Extraction, Physicochemical, Phytochemical Analysis And Identification Of Some Important Compounds Of Monodora Myristica (African Nutmeg) Seed Oil

The oil from African nutmeg seed (Monodora myristica) also known as ehuru in Igbo or Ariwo in Yoruba was extracted using normal hexane. Physico-chemical analysis, phytochemical analysis and GC-MS was carried out from crude extract. Physico-chemical analysis indicated that Iodine value (4.318 mg), Peroxide value (10.1 meq/ kg), Acid value (0.784 mg KOH /g), Saponification value (246.1 mg KOH g-), Refractive index (1.479), Specific gravity (0.968 g/m L) and % yield (36.04%). GC-MS analysis shed n-Hexadecanoic acid, Arachidonic acid, 9- Octadecanoic acid to be a major component of the seed oil. The results suggest that the oil is non drying oil; free from rancidity therefore it is good for cooking

Assessment of background ionizing radiation exposure levels in industrial buildings in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

Background: Increased exposure from background radiations and the attendant health effects have in recent times drawn the attention of researchers. This study aimed to assess the indoor and outdoor background radiation levels in selected offices/industrial buildings in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria. Methods: Forty buildings in the four villages of Nnewi were surveyed using a calibrated international medicom CRM 100 radiation monitor. Radiation readings were obtained in counts per minute and converted to micro-sieverts per hour (µSv h-1). The indoor annual effective dose rate (IAEDR), outdoor annual effective dose rate, excess lifetime cancer risk, and organ doses were calculated using recommended occupancy and conversion factors.Results: The mean IAEDR and OAEDR were respectively 0.8060±0.056 mSv y-1 and 0.2281±0.020 mSv y-1 with estimated ELCR of 2.822x10-3 and 0. 799x10-3 respectively. The testes received the highest dose (0.843 mSv y-1) followed by bone marrow (0.710 mSv y-1).Conclusions: The study revealed that the mean background radiation exposures in and outside offices in Nnewi, Anambra State were below the UNSCEAR and ICRP recommended doses for the general public

Antiplasmodial Activity shown by Secondary Metabolites Extracted from the Seeds ofPentaclethramacrophyllaBenth

Oil extracts from the African oil bean seed (PentaclethramacrophyllaBenth.) was analyzed for its phytochemical and mineral content and proximate, physicochemical and antimicrobial analyses were also performed. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of tannins, saponins, quinones, terpenoids, phenols and coumarins in the oil sample. Mineral determination of the cotyledon showed the presence of iron (Fe) (with the highest concentration), Cu, Zn, Mn, Cr, Pb and Cd; while proximate analysis gave the following result: moisture (14.2%), ash content (1.5%), crude fibre (4.9%), crude proteins (12.8%), oil contents (4.9%), and carbohydrate (61.8%). GC-MS analysis of the partitioned petroleum ether and chloroform fractions of the oil revealed the presence of 9-Octadecenoic acid, 9,12- Octadecadienoic acid and their methyl esters,cis-9-Hexadecenal among the many components of the oil extract. Physicochemical analysis of the oil indicateda saponification value (148.67 mg KOH/g), peroxide value(8.0 meq/g), iodine value (10.41 mg iodine/g) and free fatty acid (8.98 mg KOH/g). The need for the development of new drugs for malaria led to our study of the antiplasmodial activity of the oil from the seeds of Pentaclethramacrophylla. Toxicological studies were carried out to determine the LD50with chloroquinediphosphate as positive control and normal saline as negative control. Using the Peter’s 4 day suppressive test a parasite inhibition rate of 47.72% (25 mg/kg), 63.63% (50 mg/kg) and 61.36% (100 mg/kg) on day 4 after treatment was recorded. A 95.45% chemo-suppression was observed for animals treated with 10 mg/kg chloroquine. This resultis an indication that the extract had appreciable signs of chemosuppression

ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF MODERATELY VOLATILE COMPONENTS OF THE OIL EXTRACTED FROM THE SEEDS OF DACRYODES EDULIS G. LAM

