Swollen Forearm in an 11 year Old Nigerian Boy

The diagnostic challenges in an 11 year old boy with a swollen forearm in a resource limited country, Nigeria, is discussed, with a brief review of literature of the causes of forearm swelling in a child and vascular malformations. This case is presented because of the rarity of arteriovenous malformation and the difficulty in making a diagnosis due to its low level of suspicion as a differential diagnosis. In this country where there is paucity of vascular surgeons, the challenges of management of arteriovenous malformations and the various imaging modalities are discussed.KEY WORDS: Swollen forearm, Vascular malformation, Venography, Doppler scan, CT Angiograph

Phytochemical composition, cytotoxicity and in vitro antiplasmodial activity of fractions from Alafia barteri olive (Hook F. Icon)-Apocynaceae

The ethanolic extract of Alafia barteri (Hook F. Icon) was dissolved in distilled water and successively partitioned in n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The fractions were evaluated for phytochemical composition, lethality against brine shrimp larvae and in vitro antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum strain. The obtained results revealed that the roots and leaf extracts of A. barteri exhibited broad spectrum of antiplasmodial activity (IC50 1.5 ± 0.7–6.2 ± 0.80 μg/mL). The aqueous leaf fractions displayed the most potent antiplasmodial activity with an IC50 value of 1.5 ± 0.7 μg/mL, which is comparable to reference antimalarial drug (IC50 value of 1.3 ± 0.2 μg/mL). The leaf fractions displayed higher activity than the root extracts. The highest minimum lethal concentration (105.2 ± 0.8 ppm) was exhibited by the aqueous leaf extract followed closely by the root extract (120.2 ± 1.1 ppm). The leaf extracts contained higher polyphenols (45.3 ± 0.85 mgGAE/g) and flavonoids (18.10 ± 0.2 mgCTE/g) than the root extracts. The n-hexane and EtOAc extracts/fractions displayed lower activity on brine shrimp larvae

Effects of Fat Content and Packaging Materials on the Functional Properties and Storage Stability of Dika Nut (Irvingia gabonensis) Flour

This study evaluated the influence of fat content and choice of packaging material on the functional properties and shelf stability of dika nut flour. Dika nut flour was partially defatted to achieve two levels of fat content (12 and 9% fat). The partially defatted and full fat (67%) dika nut flour samples were packaged in high and low density polyethylene films. The flour samples were stored at ambient condition (26 + 2°C, 78 + 2% RH) for twelve weeks and changes in chemical composition, functional properties and microbiological qualities of the flour samples were determined using standard methods. The results obtained showed significant (p>0.05) increases in moisture (4.02 – 11.20%), free fatty acid (0.33 – 0.94%), peroxide value (2.30 – 11.50meq/kg), bulk density (0.26 – 0.71g/cm3), viscosity (12.53 – 48.90cP), total bacteria count (2.10 x 102 – 6.5 x 103cfu/g) and mould count (2.30 x 102 – 6.10 x 103cfu/g) of dika nut flour samples; while dispersibility (85.67 – 74.80%), water absorption capacity (25.50 – 20.65g/g) and oil  absorption capacity (5.07 – 3.60g/g) decreased significantly (p> 0.05) during storage. Models of regression equation (0.801 < R2 < 0.992) used to estimate the shelf life gave 34 weeks for dika nut flour (12% fat) and 33 weeks for dika nut flour (9% fat) packaged in high density polyethylene film while those packaged in low density polyethylene films gave shorter estimated shelf life of 15 weeks for full fat dika nut flour. The study showed that partial defatting could be used to improve the functional properties of dika nut flour for soup preparation as well as its storage stability.Keywords: Dika nut flour, functional properties, defatting, packaging materials, shelf life

Effect of Pleurotus tuberregium sclerotium on chemical, antimicrobial and sensory properties of packaged tomato paste

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most widely consumed fresh vegetables in the world. Due to its low shelf-life, it is processed into paste with added chemical preservatives. Pleurotus tuberregium (P.t.s) is a good source of bioactive compounds effective against microbial growth, in addition to its load of other nutrients. In this study, the physicochemical, microbial, antioxidant activity and sensory properties of packaged tomato paste supplemented with Pleurotus tuberregium sclerotium flour were investigated using standard methods. The tomato pastes and Pleurotus tuberregium sclerotium flour were mixed in ratios of 100:0, 95:5 and 90:10 after which they were stored in low-density polyethylene and plastic containers at ambient temperature. There was a haphazard decrease in the fungal count of the supplemented samples during storage. A progressive increase in antioxidant activity at different inhibition levels was observed, with the samples packaged in plastic having the highest value at 100mg/ml titration. The DPPH value range obtained for (Day 0), (Day 4) and (Day7) were 4.7 - 49.9%, 50.2 -53.8% and 50.0% - 52.2%, respectively. A slight decrease in vitamins and minerals composition of treated samples as compared to the control was evident after storage period. Moderate addition of 5 to 10% Pleurotus tuberregium sclerotium flour is effective in improving the physicochemical properties, vitamins and minerals content, antioxidant activity, sensory properties and microbial stability of the paste stored in plastic container. Keywords: Tomato paste, Pleurotus tuberregium sclerotium, low density polyethylene, plastic container, chemical compositio