Studies on serum level of some trace elements in oculocutaneous albinism subjects in Owerri metropolis

Studies on serum level of some trace elements in oculocutaneous albinism subject in Owerri metropolis was carried out using standard methods. Sixty (60) volunteer subjects made of 30 male and 30 female were used for the study. With the help of syringes, their sera were obtained from their blood samples and used for trace element analysis. Observed results revealed significant (p<0.05) decrease in levels of copper and zinc in male and female oculocutaneous albinism subjects against the control. The mean values for copper and zinc in both male and female also showed significant (p<0.05) reduction when compared to the control. The observed decreased in copper could influence tyrosinase and subsequently melanin production. There is need to investigate the relationship of the pigmentation disorder with other trace elements that were not considered in the present study. This study has revealed the serum level of some trace elements in oculocutaneous albinism subject in Owerri metropolis

Curcuma longa extract improves serum electrolytes and hormone profile of dihydrotestosterone - Estradiol valerate induced benign prostatic hyperplasia male rats

The usefulness of methanol extract of Curcuma longa in management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in rats was studied. Twenty  male Wistar rats were divided into five groups of 4 rats each. BPH was induced by subcutaneous injection of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol valerate (10:1) daily for 28 days. The normal control (NC) received subcutaneous olive oil (as vehicle) for the same duration. The disease control (HC) and drug control groups (DC) were given subcutaneous olive oil and oral finasteride (standard drug: 5 mg/kg bw) respectively after induction of BPH. Rats in the test groups (T1 and T2) were given 100 and 200 mg/kg.bw of C. longa methanol extracts orally for 28 days respectively, following disease induction. Phytochemical constituents of plant extracts, selected biomarkers of BPH,  serum electrolyte and hormonal profile were determined using standard methods. Results revealed that C. longa have higher content of flavonoid (4.03 ± 0.01 mg/100 g) with lower concentration of terpene (0.40 ± 0.07 mg/100 g). There was significant decrease (p<0.05) in relative prostate weight and prostate specific antigen (PSA) in T1 and T2 compared to the HC group. Calcium and sodium showed  significant (p<0.05) decreased following administration of plant extract while chlorine and bicarbonate recorded no (p>0.05) difference. There was a (p<0.05) decrease in serum total testosterone and increase in FSH level, but no difference (p>0.05) was seen in serum estradiol levels within all experimental groups. This study reveals that C. longa may be useful in the treatment and/or management of BPH and itscomplications

Comparative Study of Chemical Composition of Three Different Eggplant Fruit Species

Chemical composition of three different eggplant fruit species was studied using standard methods. Solanum aethiopicum, Solanum melongena and Solanum macrocarpon fruit species were used as samples. Results obtained showed high moisture, phytate and oxalate contents in the investigated fruit species. Vitamin concentrations of the investigated fruits ranged from high to low. One or two of the investigated fruits possessed a higher amount of the chemical compounds than others. This study has shown the comparative study of the chemical composition of three different eggplant fruit species

Therapeutic effects of Azadirachta indica A.Juss. leaves in malaria-induced male Wistar rats

Context: Azadirachta indica has long been used in herbal or folk medicine as a remedy for the treatment of malaria and the administration of herbal preparations has raised concerns on their toxicity. Aims: To determine the phytochemical content of A. indica and its therapeutic effect on indices of clinical importance in malaria-induced male Wistar rats. Methods: Plant material was extracted with ethanol, and the lethal dose (LD50) on the rats was determined before the study. Normal and Plasmodium berghei infected rats were divided into eight groups of five rats each with groups 1 and 2 serving as normal and disease control respectively. Lumartem was administered twice daily at oral therapeutic doses of artemether/lumefantrine (2/12 mg/kg) and plant extract at 300 and 500 mg/kg body weight. After 5 days of treatment, all the animals were sacrificed according to their groups for the experimental analysis. Results: The plant extract was considered safe with LD50 > 5000 mg/kg body weight. Quantitative phytochemical studies showed a high concentration of alkaloids, tannin, and terpenoids. Treatment with both extracts of A. indica and lumartem in malaria-infected rats showed a slight reduction in triglycerides while total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL levels increased significantly (p < 0.05). Increase in body weight of rats treated with A. indica was dependent on the concentration of extract administered. Treatment of malaria with the extract and lumartem resulted in a slight restoration of the hematological values. Conclusions: This study shows that both Azadirachta indica and lumartem was practically safe and well tolerated