Effect of Garcinia Kola (Heckel) on Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Rifampicin

Most herbal products are used with prescription drugs and have been found to affect the pharmacokinetics of these prescription drugs. The effect of concurrent administration of Garcinia kola on the pharmacokinetic parameters and penetration profile of rifampicin into the lung tissues were investigated using animal model. Albino rats in group A received rifampicin 10 mg/kg alone orally; Group B and C received 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of Garcinia kola extract respectively for 10 days and on day 11, rifampicin 10 mg/kg was given. Blood samples were withdrawn from each group at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h time intervals respectively. Blood samples were also withdrawn from the lungs in each group after 24 h and assayed to determine the concentration of rifampicin in the lungs. Both 100 and 200 mg/kg of Garcinia kola showed reduction in the maximum concentration (Cmax), area under concentration (AUC), clearance time (ClT), and time for plasma concentration to decrease by half (t1/2) of rifampicin. Garcinia kola significantly (P = 0.01) decreased concentration of rifampicin in the lungs by 32% and 39 % respectively. Our results show that the co-administration of Garcinia kola and rifampicin impairs the bioavailability of rifampicin and its penetration into the lungs

Exploring Factors That Facilitate Acculturation Strategies and Academic Success of West African Immigrant Youth in Urban Schools

Immigrant students in U.S. educational system experience challenges learning to adapt and integrate into new educational environments. Little is known, however, about factors that facilitate acculturation strategies of immigrant youth from West Africa and how they affect their academic success and challenges faced. Considering the current political discourse over the influence of immigration in U.S. schools, 20 immigrant youth from Ghana and Nigeria were recruited and interviewed in the metropolitan area of New York City. Analyses of semi-structured interviews revealed that teacher, parent, and peer support; social and electronic media; and extracurricular activities emerged as the factors that helped acculturation strategies and academic success. Challenging factors were dealing with sociocultural differences; discrimination, stress, and social integration; and language differences. The article discusses the implications of these findings for teachers to understand acculturation strategies to help West African immigrant youth to adapt, acculturate, and integrate into new school environments