Improvement of glucose tolerance in rats fed with diets containing Vernonia amygdalina leaves

The effect of 5% and 10% dietary incorporation of leaves of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) on oral glucose tolerance was studied in normoglycemic male albino rats. The feeding of the vegetable incorporated diets (5% VA and 10%VA) resulted in marked improvement in oral glucose tolerance in rats. After one week of diet administration, following an oral glucose load (3g/kg body weight), blood glucose concentration (BGC) (mg/dL) in rats fed the 5% VA peaked at 15minutes (147.24\ub1 18.46), while the BGC in rats fed the control diet and 10% VA peaked at 30mins (180.00 \ub1 28.57 and 159.48 \ub1 16.07 respectively). After two weeks of feeding of the vegetable incorporated diets, post administration BGC peaked at 15 minutes in the test groups [5% VA diet (152.64\ub1 33.46) and 10% VA diet group (121.95\ub1 24.78)] while the peak remained at 30 minutes in the control group. After 3 weeks of diet administration BGC remained peaked at 15 minutes in the 5% and 10% VA diet groups (137.16 \ub1 61.29 and 132.75 \ub1 8.86 respectively). Rats in both test groups, after 3 weeks on the test diets, had their glycaemic indices reduced by 15- 18%. These findings indicate that feeding on diets containing Vernonia amygdalina could positively modulate oral glucose tolerance. The vegetable could be useful in dietary management of conditions associated with oral glucose tolerance, and by extension, hyperglycemia

Anti-obesity potentials of aqueous and methanol extracts of Vernonia amygdalina Del. Leaves in high-fat diet fed rats

Background: Obesity is currently a global epidemic. Conventional treatments have not been very satisfactory to patients, warranting a search for alternative therapeutic options that are natural, safe and affordable. This study therefore investigated the anti-obesity potentials of aqueous and methanol extracts of Vernonia amygdalina Del (AEVA and MEVA respectively) in a rat model in which obesity was induced using a high-fat diet.Materials and Methods: Forty two Wistar rats were randomised into 7 groups of 6 rats each. One group served as the Normal Control group and obesity was induced in the other 6 groups. One of the 6 groups each served as Positive Control and Negative Control while the 4 test groups were designated AEVA100, AEVA500, MEVA50 and MEVA200, respectively. The study lasted for 12 weeks after which standard protocols were followed for all analyses and determinations.Results: The results show that both AEVA and MEVA at the tested concentrations resulted in significant (P < 0.05) weight loss (without affecting internal organs negatively), and significant (P < 0.05) improvement in some metabolic markers of obesity in the test rats compared to the negative control rats. MEVA 200 had the greatest anti-obesity effect while MEVA 50 was the least effective. All the test extracts compared well with Orlistat used as the positive control drug on all counts.Conclusion: The observed weight-loss benefits of AEVA and MEVA are attributable to the rich milieu of phytochemicals found in Vernonia amygdalina Del. Further studies to unlock the mechanisms through which the observed weight loss is mediated are warranted.Key words: High-fat diet, Obesity, Phytochemicals, Vernonia amygdalina extracts, Weight los

ANTI-OBESITY POTENTIALS OF AQUEOUS AND METHANOL EXTRACTS OF Vernonia amygdalina DEL. LEAVES IN HIGH-FAT DIET FED RATS

Background: Obesity is currently a global epidemic. Conventional treatments have not been very satisfactory to patients, warranting a search for alternative therapeutic options that are natural, safe and affordable. This study therefore investigated the anti-obesity potentials of aqueous and methanol extracts of Vernonia amygdalina Del (AEVA and MEVA respectively) in a rat model in which obesity was induced using a high-fat diet. Materials and Methods: Forty two Wistar rats were randomised into 7 groups of 6 rats each. One group served as the Normal Control group and obesity was induced in the other 6 groups. One of the 6 groups each served as Positive Control and Negative Control while the 4 test groups were designated AEVA100, AEVA500, MEVA50 and MEVA200, respectively. The study lasted for 12 weeks after which standard protocols were followed for all analyses and determinations. Results: The results show that both AEVA and MEVA at the tested concentrations resulted in significant (P < 0.05) weight loss (without affecting internal organs negatively), and significant (P < 0.05) improvement in some metabolic markers of obesity in the test rats compared to the negative control rats. MEVA 200 had the greatest anti-obesity effect while MEVA 50 was the least effective. All the test extracts compared well with Orlistat used as the positive control drug on all counts. Conclusion: The observed weight-loss benefits of AEVA and MEVA are attributable to the rich milieu of phytochemicals found in Vernonia amygdalina Del. Further studies to unlock the mechanisms through which the observed weight loss is mediated are warranted

Obesity in young-adult Nigerians: variations in prevalence determined by anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis, and the development of % body fat prediction equations

