Ethnobotanical assessment of plants used for the treatment of endocrine disorder in Daura Emirate, Katsina, Nigeria

Medicinal plants are integral components of traditional medical system in Nigeria as in other cultures and societies in Africa. This study examines local knowledge of woody vegetation use for the treatment of endocrine disorders in Daura Emirate with a view to providing information that can assist in management of medicinal plants in the area. This study employed open ended questionnaire and unstructured interview to collect information from local people and traditional healers in the study area respectively. Simple Random Sampling Techniques was used for the selection of 66 respondents and 24 interview participants. Data was collected using questionnaires which were administered in 5 communities of Daura Emirate while 18 traditional healers and 6 herbalists were engaged in an unstructured interview with a view to collecting their opinions on the treatment of endocrine disorders in the area. Result from this study found that endocrine disorders (diabetes, goitre and sexual dysfunction) were treated with 14 plants in combination with other products such as oil obtained from animals and red potash. This study further revealed that leaf (52.17%) was utilised most for the preparation of herbal remedies for endocrine disorders in the study area, while root and pod (04.35%) are the less utilised. It has been found that the remedies were administered orally and nasally. Respondents mentioned two methods employed for management of medicinal plants in the study area. These are: Assisted Natural regeneration (ANR) and seed bank. However, ANR was used by 79% of the respondents. This study recommended that pharmacopoeia of the area should be development in order to avoid knowledge losses. This can be done through collaboration among stakeholders in ethnobotany, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences.Keywords: Ethnobotanical assessment, plants, endocrine disorder

Ameliorative Effect of Vitamin C on Alterations in Thyroid Hormones Concentrations Induced by Subchronic Coadministration of Chlorpyrifos and Lead in Wistar Rats

The present study evaluated the ameliorative effect of vitamin C on alteration in thyroid hormones induced by low-dose subchronic coadministration of chlorpyrifos (CPF) and lead (Pb). Forty Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups of 10 animals each. Groups I and II were administered soya oil (2 mL/kg) and vitamin C (100 mg/kg), respectively. Group III was coadministered CPF (4.25 mg/kg ~1/20th LD50) and Pb (250 mg/kg ~1/20th LD50), respectively. Group IV was pretreated with vitamin C (100 mg/kg) and then coadministered with CPF (4.25 mg/kg) and Pb (250 mg/kg), 30 min later. The regimens were administered by gavage for a period of 9 weeks. The marginal decrease in serum triiodothyronine and thyroxine and the significant increase in the concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone and malonaldehyde in the group coadministered with CPF and Pb were ameliorated by vitamin C partly due to its antioxidant properties

Availability and Utilization of Emergency Obstetric Care Services in Three Communities in Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria

Maternal mortality ratios often reflect on the quality and availability of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) services. Ten health facilities in Kaduna State were assessed to determine their capacity to provide EmOC. Each community had the recommended number of both primary and secondary health facilities per population. All secondary health facilities had 24-hour services staffed by at least one doctor and one nurse/midwife per shift, and were able to perform most signal functions of EmOC in the three months preceding the survey. However, no primary health centres (PHC) were open 24 hours, and their performance of EmOC in the three months preceding the survey was near zero. Thus the presence of functional secondary hospitals is not enough to reduce maternal mortality in communities where women have to overcome numerous barriers to reach a hospital. If shortages of personnel, equipment and supplies in PHCs were resolved, 24-hour services could lead to a sharp reduction in maternal and infant mortality among rural women in northern Nigeria (Afr. J. Reprod. Health 2010; 14[3]: 83-88).Key words: Emergency obstetric care, primary health care, maternal mortality, rural communities, northern Nigeria

Factors associated with prelacteal feeding practices in a rural northern Nigerian setting

