Nutritional Assessment of Some Nigerian Land and Water Snail Species.

Proximate and mineral analyses were carried out on Nigeria's three land (Archachatina marginata ovum, Archachatina marginata saturalis and Limicolaria spp) and two fresh water (Lanistes varicus and Nucella lapillus) snail species for nutritional assessment using their muscular foot tissues. The mean of crude protein ranged from 70.00 ± 0.03 in Lanistes varicus to 84.43 ± 0.01% in Archachatina marginata ovum and moisture content of 73.69 ± 0.01 in Nucella lapillus to 80.78 ± 0.06% in Archachatina marginata ovum were obtained. The water snails had significantly (P < 0.05) higher crude fibre than the land snails. Values as low as 0.50 ± 0.02 crude fibre were obtained in Archachatina marginata ovum while Nucella lapillus had the highest value of 1.50 ± 0.01. Mineral analysis of the snail species revealed relatively high amount of minerals in the water snails compared to the land snails. Calcium values of 172.79 ± 0.01 in Limicolaria spp to 182.70 ± 0.02mg /100g in Nucella lapillus were obtained. Phosphorus ranged from 51.49 ± 0.01 in Archachatina marginata saturalis to 62.52± 0.01 mg/100g in Lanistes varicus and Iron content ranged from 6.79 ± 0.06 in Archachatina marginata ovum to 11.09 ± 0.01mg/ 100g in Nucella lapillus with low zinc content of 1.14 ± 0.01 in Limicolaria spp. to 1.32 ± 0.01mg/100g in Nucella lapillus. This research therefore, encourages increase in production and consumption of snail species especially Archachatina marginata ovum based on its high crude protein content and size. Keywords: Land and water snails, minerals, chemical composition, and nutritive qualities.Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies of Management Vol. 1 (2) 2008: pp. 56-6

Histological changes in the heart of rats fed diet containing Mondia Whitei

This study investigates the effects of Mondia Whitei on the heart of rats. Sixteen adult Wistar rats (151.67 ± 2.89 grams) were involved. They were divided into four groups: a control (A) and three test groups (B, C and D). For 3 weeks, group A (control) received normal feed (growers mash), while test groups B, C, and D, received graded doses of Mondia Whitei (4.5; 9.0; and 13.5g respectively) in feed daily. Histological investigations revealed that Mondia  Whitei induced severe fibrillolytic changes with pale staining hypertrophic myofibres, extensive myocardial necrosis, inflamatory cell infiltration, and oedema, in a dosage-duration-dependent manner. These results suggest therefore, that Mondia Whitei has cardio-toxicity potentials and as such, there is a need to regulate the inclusion of Mondia Whitei in consumable products.Keywords: Mondia whitei, cardiac infarction, cardio-toxicity, myocardial necrosis

Histological study on the staining potentials of Aqueous extract of Ceratonia Siliqua bark

This study was designed to determine the staining potentials of aqueous extract of Ceratonia Siliqua bark adapted for the first time as a counter stain in Haematoxylin and Eosin staining reaction. The staining solution was used to stain liver, lung and kidney sections. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of tannin (hennatonic acid or Lawsone), while results of the staining reactions showed that Ceratonia siliqua at a low pH, has intense staining qualities, confirming further that the effectiveness of a stain is influenced by the pH of its environment.Key words: Ceratonia siliqua, Extract, Haematoxylin and Eosin, Counterstain, General tissue structure

Incidence of Candida Albicans in Pregnent Women: A Case Study of Ekpoma, Nigeria

This study examines the incidence of Candida albicans among pregnant women of varied age range/occupation, within any of the three trimesters, and attending antenatal clinic in Ekpoma and its environs. A total of 100 high vagina swab- samples were collected from women and then transported to the Medical Laboratory at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo, Nigeria, for analysis. The samples were inoculated on CHROMagar Candida medium and incubated at 370C for 48hours to isolate and presumptively identify the Candida species. The  results  revealed that 40% of the samples tested positive for Candida species (Candida albicans (75.0%), Candida krusei (2.5%), Candida novergensis (7.5%), Candida parapsilosis (5.0%), Candida dublinensis (2.5%) and mixed Candida species  (7.5%). The colonization of the vagina by Candida species was found to be statistically  significant  (P&lt; 0.05)  in  the  third trimester (21%) when compared to the second (16%) and first (3%) trimesters. On the other hand, Candida species colonization was statistically insignificant (P&gt; 0.05) when compared with the occupation of the women. These findings therefore, indicate that Candida albicans is more predominant in pregnant women than the other non-albicans species and tends to increase as gestation period progresses.Keywords: Pregnancy, Candida species, Candida albican, Ekpoma

Weight changes induced by ingestion of Alomo bitters (A combination of herbal constituents): Experimental study on wistar rats

This study investigates Weight changes induced by ingestion of Alomo bitters (A combination of herbal constituents): Experimental study on  Wistar rats. The sixteen Wistar rats (151.67 ± 2.89 grams) involved in thestudy were divided into four groups; a control (Group A) and three test groups (B, C and D). For 3 weeks, group A (control) received normal feed (growers mash) with distilled water only, while groups B-D (test) received normal feed with water mixed with graded quantities of Alomo Bitters: B (7.5ml/kg), C (15ml/kg) and D (22.5ml/kg). Comparatively, the results showed that body weight gain was highest in the test groups (B-D) in a dosage duration fashion and lowest in the control group (22.40 ± 11.21g). Also, a non-significant variation in organ-weight was observed for the testis. The observed changes on body weight and weights of the liver, kidney and testis were dosage and duration dependent. Thus, alomo bitters may be important in weight and appetite management considering its effect on body weight. However, further investigations are required in this regard.Keywords: Mondia whitei, Herbs, Weight, Obesity, Appetite, Public Health issues

Assessing the in vitro and in vivo toxicity of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Nanotechnology has become a key word of public interest, since people realized the social and economic power of nanotechnology development. Nanotechnology has already become part of our daily life, and it will have an as yet unknown technological impact because it concerns all aspects of human life from novel building materials to electronics, cosmetics, pharmaceutics, and medicine.1 In recent years, engineered nanoparticles started to become the most important components in nanotechnology. The InternationalOrganization for Standardization (ISO) has provided specific definitions in their recent document entitled “Nanotechnologies—Terminology and definitions for nanoobjects—Nanoparticle, nanofibre and nanoplate”. As the basis of this review, the following definitions for a nanoparticle (NP) and a nano-object will be used