Antimicrobial activity of Parquetina nigrescens on some multidrug resistant pathogens isolated from poultry and cases of otitis media in dogs from Nigeria

There is a high prevalence of multidrug resistant pathogenic bacteria from food and companion animals in Nigeria due to abuse and misuse of antibiotics. The current work was carried out to study the antimicrobial activity of the leave extract of Parquetina nigrescens on ten multidrug resistant pathogens including: Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica Gallinarum, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Acinetobacter species, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas diminuta that were resistant to 7 to 10 conventional antibiotics. The ten strains of the organisms tested were either isolated from cases of otitis media in dogs following more than a year of antibiotic misuse and or abuse or from internal organs of poultry that died of septicaemic disease conditions. The tested leaves extract produced activity in only one of the C. diphtheriae isolated from ear swab of one of the otitis media cases with 16±0.0 mm zone of inhibition at 100 mg/mL when compared with 30±0.0 mm at 10 μg/mL of gentamycin (positive control). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the tested extract for the isolate were 25 and 400 mg/mL respectively as compared to the respective MIC and MBC of 40 and 320 μg/mL for gentamycin.Keywords: Parquetina nigrescens, multidrug-resistant, otitis, poultry, dog, NigeriaAfrican Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 12(13), pp. 1559-156

Ameliorative effects of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius on anaemia and osmotic fragility induced by proteinenergy malnutrition

This study was designed to evaluate the ameliorative effect of dietary supplementation of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaf on anaemia and changes in erythrocyte osmotic fragility in protein energymalnourished rats. Protein energy malnutrition has been associated with anaemia and changes in osmotic fragility, deformability and lifespan of erythrocytes. In this study, protein-energy malnutritioninduced in weanling male Wister rats by feeding them low protein diet for 3 weeks was associated with significantly reduced (

The effect of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius on multi-drug resistant micro-organisms

This study was carried out to investigate possible bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaf extract on multi-drug resistant micro-organisms. The antimicrobial property of C. aconitifolius leaf extract was carried out on the following multi-drug resistant microorganisms;Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica Gallinarum and Candida albicans. The results from this study show that none of the multi-drug resistant micro-organisms was sensitive to the leaf extract of C. aconitifolius.Key words: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, bioactivity, multi-drug resistant micro-organisms

Effect of Chronic Administration of Methanol Extract of Moringa Oleifera on Some Biochemical Indices in Female Wistar Rats

The study was conducted to investigate safety associated with prolonged consumption of Moringa oleifera leaves as beverage. Fourteen rats were used in this study. They were divided into 2 groups each containing 7 rats. Rats in group I received 2ml/kg of corn oil (standard vehicle drug). Animals in groups II were administered with 400mg/kg body of methanolic extract of Moringa oleifera (MEMO) for five weeks respectively. Serum collected was analyzed for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total protein, albumin, globulin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. There was significant (P<0.05) decrease in serum total protein, albumin, globulin and AST activity. The activity of ALT decreased but not significant. Similarly, 400mg/kg body of MEMO led to significant (P<0.05) decrease in serum BUN and creatinine. All experimental animals that received 400mg/kb of MEMO had significant (P<0.05) decrease in body weight from week to week 4 of the experiment. Taken together, 400mg/kg body of MEMO seemed to be toxic to the liver with apparently no toxicity in the kidney. Hence, prolonged exposure is not advisable as such could portend danger to the liver.Keywords: Moringa oleifera, toxicity, hepatic damage, kidney

Ameliorative effects of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius on alloxan toxicity in Wistar rats

Background: Diabetes has been associated with several complications occasioned by oxidative stress. Thus, in treatment of the condition, these complications must also be taken into consideration. This study evaluates the effect of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius complications of diabetes induced by alloxan, on haematology and sperm morphometry using the Wistar rats.Methods: Diabetes was induced in 25 rats using alloxan. The diabetic rats were then divided into five groups B-F consisting of five rats per group. Groups C-E were administered with 100mg/kg, 500mg/kg and 1000mg/kg of ethanolic leaves extract of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, respectively, for four weeks post treatment with alloxan, while group F received Chlorpropamide (Diabenes®, Pfizer). The diabetic rats in group B were not treated while group A served as the non diabetic control.Result: Following treatment with alloxan, there was anaemia, thrombocytopenia and leucopenia, while the sperm count, motility and live/dead ratio were significantly reduced. Sperm morphological abnormalities and erythrocyte osmotic fragility also increased significantly. Following treatment of alloxan treated-rats with the extract, there were significant increases in the PCV, RBC, Hb, WBC, MCV and the platelet values. Erythrocyte osmotic fragility, sperm count, motility and live/dead ratio also improved significantly.Conclusion: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius extract was found to ameliorate the effects of alloxan induced diabetes on the haematology but not on the abnormal sperm morphometry in rats.Keywords: Haematological parameters, osmotic fragility, sperm morphometry, Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, chlorpropamid

Hepatocellular carcinoma and the underlying mechanisms

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma is increasing worldwide as well as the associated risk factors, some of which include exposure to aflatoxin B1, Hepatitis B (HBV) virus and hepatitis C (HCV) virus. Mutation of tumour suppressor gene p53 at codon 249ser at exon 7 has been found to contribute significantly to replication of damaged DNA and subsequent tumour progression. The x gene of HBV (HBx) is the most common open reading frame integrated into the host genome in hepatocellular carcinoma and the integrated HBx is frequently mutated in hepatocellular carcinoma. Mutant HBx proteins still retain their ability to bind to p53 thereby attenuating DNA repair and p53-mediated apoptosis

The effect of dietary supplementation with Peperomia pellucida on body weight, serum lipids and glucose in normal and nutritionally induced hypercholesterolemia in rats.