Objectives: Dacryodes edulis is a versatile plant in many African countries, as its various parts are employed to treat several diseases. Like most plants used in traditional medicine, the possible mechanism by which D. edulis functions is still unknown. This study was designed to investigate the components of the plant seed with a view of justifying its use as traditional medicine. Methods: The seed oil of D. edulis was exhaustively extracted with a Soxhlet extractor from 500 g seeds and 200 g seeds of D. edulis using ethanol and petroleum ether as solvent, respectively. The extraction solvent was removed to obtain the oil which was then subjected to antimicrobial activity test to determine its activity against the following clinical isolates namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Escherichia coli using gentamycin as positive control. Phytochemical screening and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses were carried out following standard methods Results: Ethanolic extract resulted in a higher percentage of oil yield (11.6%) than petroleum ether (5.3%). D. edulis seed oil showed remarkable activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive isolates: E. coli, Bacillus spp, and S. aureus but not against P. aeruginosa. The presence of saponins, quinones, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, and phenol was confirmed during qualitative phytochemical screening, and the preliminary results from GC-MS analysis show the presence of terpinen-4-ol, 4,6,6-trimethyl bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-3-en-2-one, ethyl 14-methyl-hexadecanoate, methyl 19-methyleicosanoate, squalene, C-14 to C-18 fatty acids, and their esters. Conclusion: The study, therefore, confirms that the use of D. edulis as component of traditional medicine may be justified

Risk Factors for and Prediction of Post-Intubation Hypotension in Critically Ill Adults: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE: Hypotension following endotracheal intubation in the ICU is associated with poor outcomes. There is no formal prediction tool to help estimate the onset of this hemodynamic compromise. Our objective was to derive and validate a prediction model for immediate hypotension following endotracheal intubation. METHODS: A multicenter, prospective, cohort study enrolling 934 adults who underwent endotracheal intubation across 16 medical/surgical ICUs in the United States from July 2015-January 2017 was conducted to derive and validate a prediction model for immediate hypotension following endotracheal intubation. We defined hypotension as: 1) mean arterial pressure \u3c 65 mmHg; 2) systolic blood pressure \u3c 80 mmHg and/or decrease in systolic blood pressure of 40% from baseline; 3) or the initiation or increase in any vasopressor in the 30 minutes following endotracheal intubation. RESULTS: Post-intubation hypotension developed in 344 (36.8%) patients. In the full cohort, 11 variables were independently associated with hypotension: increasing illness severity; increasing age; sepsis diagnosis; endotracheal intubation in the setting of cardiac arrest, mean arterial pressure \u3c 65 mmHg, and acute respiratory failure; diuretic use 24 hours preceding endotracheal intubation; decreasing systolic blood pressure from 130 mmHg; catecholamine and phenylephrine use immediately prior to endotracheal intubation; and use of etomidate during endotracheal intubation. A model excluding unstable patients’ pre-intubation (those receiving catecholamine vasopressors and/or who were intubated in the setting of cardiac arrest) was also developed and included the above variables with the exception of sepsis and etomidate. In the full cohort, the 11 variable model had a C-statistic of 0.75 (95% CI 0.72, 0.78). In the stable cohort, the 7 variable model C-statistic was 0.71 (95% CI 0.67, 0.75). In both cohorts, a clinical risk score was developed stratifying patients’ risk of hypotension. CONCLUSIONS: A novel multivariable risk score predicted post-intubation hypotension with accuracy in both unstable and stable critically ill patients. STUDY REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02508948 and Registered Report Identifier: RR2-10.2196/11101

The Helicobacter pylori Genome Project : insights into H. pylori population structure from analysis of a worldwide collection of complete genomes

