Quantitative and qualitative assessment of maternal and child health services among hard-to-reach communities in Adamawa State, Nigeria

Background: Recent global reports highlighted the significance of improving the quality of healthcare delivery in all settings, including rural and hard-to-reach communities, as a central strategy for attaining sustainable development goals in universal health coverage. Objectives: This study aimed to assess and document relevant data associated with delivering qualitative Maternal and Child health services in the HTR communities using carefully selected indicators. Methods: The study used a mixed-design approach of quantitative and qualitative methods. Results: This study report high performance on the first antenatal visit (ANC 1), use of modern contraceptives (CPR), Penta 3, measles vaccination coverage, and, Low dropout rate also noticed in Penta 3, thus signifying a generally good performance in all the Local Government areas. Furthermore, Yola South, Fufore, Toungo, Ganye and Michika LGA were found to be the best performing LGAs on the selected maternal and Child indicators, namely: (ANC1), ANC4, ANC8, Institutional delivery rate, and Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR), while Gombi, Guyuk and Madagali LGAs were the poorest performing LGAs. The poor performance of the fore mentioned LGAs was associated with human and environmental interferences: ongoing security challenges, high HTR communities due to mountains and riverine, low level of education, inadequate outreach services during the period under review, poverty, lack of adequate emergency transport system, inadequate HRH, inadequate and poor infrastructure, many communities lack a comprehensive PHC. Conclusion: The assessment highlights LGAs with low utilization of MCH services in HTR communities in Adamawa State, the reasons for the low coverage,  and the possible strategies for increased utilization of these services

Wild Morchella conica Pers. from different origins: a comparative study of nutritional and bioactive properties

Morchella conica Pers. is a species of fungus that belongs to the Morchellaceae family and was studied in order to obtain more information about this species, by comparing Portuguese and Serbian wild samples. Free sugars, fatty acids, tocopherols, organic and phenolic acids were analysed by chromatographic techniques. M. conica methanolic extracts were tested regarding antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The absence of hepatotoxicity was confirmed in porcine liver primary cells.The authors are grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) and COMPETE/QREN/EU for financial support to this work (research project PTDC/AGR-ALI/110062/2009 and BPD/4609/2008 to L. Barros) and to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011). The authors also thank Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development for financial support (grant number 173032)

Fabrication of a Multi-Walled Nanotube (MWNT) Ionic Liquid Electrode and Its Application for Sensing Phenolics in Red Wines

A multi-walled nanotube (MWNT) ionic liquid was prepared by the immobilization of 1-butylimidazole bromide onto an epoxy group on a poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-grafted MWNT, which was synthesized by radiation-induced graft polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate onto MWNT in an aqueous solution. Subsequently, a MWNT ionic liquid electrode was fabricated by hand-casting MWNT ionic liquid, tyrosinase, and chitosan solution as a binder on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass. The sensing ranges of the MWNT ionic liquid electrode with immobilized tyrosinase was in the range of 0.01-0.08 mM in a phosphate buffer solution. The optimal conditions such as pH, temperature, and effects of different phenolic compounds were determined. The total phenolic compounds of three commercial red wines were also determined on the tyrosinase-immobilized biosensor

Fabrication of a Microbial Biosensor Based on QD-MWNT Supports by a One-Step Radiation Reaction and Detection of Phenolic Compounds in Red Wines

An Acaligense sp.-immobilized biosensor was fabricated based on QD-MWNT composites as an electron transfer mediator and a microbe immobilization support by a one-step radiation reaction and used for sensing phenolic compounds in commercial red wines. First, a quantum dot-modified multi-wall carbon nanotube (QD-MWNT) composite was prepared in the presence of MWNT by a one-step radiation reaction in an aqueous solution at room temperature. The successful preparation of the QD-MWNT composite was confirmed by XPS, TEM, and elemental analysis. Second, the microbial biosensor was fabricated by immobilization of Acaligense sp. on the surface of the composite thin film of a glassy carbon (GC) electrode, which was prepared by a hand casting method with a mixture of the previously obtained composite and Nafion solution. The sensing ranges of the microbial biosensor based on CdS-MWNT and Cu2S-MWNT supports were 0.5–5.0 mM and 0.7–10 mM for phenol in a phosphate buffer solution, respectively. Total concentration of phenolic compounds contained in commercial red wines was also determined using the prepared microbial immobilized biosensor

Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of non-refined sugarcane alternatives to white sugar