This study was designed to investigate the hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic properties of Peperomia pellucida as dietary supplement in normal andcholesterol fed albino rats. The plant was administered at 10% and 20%(w/w) in the standard rat feed of rat feed containing 5% cholesterol, 2.5% groundnut oil and 0.5% cholic acid for 28 days. In the high cholesterol diet fed rats, Peperomia dietary supplementation caused a dose dependent and significant reduction (

Antidiabetic and haematinic effects of Parquetina nigrescens on alloxan induced type-1 diabetes and normocytic normochromic anaemia in Wistar rats

Background: The plant, Parquetina nigrescens is used in folklore medicine to treat diabetes mellitus and its complications in several parts of West Africa. Objective: To determine the effect of Parquetina nigrescens extract on fasting blood glucose in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Methods: The blood glucose levels, complete blood count, erythrocyte indices and osmotic fragility, body and organ weights were evaluated. Results: Diabetic rats treated with the extract showed significant (P<0.01) reduction of the blood glucose to levels comparable to that of the non-diabetic control and those treated with chlorpropamide (standard drug). Similarly, there was significant (P<0.01) reduction in the complete blood count in the diabetic rats. Discussion: The anaemia, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia associated with the diabetes were corrected in the animals treated with the extract and chlorpropamide. The extract also reduced the erythrocyte osmotic fragility, body and organ weights. Parquetina nigrescens demonstrated antidiabetic property by reducing the elevated blood glucose in alloxan treated rats which is comparable to animals that received the standard drug. Conclusion: Paraquetina nigrescens stabilized the erythrocyte membrane, decreased the body weight probably by lowering lipogenesis. However, the mechanism underlying the antidiabetic and haematinic properties of Parquetina nigrescens remains to be elucidated

Amelioration of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity and haemotoxicity by aqueous leaf extract of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius in rats

This study was conducted to explore possible protective effect of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (CA) leaf extract on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity and haemotoxicity in experimental animal models. Thirty six rats of six per group were used in this study. Group I received 10ml/kg normal saline as control. Group II-VI rats were administered with 1.25ml/kg body weight (bwt) of carbon tetrachloride intraperitonealy. Animals in groups III, IV, V and VI were however pre-treated with aqueous extract of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius at 100, 250, 500 and 750mg/kg body weight (bwt) respectively. Administration of CCL4 in untreated rats led to microcytic hypochromic anaemia, thrombocytopenia, increased erythrocyte fragility and stress induced leucocytosis accompanied with significant (P<0.05) increase in neutrophils and decrease (P<0.01) in lymphocyte counts. CCl4 also led to significant (P<0.05) increase in serum transaminases (ALT and AST) and phosphatase (ALP) respectively compared with control animals. Also, CCL4 produced significant (P<0.05) increase in serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine compared with normal rats. Pre-treatment with Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaf extract brought about significant restoration of the haematological parameters to values that were comparable to those of the control with concomitant decrease (P<0.05) in the activities of the marker of hepatic damage enzymes (ALT, AST and ALP), in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine were also brought to near normal by the CA in a dose-dependent manner. From this study, we conclude that pre-exposure to Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaf extract considerably reduced the effect of CCl4 on the blood parameters and ameliorated hepatic damage by the haloalkane

Changes in haematology, plasma biochemistry and erythrocyte osmotic fragility of the Nigerian laughing dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) in captivity

The haematology, plasma biochemistry and erythrocyte osmotic fragility of the Nigerian laughing dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) were studied after 4 and 8 weeks in captivity. At 8 weeks, there was a normocytic hypochromic anaemia characterized by reduced values for packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), but the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was unaltered compared with the corresponding values at 4 weeks. The platelet count, total white blood cell count, heterophil, lymphocyte and monocyte counts were also lower at 8 weeks than those of the birds sampled at 4 weeks in captivity. There was also a stress induced increased heterophil/lymphocyte ratio and the erythrocytes were more fragile in hypotonic solution in birds sampled at 8 weeks. Plasma aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphate (ALP) increased at 8 weeks, though non-significantly, which might have been due to muscle wasting consequent upon decreased muscular activities associated with prolonged captivity. The results suggest that maintaining wild birds in captivity for a prolonged period could be stressful as shown by the heterophil/lymphocytes ratio and reduced erythrocyte osmotic resistance, and could lead to decreases in erythrocyte parameters and muscle wasting.Keywords: Haematological parameters, erythrocyte osmotic fragility, laughing dove, captivit