The suitability of chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) for alleviating human micronutrient dietary deficiencies: A review

Human micronutrient dietary deficiency remains an enormous global problem and probably accounts for the cause of many chronic health conditions and diseases. Above two (2) billion individuals on the planet today have been estimated to be deficient in major minerals and vitamins, predominantly zinc, iodine, vitamin A, and iron primarily due to inadequate dietary intake. The eradication of deficiencies in micronutrient on a sustainable basis will be conceivable only when diets of vulnerable populace provide all required nutrients in adequate amounts. Among the numerous approaches toward eradicating human dietary deficiency, feeding on a wide range of foods, especially vegetables that have an array of micronutrients, is still perceived as the best sustainable solution. The universal consumption of chili peppers (Capsicum annuum ), known for their high nutritional content (which includes a good range of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and dietary fiber), may play a role in decreasing human micronutrient deficiencies. Significant portions of recommended daily nutrients could be supplied by the incorporation of nutrient‐rich chili pepper into human diets which could help in combating nutrient deficiencies. This present review, therefore, gives an overview of the universal occurrence of micronutrient deficiency. It also discusses approaches that have been used to tackle the situation while stressing the potentials of chili pepper as a promising vegetable which could be utilized in alleviating human micronutrient dietary deficiencies. For all available information provided, research databases (Science direct, Academic journals, PubMed, and Google Scholar) were searched independently using keyword search strategy. Titles and abstracts were examined initially, and full papers were retrieved if studies met the inclusion criteria

Comparative Quantitative Study on Phytochemical Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Capsicum annuum L. and Capsicum frutescens L.

The variabilities in the phytochemical contents and antioxidant activities of four varieties of two closely related cultivated Capsicum species, C. annuum and C. frutescens, were examined as an additional tool for establishing their phylogenetic relatedness and for breeding purposes. The methodology involved the use of ethanolic and aqueous extractions for the determination of the phytochemical and antioxidant properties. The phytochemical contents including total flavonoid, total phenol, and proanthocyanidins were evaluated spectrophotometrically while the antioxidant activities were determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), nitric oxide (NO), and phosphomolybdenum assays. To point out the relationship among the varieties, a dendrogram based on the antioxidative phytochemical contents was constructed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPMGA) cluster analysis. In all, aqueous extracts gave higher yield while ethanolic extracts showed higher phytochemical content across the varieties. Significant variations were observed among the varieties in relation to their phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activities. Dendrogram obtained from multivariate analysis distinguished the two Capsicum species. The first cluster contained only C. frutescens var. baccatum while the second cluster contained the three varieties of C. annuum species in subclusters, signifying the close genetic affinity among the three varieties. It also revealed that the four varieties are of a common progenitor. Information from this study gives additional evidence of chemotaxonomic significance and baseline data for effective selection of suitable parental genotypes in breeding for nutritional and pharmacological purposes

Estimation of nutritional energy values, mineral ratio and mineral safety index in the Royal spiny lobster, Panulirus regius (De Brito Capello, 1864)

Royal spiny lobster is a marine crustacean with a significant economic value as a popular consumer product. However, information on the energy-providing nutrients of lobster is scarce, especially on those living in the southern coast of Nigeria. This study provides information about the nutritional quality and metabolizable energy of flesh and shell of the Royal spiny lobster, Panulirus regius. Proximate and mineral compositions were analyzed, while energy contributions, mineral ratio and mineral safety index were estimated. Higher concentrations of moisture, crude protein and fat were recorded in flesh, while crude fibre, total ash, and nitrogen free extract were more in shell. The proximate with the highest values were crude protein (57.71 g/100 g) and total ash (40.67 g/100 g) in flesh and shell samples, respectively. The flesh had higher total metabolisable energy (1375 kJ/100 g) and utilizable energy due to protein (38.62). The minerals, with the exception of Na, were concentrated more in the shell. In the flesh sample, Na/K and Na/Mg ratios were within the acceptable ideal range of 1.4 - 3.4 and 2 – 6, respectively, while other ratios were below ideal range. In shell samples, Ca/K (3.55) was within the ideal range of 2.2 - 6.2, while Ca/P (5.23) was higher than the reference balance of 2.6. Mg in shell sample was the only mineral whose safety index value (21.85) was higher than the table value (15) with negative difference (-6.85). K, P and Na showed negative relationships with all the proximate compositions except for the moisture and protein in shell sample, while only K showed positive relationships with moisture ( = 0.68), protein ( = 0.63), fat ( = 0.64) and nitrogen free extract ( = 0.17) in the flesh sample. The flesh and shell of the lobster will be good alternative sources of nutrients in human diet and animal feed, respectively