[EN] Antioxidant properties of commercial sugarcane-derived products were analysed to study their suitability for being used as functional ingredients. Cane honey, several jaggeries and several brown sugars were selected from the market and analysed in terms of physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant properties, and compared with white refined sugar (twelve products in total). Moisture, water activity, total soluble solids, pH, colour and sugar profile are reported. As for antioxidant properties, total phenols and flavonoid content, as well as antiradical ability (DPPH. and the TEAC-ABTS methods), are given. All sugarcane products contained phenols and flavonoids and exhibited in vitro antioxidant activity, determined by degree of refining. Among the alternatives analysed, jaggeries and cane honey showed the best antioxidant properties. Thermal treatment did not significantly affect the antioxidant capacity of sugarcane products, especially jaggeries. As sugar-rich products are widely consumed worldwide, the use of non-refined sugarcane derivatives in food formulation is encouraged.The authors would like to acknowledge the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (Project PAID2010-2420) and Generalitat Valenciana Government (GV/2013/047) for financial support.Seguí Gil, L.; Calabuig Jimenez, L.; Betoret Valls, N.; Fito Maupoey, P. (2015). Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of non-refined sugarcane alternatives to white sugar. International Journal of Food Science and Technology. 50(12):2579-2588. doi:10.1111/ijfs.12926S257925885012Abbas, S. R., Sabir, S. M., Ahmad, S. D., Boligon, A. A., & Athayde, M. L. (2014). Phenolic profile, antioxidant potential and DNA damage protecting activity of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum). Food Chemistry, 147, 10-16. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.09.113Amer, S., Na, K.-J., El-Abasy, M., Motobu, M., Koyama, Y., Koge, K., & Hirota, Y. (2004). 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K., Tan, S. P., Lianto, F. S., & Yong, M. Y. (2009). Effects of different drying methods on the antioxidant properties of leaves and tea of ginger species. Food Chemistry, 113(1), 166-172. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.07.090Dawidowicz, A. L., Wianowska, D., & Olszowy, M. (2012). On practical problems in estimation of antioxidant activity of compounds by DPPH method (Problems in estimation of antioxidant activity). Food Chemistry, 131(3), 1037-1043. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.09.067Del Caro, A., Piga, A., Vacca, V., & Agabbio, M. (2004). Changes of flavonoids, vitamin C and antioxidant capacity in minimally processed citrus segments and juices during storage. Food Chemistry, 84(1), 99-105. doi:10.1016/s0308-8146(03)00180-8Dittrich, R., El-massry, F., Kunz, K., Rinaldi, F., Peich, C. C., Beckmann, M. W., & Pischetsrieder, M. (2003). Maillard Reaction Products Inhibit Oxidation of Human Low-Density Lipoproteins in Vitro. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 51(13), 3900-3904. doi:10.1021/jf026172sDowd, L. E. (1959). Spectrophotometric Determination of Quercetin. Analytical Chemistry, 31(7), 1184-1187. doi:10.1021/ac60151a033Maurício Duarte-Almeida, J., Novoa, A. V., Linares, A. F., Lajolo, F. M., & Inés Genovese, M. (2006). Antioxidant Activity of Phenolics Compounds From Sugar Cane (Saccharum officinarum L.) Juice. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 61(4), 187-192. doi:10.1007/s11130-006-0032-6Duarte-Almeida, J. M., Negri, G., Salatino, A., de Carvalho, J. E., & Lajolo, F. M. (2007). Antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of a tricin acylated glycoside from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) juice. Phytochemistry, 68(8), 1165-1171. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2007.01.015EL-ABASY, M., MOTOBU, M., NA, K.-J., SHIMURA, K., NAKAMURA, K., KOGE, K., … HIROTA, Y. (2003). Protective Effects of Sugar Cane Extracts (SCE) on Eimeria tenella Infection in Chickens. