress all over. As a result of the various inner and external pressures piled on students, stress has become a part of their academic lives in institutions like colleges of health sciences and technology. This study hence explored the sources and level of stress among students at the colleges of health sciences and technology in Katsina State. The relationship between stress and academic performance was also examined in relation to the students' age, gender, and level of study. Based on a cross-sectional study design, 169 male and 136 female students were recruited using stratified random sampling techniques from selected health science and technology colleges. Data was collected using questionnaires that measured presence and stress levels and the different sources of stress in the academic institutions. Academic performance was assessed from the students’ examinations results. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. To determine whether the research questions were statistically significant, Chi Square statistics were used. The analyses were done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 computer program. The average mean and standard deviation of the sources of stress are 2.1357 and 0.7699 respectively and they are worried of examination, too much continuous assessment, among others. Understanding these sources from diverse perspectives will assist the management in tailoring interventions that will combine the most effective strategies for students. As a result, improving the holistic well-being of a student will ultimately be productive not only for the individual student, but for the overall productivity of the institution as well as the academic performance of the institution as assessed by its students

Comparative Larvicidal Properties and Detoxification Machinery of Bioactive Fractions of Leaf Extracts of Hyptis Suaveolens and Chromolaena Odorata on Anopheles gambiae s.l from North West Nigeria.

Malaria is endemic in Nigeria and the impact of chemical insecticides is being undermined by widespread resistance in mosquito vectors. This calls for development of alternative bio-insecticidal approach. The aim of this work was to determine the active fractions of leaves of Hyptis. suaveolens and Chromolena. odorata with insecticidal potential on the larva of Anopheles gambiae s.l. Leaf extracts of the two plants were screen for phytochemicals and the active fractions were subjected to GC-MS analysis. In addition, the detoxification enzymes (GST, esterase and cytochromes P450) as well Glutathione levels on the susceptible and resistant individuals of the larvae were biochemically assayed. Larval bioassay was carried out by the standard procedure described by WHO. The phytochemicals detected include flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, alkaloids, phenols and phlobatannins. Butanol fracton of H. suaveolens displayed higher larvicidal activity (LC50 2167.92ppm) followed by the aqueous fraction (LC50 2613.01ppm). Both butanol and aqueous fractions of C. odorata also displayed larvicidal activities (LC50 3117.97ppm; LC50 3497.27ppm) respectively, but were lower than that observed in Hyptis suaveolens. Biochemical assay of the detoxification enzymes showed significance difference at P <0.05 between the resistant and susceptible larvae for all enzymes. There was however no significant difference in the levels detoxification enzymes in both resistant and susceptible individuals for butanol and aqueous fractions of H. suaveolens when compared with their corresponding fractions of C. odorata at P< 0.05 respectively. The observations recorded in this study showed a promising larvicidal potential of these two plants which if further characterized could offer a promising novel bioinsecticide compound that could substitute the present classes of chemical insecticides used in malaria vector control

Nanoemulsified gamma-oryzanol rich fraction blend regulates hepatic cholesterol metabolism and cardiovascular disease risk in hypercholesterolaemic rats

We have reported that a bioactive-rich fraction, called EORY, from a combination of supercritical fluid-extracted rice bran oil and palm oil has abundant gamma-oryzanol, tocopherols and tocotrienol. Moreover, EORY has balanced composition of polyunsaturated:saturated fatty acids, with the potential for hypocholesterolaemic and antioxidant effects. However, the bioactive compounds in EORY are lipophilic and therefore pose bioavailability problems. This study evaluated the cardioprotective effects of orally-administered EORY emulsion and its nanoemulsion (NEORY) on diet-induced hypercholesterolaemic rats. NEORY reduced body weight gain, heart weight, lipid parameters and oxidised LDL, and improved HDL better than EORY and simvastatin. NEORY also significantly increased hepatic mRNA expression of HMGCoA reductase, apolipoprotein A1 and LDLR, and lowered apolipoprotein B and LPL. The effects of NEORY on lipid parameters, lipid peroxidation markers and hepatic cholesterol metabolism suggested that it could regulate the risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly due to increased absorption of gamma-oryzanol, tocopherols and tocotrienol

