Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency (G6PD) and Uncomplicated Plasmodium Falciparum In Lagos

The protective role of Glucose-6-Phosphate deficiency (G6PD) in malaria has been an issue of considerable contention in malariology and population genetics. Most reports have proposed that heterozygous females have malaria resistance similar to or greater than hemizygous males. In view of this controversy, this study was undertaken to evaluate the protective role of G6PD in malaria using RANDOX (G6PD) quantitative technique backed up with questionnaire to highlight the frequency of self-reported malaria episodes by patients attending health facilities in Lagos. Malaria diagnosis was done using standard microscopy technique. A total of 100 blood samples slide positive for P.falciparum were used in the study with 66 symptomatic patients (Group A) and 34 asymptomatic (group B). The mean parasite density (MPD) was 613.34 + 1291.6 parasite/μL of blood ranging from 45 to 11,970 parasites/μL of blood. There were variations in G6PD activity (μ/g Hb). Patients with low or deficient G6PD (n = 28) had an MPD of 415.57 + 297.07 parasites/μL of blood. Those with normal G6PD activity (n = 71) had an MPD of 697.86 + 1516.92 parasites/μ/L of blood. This result demonstrated that patients with low G6PD activity had lower MPD which could possibly be protective though the difference was not statistically significant (F =0.539; P = 0.539). In addition, the relationship between G6PD activity (U/g Hb) and frequency of malaria occurrence showed a significant association for Group A (

Optimization of the Protein Nutritive Value of Wheat/Cassava Breadmix by Supplementing with Limiting Amino-Acids (L-Lysine & L-Methionine)

This study was carried out in line with the National policy on bread to incorporate 10% cassava flour into wheat flour for all bread baked in Nigeria. The objective of this study was to investigate if the addition of 10% cassava flour or more could be accommodated without compromising the nutritive value of bread. The effect of fortifying with limiting amino-acids was also investigated. This study employed a feeding trial and bioassay of tissues from albino rats of Wistar strain, to evaluate the effect of supplementing various levels of wheat/cassava bread mix feed, with 0.1% L-lysine and 0.1% L-methionine. Nine different diet regimens were used with four rats in each diet group. Cassava (100%) diet group was used as the control; and the diets fortified with 0.1% L-lysine and 0.1% Lmethionine used as secondary control. The parameters measured as 'markers' of nutritive value included: body weight changes, food conversion ratio (FCR) and net protein utilisation (NPU). The effects of dietary intake of the various wheat/cassava supplemented diets on haematological indices such as mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and biochemical indices such as cortisol, total protein and albumin in the plasma of fed rats were also determined. Results indicated that both 10% and 20% cassava input supported adequate nutritional and biochemical development of the fed rats, although fortification of the diets with 0.1% L-lysine and 0.1% L-methionine resulted in 10 – 20% improvement in all the nutritional indicators measured. Based on the results of this study, it was concluded that incorporation of 20% cassava flour into wheat bread supplemented with L-lysine and L-methionine is nutritionally better than, but haematologically and biochemically comparable to whole wheat bread in rats. Therefore, this findings lend support to the national policy on nutrient fortification and cassava incorporation into wheatbread for the general goal of improving food security in Nigeria.Keywords: Bread fortification, Weanling rat, L-methionine, L-Lysine, haematological indices, biochemical indicesNigerian Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 32 [2] September 2011, pp. 287-29