Introduction: Prelacteal feeding practice contravenes the recommendation of World Health Organisation that breastfeeding be initiated within an hour of childbirth. Consequently, the health, social, emotional and economic benefits of optimal breastfeeding are limited. Therefore, to break this vicious cycle of prelacteal feeding and suboptimal breastfeeding, factors associated with the practice must be identified.Objective: To assess prelacteal feeding practices and its associated factors in a rural community with the view to generate data for community-level interventions that will promote optimal breastfeeding.Methods: Data was collected during a community-based surveillance for maternal, newborn and child health project in Tsibiri, a rural community in north-western Nigeria. The survey questionnaire was uploaded into mobile devices running on an android operating system. Trained female interviewers collected the data over a period of one week in 2011.Results: A total of 270 out of 309 interviewed women had experienced childbirth and were included in the analysis. Majority (85.2%) of respondents utilised prelacteal feeds for their newborns. Plain water was the most common prelacteal feed (44.7%). Prelacteal feeding was associated with births assisted by unskilled birth attendants (AOR 5.322, 95%CI 1.634-17.333); while operative delivery reduced the likelihood of the practice (AOR 0.168, 95%CI 0.060-0.470). No statistically significant association was found between use of prelacteal feed and women’s age, education or access to income.Conclusion: The predominance of prelacteal feeding practices underscores the need for innovative strategies that create awareness among mothers and health care providers, with emphasis on health facility deliveries, advantages of breastfeeding and risks of prelacteal feeding.Keywords: Breastfeeding, Newborns, Prelacteal feeds, Rural community, Wome

Development and Performance Evaluation of A Low-Cost Hydraulic-Operated Biomass Briquetting Machine

Large quantities of agricultural residues produced in Nigeria can provide an alternative way in meeting her energy demand through briquetting. Biomass briquetting is the process of compacting raw biomass materials (wood, charcoal, crop residues, and animal waste) into standard mini-brick units as solid fuel for improved handling and efficiency. A small scale, 40 bar hydraulic operated piston briquetting machine with a capacity of 120 briquettes per hour was developed. The machine comprised of hydraulic, control, press, power, ejection and frame sections, and adopted the binder-less technology. Sawdust and rice husk were used as sample biomass materials. The compressed biomass obtained from the developed machine in form of briquettes had mean diameter and height of 30 mm ±0.02 and 16 mm ±0.01 respectively. The force, deflection, and Young Modulus at peak were 16.30 N, 3.29 mm and 548.11 N/mm2 for Sawdust Briquettes (SB) respectively, while 12.50 N, 1.49 mm; and 481 N/mm2 were obtained for Rice Husk Briquettes (RHB).  The yield stress for SB and RHB were 12 and 9 N/mm2. The heating values obtained for SB and RHB were 51.0 Kcal/g and 39.4 Kcal/g respectively. The output efficiency of the machine was 88% indicating a satisfactory performance of the machine

Effect of water yam (Dioscorea alata) flour fortified with distillers spent grain on nutritional, chemical, and functional properties

It was envisaged that the inclusion of treated distiller ’ s spent grain ( DSG ) to yam fl our might increase its nutritional value, with the aim of reducing nutritional diseases in communities consuming yam as a staple. Hence, yam fl our was fortifi ed with DSG at 5–35%. The effects of this fortifi cation on the nutritional, chemical, and functional properties of yam fl our were investigated. The result showed a signifi cant increase ( P 0.001) in fat, ash, protein, total amino acids, total dietary fi ber, and insoluble dietary fi ber contents of the blends as DSG increased except for starch and soluble dietary fi ber contents, which decreased. The functional properties showed a signifi cant ( P 0.001) reduction with DSG inclusion. The inclusion of DSG increased both the tryptophan and methionine contents of the blends. Therefore, the DSG fortifi ed yam fl our could contribute to quality protein intake in populations consuming yam as a staple, due to its indispensible amino acid content

A Field Guide to Pandemic, Epidemic and Sporadic Clones of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

In recent years, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have become a truly global challenge. In addition to the long-known healthcare-associated clones, novel strains have also emerged outside of the hospital settings, in the community as well as in livestock. The emergence and spread of virulent clones expressing Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is an additional cause for concern. In order to provide an overview of pandemic, epidemic and sporadic strains, more than 3,000 clinical and veterinary isolates of MRSA mainly from Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Malta, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Australia, Trinidad & Tobago as well as some reference strains from the United States have been genotyped by DNA microarray analysis. This technique allowed the assignment of the MRSA isolates to 34 distinct lineages which can be clearly defined based on non-mobile genes. The results were in accordance with data from multilocus sequence typing. More than 100 different strains were distinguished based on affiliation to these lineages, SCCmec type and the presence or absence of PVL. These strains are described here mainly with regard to clinically relevant antimicrobial resistance- and virulence-associated markers, but also in relation to epidemiology and geographic distribution. The findings of the study show a high level of biodiversity among MRSA, especially among strains harbouring SCCmec IV and V elements. The data also indicate a high rate of genetic recombination in MRSA involving SCC elements, bacteriophages or other mobile genetic elements and large-scale chromosomal replacements