Characterization of rice bran wax policosanol and its nanoemulsion formulation

Policosanol, a mixture of long-chain alcohols found in animal and plant waxes, has several biological effects; however, it has a bioavailability of less than 10%. Therefore, there is a need to improve its bioavailability, and one of the ways of doing this is by nanoemulsion formulation. Different droplet size distributions are usually achieved when emulsions are formed, which solely depends on the preparation method used. Mostly, emulsions are intended for better delivery with maintenance of the characteristics and properties of the leading components. In this study, policosanol was extracted from rice bran wax, its composition was determined by gas chromatography mass spectrophotometry, nanoemulsion was made, and the physical stability characteristics were determined. The results showed that policosanol nanoemulsion has a nanosize particle distribution below 100 nm (92.56–94.52 nm), with optimum charge distribution (-55.8 to -45.12 mV), pH (6.79–6.92) and refractive index (1.50); these were monitored and found to be stable for 8 weeks. The stability of policosanol nanoemulsion confers the potential to withstand long storage times

Common mental disorders in mothers of children attending out-patient malnutrition clinics in rural North-western Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition are managed routinely within out-patient malnutrition treatment programs. These programs do not offer maternal mental health support services, despite maternal mental health playing a significant role in the nutritional status of children. Additionally, the burden of maternal Common Mental Disorders (CMDs) is poorly described among mothers of children attending these programs. This study thus determined the burden and risk factors for maternal CMDs among children attending out-patient malnutrition clinics in rural North-western Nigeria. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 204 mothers of children with severe acute malnutrition who attending eight out-patient malnutrition clinics in Jigawa, North-western Nigeria. We used the World Health Organization Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (WHO SRQ-20) screening tool, a recognised and validated proxy measure for CMDs to identify mothers with CMDs. The prevalence of maternal CMDs was determined by identifying the proportion of mothers with SRQ scores of ≥8. Risk factors for CMD were determined using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Maternal CMD prevalence in children attending these facilities was high at 40.7%. Non-receipt of oral polio vaccine (OPV) (AOR 6.23, 95%CI 1.85 to 20.92) increased the odds for CMD. While spousal age above 40 (AOR 0.95, 95%CI 0.90 to 0.99) and long years spent married (AOR 0.92, 95%CI 0.85 to 0.98) decreased the odds for CMD. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate maternal CMD burden is high in out-patient malnutrition clinics in North-western Nigeria. Maternal mental health services would need to be integrated into the community management of acute malnutrition programs to provide more holistic care, and possibly improve long-term outcomes after discharge from these programs

Estrogen receptor modulatory effects of germinated brown rice bioactives in the uterus of rats through the regulation of estrogen-induced genes

PURPOSE: The expression of genes regulated by estrogen in the uterus was studied in ovariectomized (OVX) rats treated with germinated brown rice (GBR) bioactives, and compared to Remifemin or estrogen at different doses to identify the regulation of these genes in the uterus and their molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Rats were treated orally with GBR bioactives (phenolics), acylated steryl glucosides (ASG), γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), and γ-oryzanol (ORZ) at 100 and 200 mg/kg, Remifemin (REM) at 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg, or estrogen (EST) at 0.2 mg/kg. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from the uterus, and messenger (m)RNA expression of selected genes encoding estrogen receptor-beta (ER-β), calcium-binding protein (CaBP9k), complement protein (C3), heat shock protein 70 kDa (HSP70), and interleukin (IL)-4 receptor were quantified. Similarly, serum steroid hormone concentration was monitored at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatments. ER-β antibody binding to the uterus sections was also studied using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The group treated with EST (0.2 mg/kg) upregulated ER-β, C3, and IL-4 receptor genes compared to other groups (P0.05) in the progesterone levels in the OVX untreated group compared to the sham and other treated groups. There was a significant increase at 8 weeks in the level of FSH (P0.05) in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) between the OVX untreated group and other groups. The sham and GBR phenolics treated group showed ER-β reactivity at the glandular epithelium, while the group treated with EST showed immunoreactivity at the glandular, luminal, and stromal epithelium. CONCLUSION: GBR phenolics moderately regulate the expression of ER-β, HSP70, and IL-4 receptor genes, and gave a positive immunoreaction to ER-β antigen in the uterus. ASG regulates the expression of CaBP9k and IL-4 receptor genes, and ORZ regulates the expression of the CaBP9k gene, while GABA at 100 mg/kg regulates the expression of the HSP70 gene. GBR and its bioactives might have an effect on estrogen-regulated genes in the uterus of rats