Abstract Background Overweight/obesity is a growing global public health concern. The variations in the prevalence of overweight/obesity, defined by Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR), Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHpR) and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), were studied and a prediction equation for % body fat (%BF) developed. Methods A total of 1584 subjects (56.4% males) were recruited for the study. Data on age, gender, height, weight, hip circumference and WC were collected from the subjects using standard protocols. BMI, WHtR and WHpR were derived using standard equations. %BF was measured using a BIA device (Omron BF-400). Appropriate statistical tools were used for the data analysis. Results The prevalence of overweight/obesity in the population was 28.4% (36.3% for males; 22.6% for females) (BIA); 20.7% (17.5% for males; 24.8% for females) (BMI); 7.5% (1.3% for males; 16.1% for females) (WC); 2.9% (4.3% for males; 1.2% for females) (WHpR); and 15.4% (14.8% for males; 16.2% females) (WHtR). Taking BIA as the reference point, WC misclassified overweight/obesity the most for males (35%), while for the females, WHpR misclassified both disorders the most (21.4%). Correlation studies showed that only BMI correlated significantly, albeit weakly, with %BF among the males, whereas all the anthropometric measures, but WHpR correlated significantly with % body fat in females. Two prediction equations for %BF were generated, and %BF predicted with the two equations correlated significantly (P  Conclusion The prevalence of overweight/obesity in this population vary widely depending on the definition used. The developed prediction equations could be useful in resource-poor settings, but require validation.</p

Hypertension and anxiety in young Nigerian Adults: A study of an undergraduate population

There is, as yet, no consensus on the relationship between anxiety and hypertension. While a few studies have investigated the topic in sub-Saharan Africa, there is no such literature in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study of 1654 apparently healthy young (mean age: 21.6±2.2 years), Nigerian adults (57.6% males) was conducted. Their blood pressures (BPs), weights and heights were measured using standard protocols. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and self-reported age at last birthday was recorded per subject. Anxiety was measured using the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Appropriate statistical tools were used to analyze the data generated. A total of 1.5% (1.6% for males and 1.4% for females, P = 0.561) had high degree of anxiety. Hypertension was found in 2.4% (4% for males and 0.1% for female, P = 0.043) of the population while prehypertension was found in 39.7% (53.2% for males and 21.5% for females, P = &lt;0.001) of the population. Of the hypertensive subjects, 2.6% (2.6% for males Vs 0.0% for females) had high degree of anxiety. Mean blood pressures (within the sexes) were similar (P&gt;0.05) between the low anxiety group and each of the moderate and high anxiety groups. No significant correlations or associations were found between BAI scores and systolic or diastolic BPs. Hypertension was not associated with anxiety in the studied population. The prevalence of both hypertension and anxiety in this population is one of the lowest in recorded literature. Further studies are warranted (especially in sub-Saharan Africa) to examine further, the hypothesis that both factors are associated.Keywords: anxiety, association, blood pressure, hypertension, young adultsJournal of Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences Vol. 9 No. 3 (2012

Improvement of glucose tolerance in rats fed with diets containing Vernonia amygdalina leaves

The effect of 5% and 10% dietary incorporation of leaves of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) on oral glucose tolerance was studied in normoglycemic male albino rats. The feeding of the vegetable incorporated diets (5% VA and 10%VA) resulted in marked improvement in oral glucose tolerance in rats. After one week of diet administration, following an oral glucose load (3g/kg body weight), blood glucose concentration (BGC) (mg/dL) in rats fed the 5% VA peaked at 15minutes (147.24± 18.46), while the BGC in rats fed the control diet and 10% VA peaked at 30mins (180.00 ± 28.57 and 159.48 ± 16.07 respectively). After two weeks of feeding of the vegetable incorporated diets, post administration BGC peaked at 15 minutes in the test groups [5% VA diet (152.64± 33.46) and 10% VA diet group (121.95± 24.78)] while the peak remained at 30 minutes in the control group. After 3 weeks of diet administration BGC remained peaked at 15 minutes in the 5% and 10% VA diet groups (137.16 ± 61.29 and 132.75 ± 8.86 respectively). Rats in both test groups, after 3 weeks on the test diets, had their glycaemic indices reduced by 15- 18%. These findings indicate that feeding on diets containing Vernonia amygdalina could positively modulate oral glucose tolerance. The vegetable could be useful in dietary management of conditions associated with oral glucose tolerance, and by extension, hyperglycemia

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of methanol extract of Helianthus annuus Linn. (Asteraceae) leaf

This study evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of Helianthus annuus Linn. in rats. Methanol extract of Helianthus annuus (HAE) leaf was used in this study. Formalin- and egg-albumin induced-paw edema were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory activities while acetic acid-induced writhing reflex and tail flick models were used to evaluate the analgesic properties. The doses of HAE used were 150, 300 and 600 mg/kg. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) was used as reference drug in the anti-inflammatory and writhing reflex models while pentazocine (reference drug) was used in tail flick model. The negative control was dosed 5% tween-20 (10 ml/kg). The HAE exhibited significant (P < 0.05) dose-dependent anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. At 3 hour (h) post treatment, the HAE (300 mg/kg) produced 33.33% and 32.94% while ASA produced 36.36% and 35.29% reduction in paw volume in the formalin and egg-albumin induced paw edema models respectively when compared with negative control. In the acetic acid-induced writhing reflex, ASA and HAE (600 mg/kg) produced 67.89% and 35.78% reduction in the number of writhing, respectively when compared with the negative control. Pentazocine and HAE (300 mg/kg) caused 67.62% and 35.24% increase in pain reaction time when compared with the negative control. The study affirms the folkloric uses of Helianthus annuus in the management of pain and inflammation