Cancer Mortality Pattern in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria

Background. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and about 70% of all cancer deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries. The cancer mortality pattern is quite different in Africa compared to other parts of the world. Extensive literature research showed little or no information about the overall deaths attributable to cancer in Nigeria. Aims and Objectives. This study aims at providing data on the patterns of cancer deaths in our center using the hospital and autopsy death registers. Methodology. Demographic, clinical data of patients who died of cancer were extracted from death registers in the wards and mortuary over a period of 14 years (2000–2013). Results. A total of 1436 (4.74%) cancer deaths out of 30287 deaths recorded during the period. The male to female ratio was 1 : 2.2 and the peak age of death was between 51 and 60 years. Overall, breast cancer was responsible for most of the deaths. Conclusion. The study shows that the cancers that accounted for majority of death occurred in organs that were accessible to screening procedures and not necessary for survival. We advise regular screening for precancerous lesions in these organs so as to reduce the mortality rate and burden of cancer

Kaposi Sarcoma among HIV Infected Patients in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria: A 14-Year Retrospective Clinicopathological Study

Background. Despite the increased incidence of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) resulting from the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) pandemic, there is still significant underreporting of KS in this environment. Objectives. This study was aimed at determining the incidence and clinicopathologic patterns of KS among HIV infected patients in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Nigeria, over a 14-year period: January 2000 to December 2013. Methodology. The materials for this study included patients’ hospital clinical files, duplicate copies of histopathologic reports, and tissue blocks and corresponding archival slides in the Anatomic and Molecular Pathology Department and the HIV/AIDS unit of the Department of Haematology. Results. Within the study period, 182 cases of KS were diagnosed, accounting for 1.2% of all patients managed for HIV/AIDS and 2.99% of solid malignant tumours. The male-to-female ratio and modal age group were 1 : 1.3 and 5th decade, respectively. Most cases (90%) had purely mucocutaneous involvement with the lower limb being the commonest site (65.8%). The majority of lesions were plaques (65.8%). Vascular formation was the predominant histologic type seen (43.5%). Conclusion. KS in Lagos followed the same epidemiologic trend as other centers in Nigeria, with an increasing incidence in this era of HIV/AIDS

The challenges of lymphoma diagnosis in a Tertiary Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: In most tertiary centers across sub-Saharan countries, hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) stained slide is the main method of diagnosing lymphomas, and this has been found to be inadequate in diagnostic hematological malignancies. Aim and Objectives: To review the diagnostic utility and limitations of H and E, tissue diagnostic modality of solid hematolymphoid malignancies. Materials and Methods: The diagnosis based on both morphology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assessments were compared with those based solely on morphology. Results: Of all, the 116 cases of lymphomas, only 32 (27.6%) were correctly diagnosed and subtyped by morphology while 53 (46%) cases were diagnosed to be lymphomas but could not be subtyped by morphology. Nineteen (16.4%) cases were wrongly subtyped. Five cases of reactive lesions were wrongly diagnosed as malignant lymphoma. Conclusion: This study makes a case for the mandatory use of IHC in the diagnosis of suspected cases of lymphomas