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, 65(8), 865-871. doi:10.1292/jvms.65.865El-Abasy, M., Motobu, M., Nakamura, K., Koge, K., Onodera, T., Vainio, O., … Hirota, Y. (2004). Preventive and therapeutic effects of sugar cane extract on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in chickens. International Immunopharmacology, 4(8), 983-990. doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2004.01.019Feng, S., Luo, Z., Zhang, Y., Zhong, Z., & Lu, B. (2014). Phytochemical contents and antioxidant capacities of different parts of two sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) cultivars. Food Chemistry, 151, 452-458. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.11.057Harish Nayaka, M. A., Sathisha, U. V., Manohar, M. P., Chandrashekar, K. B., & Dharmesh, S. M. (2009). Cytoprotective and antioxidant activity studies of jaggery sugar. Food Chemistry, 115(1), 113-118. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.11.067Kadam, U. S., Ghosh, S. B., De, S., Suprasanna, P., Devasagayam, T. P. A., & Bapat, V. A. (2008). Antioxidant activity in sugarcane juice and its protective role against radiation induced DNA damage. Food Chemistry, 106(3), 1154-1160. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.07.066KOGE, K., NAGAI, Y., MIZUTANI, T., SUZUKI, M., & ARAKI, S. (2001). Inhibitory Effects of Sugar Cane Extracts on Liver Injuries in Mice. NIPPON SHOKUHIN KAGAKU KOGAKU KAISHI, 48(4), 231-237. doi:10.3136/nskkk.48.231Kumazawa, S., Hamasaka, T., & Nakayama, T. (2004). Antioxidant activity of propolis of various geographic origins. Food Chemistry, 84(3), 329-339. doi:10.1016/s0308-8146(03)00216-4Lin, J.-Y., & Tang, C.-Y. (2007). Determination of total phenolic and flavonoid contents in selected fruits and vegetables, as well as their stimulatory effects on mouse splenocyte proliferation. Food Chemistry, 101(1), 140-147. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2006.01.014LO, D.-Y., CHEN, T.-H., CHIEN, M.-S., KOGE, K., HOSONO, A., KAMINOGAWA, S., & LEE, W.-C. (2005). Effects of Sugar Cane Extract on the Modulation of Immunity in Pigs. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, 67(6), 591-597. doi:10.1292/jvms.67.591Luximon-Ramma, A., Bahorun, T., Soobrattee, M. A., & Aruoma, O. I. (2002). Antioxidant Activities of Phenolic, Proanthocyanidin, and Flavonoid Components in Extracts ofCassia fistula. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 50(18), 5042-5047. doi:10.1021/jf0201172Motobu, M., Amer, S., Koyama, Y., Hikosaka, K., Sameshima, T., Yamada, M., … Hirota, Y. (2006). Protective effects of sugar cane extract on endotoxic shock in mice. Phytotherapy Research, 20(5), 359-363. doi:10.1002/ptr.1860Ozgen, M., Reese, R. N., Tulio, A. Z., Scheerens, J. C., & Miller, A. R. (2006). Modified 2,2-Azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic Acid (ABTS) Method to Measure Antioxidant Capacity of Selected Small Fruits and Comparison to Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and 2,2‘-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) Methods. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(4), 1151-1157. doi:10.1021/jf051960dPayet, B., Shum Cheong Sing, A., & Smadja, J. (2005). Assessment of Antioxidant Activity of Cane Brown Sugars by ABTS and DPPH Radical Scavenging Assays:  Determination of Their Polyphenolic and Volatile Constituents. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53(26), 10074-10079. doi:10.1021/jf0517703Phillips, K. M., Carlsen, M. H., & Blomhoff, R. (2009). Total Antioxidant Content of Alternatives to Refined Sugar. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109(1), 64-71. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2008.10.014Re, R., Pellegrini, N., Proteggente, A., Pannala, A., Yang, M., & Rice-Evans, C. (1999). Antioxidant activity applying an improved ABTS radical cation decolorization assay. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 26(9-10), 1231-1237. doi:10.1016/s0891-5849(98)00315-3Vijaya Kumar Reddy, C., Sreeramulu, D., & Raghunath, M. (2010). Antioxidant activity of fresh and dry fruits commonly consumed in India. 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Flavonoids, Phenolics, and Antioxidant Capacity in the Flower of Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.