Neurodegenerative Potential of the Aqueous Leaf Extract of Ocimum gratissimum: A Histological and Biochemical Study

Ocimum gratissimum is an herbaceous perennial shrub which is widely distributed in many regions. It is consumed in food as seasoning locally in Nigeria. In the present study, the effect of the acute administration of the aqueous leaf extract of Ocimum gratissimum (AeOG) on prefrontal cortical neurons was checked to assess its neurotoxicity potential. Thirty adult male Wistar rats weighing between 190-210 g were divided into 5 groups (n=6). Group A (control) received 1 ml of normal saline (p.o), groups B-E received 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg AeOG (p.o) respectively. Treatment lasted for fourteen days. Twenty-four hours after treatment, animals were sacrificed and their brains were removed. The prefrontal cortices neuronal morphology was studied using haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain; while activities of acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were assayed in the cerebral homogenate. AeOG administration at doses 300 and 400 mg/kg cause neuronal fragmentation and central chromatolysis with significant (P<0.05) increases in the activities of cerebral ACP and ALP. Our findings show that the acute use of AeOG caused neuronal fragmentation and central chromatolysis which are response to axonal injuries and may leads to onset of neurodegenerative diseases and affect cognitive and executive functions of the prefrontal cortex.Keywords: Ocimum gratissimum, Acid Phosphatase (ACP), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Neurogenerative diseases, Ra

Dichlorvos Induced AChE Inhibition in Discrete Brain Regions and the Neuro-Cognitive Implications: Ameliorative Effect of Nigella Sativa

Background: There has been a rise in accidental poisoning cases resulting from the indiscriminate use and exposure to Dichlorvos (DDVP), especially in developing countries, and no antidote with satisfactory efficacy is currently available. Thus, we investigated the AChE reactivation potential of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) following DDVP induced AChE inhibition patterns in the brain and the associated cognitive implications. Methods: Fourty Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of 10 each.; The controls were administered PBS (1 ml/kg); DDVP (8.8 mg/kg) was given to the experimental group I; while DDVP+NSO (8.8 mg/kg + 1 ml/kg) and NSO (1 ml/kg) was administered orally to the experimental groups II and III respectively. All treatments lasted for 14 consecutive days. Morris Water Maze (MWM) paradigm was used to assess the working memory, then rats were euthanized, the brain excised, three brains were fixed for histological examination (Nissl staining), and the other seven brains were homogenized for AChE activity and Ca2+ concentrations. Data were analyzed statistically, using ANOVA method and P values of ≤0.05 was considered as significant. Results: In this study, DDVP differentially inhibited AChE activities in various brain regions: cerebellum (86.1%), hippocampus (40.6%), frontal cortex (33.2%), medulla (21.5%), spinal cord (14.8%), and occipital cortex (8.9%). It reduced Ca2+ concentration, but had no effect on the delayed escape latency in the MWM, nor impaired the neuro-architectures. NSO caused increased AChE activities, Ca2+ concentration and reduced escape latency, and improved histologic architectures. Conclusion: We concluded that NSO reactivated DDVP-induced AChE inhibition and improved memory indices, thus, it may serve as a potential treatment in the management of DDVP poisoning cases