Helicobacter pylori, a dominant member of the gastric microbiota, shares co-evolutionary history with humans. This has led to the development of genetically distinct H. pylori subpopulations associated with the geographic origin of the host and with differential gastric disease risk. Here, we provide insights into H. pylori population structure as a part of the Helicobacter pylori Genome Project (HpGP), a multi-disciplinary initiative aimed at elucidating H. pylori pathogenesis and identifying new therapeutic targets. We collected 1011 well-characterized clinical strains from 50 countries and generated high-quality genome sequences. We analysed core genome diversity and population structure of the HpGP dataset and 255 worldwide reference genomes to outline the ancestral contribution to Eurasian, African, and American populations. We found evidence of substantial contribution of population hpNorthAsia and subpopulation hspUral in Northern European H. pylori. The genomes of H. pylori isolated from northern and southern Indigenous Americans differed in that bacteria isolated in northern Indigenous communities were more similar to North Asian H. pylori while the southern had higher relatedness to hpEastAsia. Notably, we also found a highly clonal yet geographically dispersed North American subpopulation, which is negative for the cag pathogenicity island, and present in 7% of sequenced US genomes. We expect the HpGP dataset and the corresponding strains to become a major asset for H. pylori genomics

Adopting green building constructions in developing countries through capacity building strategy: survey of Enugu State, Nigeria

Green building (GB) constructions seeks to address housing demands of the growing populace with better qualities, energy efficiency, using recycled and recyclable materials, improve building lifespan and health of occupants. But GB adoption lags in developing countries. This study focused on driving the adoption of GB constructions in developing countries through capacity building strategy: survey of Enugu State, Nigeria. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 135 building workers in educational and industrial sectors across the registered construction companies and higher institutions in Enugu State. Mean and rank were used to answer the research questions, while t-test was used to test five null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that there is need for capacity building in: GB design, GB site, GB construction, GB operation and maintenance, and GB construction and demolition waste management. Cluster t-test analysis showed discrepancies in the agreement of educational and industrial sector workers on GB design and GB construction needs. The implications for not adopting GB are continual conventional constructions with maximal exploitations and resource depletion. Thus, there is a gap in knowledge where sustainable development advocates, government and pioneers of green construction practices could channel efforts toward assisting the developing countries

Risk factors for and prediction of post-intubation hypotension in critically ill adults: A multicenter prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE: Hypotension following endotracheal intubation in the ICU is associated with poor outcomes. There is no formal prediction tool to help estimate the onset of this hemodynamic compromise. Our objective was to derive and validate a prediction model for immediate hypotension following endotracheal intubation. METHODS: A multicenter, prospective, cohort study enrolling 934 adults who underwent endotracheal intubation across 16 medical/surgical ICUs in the United States from July 2015-January 2017 was conducted to derive and validate a prediction model for immediate hypotension following endotracheal intubation. We defined hypotension as: 1) mean arterial pressure \u3c65 \u3emmHg; 2) systolic blood pressure/or decrease in systolic blood pressure of 40% from baseline; 3) or the initiation or increase in any vasopressor in the 30 minutes following endotracheal intubation. RESULTS: Post-intubation hypotension developed in 344 (36.8%) patients. In the full cohort, 11 variables were independently associated with hypotension: increasing illness severity; increasing age; sepsis diagnosis; endotracheal intubation in the setting of cardiac arrest, mean arterial pressure \u3c65 \u3emmHg, and acute respiratory failure; diuretic use 24 hours preceding endotracheal intubation; decreasing systolic blood pressure from 130 mmHg; catecholamine and phenylephrine use immediately prior to endotracheal intubation; and use of etomidate during endotracheal intubation. A model excluding unstable patients\u27 pre-intubation (those receiving catecholamine vasopressors and/or who were intubated in the setting of cardiac arrest) was also developed and included the above variables with the exception of sepsis and etomidate. In the full cohort, the 11 variable model had a C-statistic of 0.75 (95% CI 0.72, 0.78). In the stable cohort, the 7 variable model C-statistic was 0.71 (95% CI 0.67, 0.75). In both cohorts, a clinical risk score was developed stratifying patients\u27 risk of hypotension. CONCLUSIONS: A novel multivariable risk score predicted post-intubation hypotension with accuracy in both unstable and stable critically ill patients. STUDY REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02508948 and Registered Report Identifier: RR2-10.2196/11101