Flavonoids and phenolics are abundant in loquat flowers. Methanol had the highest extraction efficiency among five solvents, followed by ethanol. Considering the safety and residue, ethanol is better as extraction solvent. The average content of flavonoids and phenolics of loquat flower of five cultivars were 1.59 ± 0.24 and 7.86 ± 0.87 mg/g DW, respectively, when using ethanol as extraction solvent. The contents of both bioactive components in flowers at different developmental stages and in the various flower tissues clearly differed, with the highest flavonoids and phenolics content in flowers of stage 3 (flower fully open) and petal, respectively. The antioxidant capacity was measured using FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS methods. The values of ABTS method was highest, followed by DPPH, the lowest was FRAP, when using vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC) as unit. Correlation analysis showed that the ABTS method showed the highest correlation coefficients with flavonoids and phenolics, i.e., 0.886 and 0.973, respectively

Effect of CO2 Enrichment on Synthesis of Some Primary and Secondary Metabolites in Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)

The effect of two different CO2 concentrations (400 and 800 μmol mol−1) on the photosynthesis rate, primary and secondary metabolite syntheses and the antioxidant activities of the leaves, stems and rhizomes of two Zingiber officinale varieties (Halia Bentong and Halia Bara) were assessed in an effort to compare and validate the medicinal potential of the subterranean part of the young ginger. High photosynthesis rate (10.05 μmol CO2 m−2s−1 in Halia Bara) and plant biomass (83.4 g in Halia Bentong) were observed at 800 μmol mol−1 CO2. Stomatal conductance decreased and water use efficiency increased with elevated CO2 concentration. Total flavonoids (TF), total phenolics (TP), total soluble carbohydrates (TSC), starch and plant biomass increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in all parts of the ginger varieties under elevated CO2 (800 μmol mol−1). The order of the TF and TP increment in the parts of the plant was rhizomes > stems > leaves. More specifically, Halia Bara had a greater increase of TF (2.05 mg/g dry weight) and TP (14.31 mg/g dry weight) compared to Halia Bentong (TF: 1.42 mg/g dry weight; TP: 9.11 mg/g dry weight) in average over the whole plant. Furthermore, plants with the highest rate of photosynthesis had the highest TSC and phenolics content. Significant differences between treatments and species were observed for TF and TP production. Correlation coefficient showed that TSC and TP content are positively correlated in both varieties. The antioxidant activity, as determined by the ferric reducing/antioxidant potential (FRAP) activity, increased in young ginger grown under elevated CO2. The FRAP values for the leaves, rhizomes and stems extracts of both varieties grown under two different CO2 concentrations (400 and 800 μmol mol−1) were significantly lower than those of vitamin C (3107.28 μmol Fe (II)/g) and α-tocopherol (953 μmol Fe (II)/g), but higher than that of BHT (74.31 μmol Fe (II)/g). These results indicate that the plant biomass, primary and secondary metabolite synthesis, and following that, antioxidant activities of Malaysian young ginger varieties can be enhanced through controlled environment (CE) and CO2 enrichment

Involvement of Nitrogen on Flavonoids, Glutathione, Anthocyanin, Ascorbic Acid and Antioxidant Activities of Malaysian Medicinal Plant Labisia pumila Blume (Kacip Fatimah)

A split plot 3 by 4 experiment was designed to characterize the relationship between production of gluthatione (GSH), oxidized gluthatione (GSSG), total flavonoid, anthocyanin, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activities (FRAP and DPPH) in three varieties of Labisia pumila Blume, namely the varieties alata, pumila and lanceolata, under four levels of nitrogen fertilization (0, 90, 180 and 270 kg N/ha) for 15 weeks. The treatment effects were solely contributed by nitrogen application; there was neither varietal nor interaction effects observed. As the nitrogen levels decreased from 270 to 0 kg N/ha, the production of GSH and GSSG, anthocyanin, total flavonoid and ascorbic acid increased steadily. At the highest nitrogen treatment level, L. pumila exhibited significantly lower antioxidant activities (DPPH and FRAP) than those exposed to limited nitrogen growing conditions. Significant positive correlation was obtained between antioxidant activities (DPPH and FRAP), total flavonoid, GSH, GSSG, anthocyanin and ascorbic acid suggesting that an increase in the antioxidative activities in L. pumila under low nitrogen fertilization could be attributed to higher contents of these compounds. From this observation, it could be concluded that in order to avoid negative effects on the quality of L. pumila, it is advisable to avoid excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer when cultivating the herb for its medicinal use

The use of plants in the traditional management of diabetes in Nigeria: Pharmacological and toxicological considerations

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The prevalence of diabetes is on a steady increase worldwide and it is now identified as one of the main threats to human health in the 21st century. In Nigeria, the use of herbal medicine alone or alongside prescription drugs for its management is quite common. We hereby carry out a review of medicinal plants traditionally used for diabetes management in Nigeria. Based on the available evidence on the species׳ pharmacology and safety, we highlight ways in which their therapeutic potential can be properly harnessed for possible integration into the country׳s healthcare system. Materials and methods: Ethnobotanical information was obtained from a literature search of electronic databases such as Google Scholar, Pubmed and Scopus up to 2013 for publications on medicinal plants used in diabetes management, in which the place of use and/or sample collection was identified as Nigeria. ‘Diabetes’ and ‘Nigeria’ were used as keywords for the primary searches; and then ‘Plant name – accepted or synonyms’, ‘Constituents’, ‘Drug interaction’ and/or ‘Toxicity’ for the secondary searches. Results: The hypoglycemic effect of over a hundred out of the 115 plants reviewed in this paper is backed by preclinical experimental evidence, either in vivo or in vitro. One-third of the plants have been studied for their mechanism of action, while isolation of the bioactive constituent(s) has been accomplished for twenty three plants. Some plants showed specific organ toxicity, mostly nephrotoxic or hepatotoxic, with direct effects on the levels of some liver function enzymes. Twenty eight plants have been identified as in vitro modulators of P-glycoprotein and/or one or more of the cytochrome P450 enzymes, while eleven plants altered the levels of phase 2 metabolic enzymes, chiefly glutathione, with the potential to alter the pharmacokinetics of co-administered drugs. Conclusion: This review, therefore, provides a useful resource to enable a thorough assessment of the profile of plants used in diabetes management so as to ensure a more rational use. By anticipating potential toxicities or possible herb–drug interactions, significant risks which would otherwise represent a burden on the country׳s healthcare system can be avoided