DETOXIFICATION ENZYMES ACTIVITIES IN DDT AND BENDIOCARB RESISTANT AND SUCEPTIBLE MALARIAL VECTOR (Anopheles gambae) BREED IN AUYO RESIDENTIAL AND IRRIGATION SITES NORTHWEST NIGERIA

Evaluating levels of detoxifying enzymes is informative to governmental, nongovernmental organization and insecticides producing industries. In this work DDT and bendiocarb resistance status of Anopheles gambae breeds in Auyo (May – September, 2014) was studied. Larvae collected from residential sites (AR) and rice Irrigation sites (AI) of Auyo town in Auyo LGA Jigawa State Nigeria reared to adult was studied by WHO adult bioassay. Standard methods were adapted to determine the specific activities of insecticides detoxifying enzymes; glutathione s transferase (GST), esterase and monooxygenase in the insecticides resistant (r) and susceptible (s) vectors. In addition those tested with bendiocarb were analyzed for acetylcholinesterase activities. The finding of the study established high resistance status of the malarial vectors to DDT in both sites, low resistance status to bendiocarb in residential site and possible resistance to bendiocarb in irrigation site according to WHO interpretation. Significant (P<0.05) elevation in the activity of esterase and GST were seen in DDT resistant strain of residential site compared to susceptible (s). Significantly higher (P<0.05) specific activity of monooxygenase and acetyl cholinesterase was observed in bendiocarb resistant strain of both residential and irrigation sites, except for acetyl cholinesterase of irrigation site. Elevated activity of was observed in bendiocarb resistant strain of residential site. The finding of the study could be associated with indiscriminate use of insecticides in residential site against malarial vector and other flying insect and agrochemicals in the irrigation site. Base on this finding it may be concluded that conferring resistance to malarial vector is not restricted to agricultural area alone. Therefore challenge to researchers and chemical industries in fight against malarial should be redirected to producing specific irreversible and/or reversible inhibitors to these insecticides detoxifying enzymes

Hypolipidemic Activity of Solvents Extracts of Khaya senegalensis Stem Bark in Diet Induced Hyperlipidemic Rats

Introduction: Hyperlipidemia is a modifiable risk factor of an important killer disease “cardiovascular diseases”, which account for as much mortality as infectious disease, nutritional deficiency and maternal and prenatal disease combined together. Aim: To investigate the effect of oral administration of Aqueous-methanol stem bark extract of Khaya senegalensis and its solvents (hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate) extracts on lipid profile of hyperlipidemic rats. Methodology: Hyperlipidemia was induced in rats via feeding on high lipid diet (HLD) for 6 weeks. A total of fifty five (55) rats were divided into two phases: For phase one, twenty five (25) rats were placed into five groups (GI - GV) of five rats each. GI served as normal control, GII serves as hyperlipidemic control group, while GIII, GIV and GV were hyperlipidemic and administered with crude extract (E1) at a dose of 250mg/kg, 350mg/kg and 450mg/kg body weight respectively for two weeks. For the second phase, thirty (30) rats were placed into six (6) groups of five (5) rats. GI served as normal control, GII served as hyperlipidemic control group, while GIII, GIV GV and GVI were hyperlipidemic and administered with hexane extract (E2), chloroform extract (E3), ethyl acetate extract (E4) and the residue (E5) at a dose of 250mg/kg body weight respectively for two weeks. The animals from each group were euthanized and serum was collected for analysis lipid profile (Total Cholesterol, LDL-Cholesterol, HDL-Cholesterol and Triglyceride). Results: The research found that aqueous methanol extract of Khaya senegalensis possess hypolipidemic ability with the ethyl acetate extract showing the highest potency with a significant (p<0.01) decrease in serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol level when compared to hyperlipidemic control. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the ethyl acetate extract from the crude extract possesses the highest hypolipidemic activity. Keywords: High lipid diets; hyperlipidemia; lipid profile; Khaya senegalensis; sequential extraction

Effects of Aqueous and Chloroform Stem Bark Extracts of Alstonia boonei on Liver Function Indices of Plasmodium Berghei Induced Albino Mice

In a preliminary research, authors reported that solvents extracts of Alstonia boonei possess strong antimalarial activity against NK-65 Chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium berghei infected mice with aqueous extract having the highest decrease in mean percentage parasitaemia. This research was therefore aimed at evaluating the effects of most active stem bark extracts (aqueous and chloroform) of Alstonia boonei on liver function indices of Plasmodium Berghei-induced mice. A total of 42 albino mice were inoculated with Plasmodium berghei and left for 7 days for optimum parasitaemia development after which they were screened for malarial parasites using thin blood film. They were then randomly divided into 7 groups of 6 mice per cage. Group 1 served as normal control, Groups 2 served as negative control (malaria infected but untreated), group 3 were administered with Chloroquine, groups 4 and 5 animals were administered with aqueous extract at a dose of 150 and 250mgkg-1 per day for four weeks, Groups 6 and 7 animals were administered with chloroform extract at a dose of 150 and 200mgkg-1 per day for four weeks. On the 29th day, the mice were euthanized and blood sample was collected and centrifuged for analysis of Liver function indices (AST, ALT, ALP, DB, TB, TP and ALB), the animals were dissected and liver tissues were collected for histological analysis. A significant (p<0.05) increase in mean serum of ALT, AST, ALP, and total bilirubin was observed in both negative and positive control compared to normal control. On the other hand, a significant (p<0.05) decrease in mean serum of ALT, AST, ALP and total bilirubin was seen in extracts administered groups compared to negative control. Histopathological examination of the liver showed unremarkable liver architecture with a vein containing red blood cells and some malarial pigments and parasites in infected but untreated group (negative control) while no malarial pigment or parasite was seen in either the normal control group or groups administered with extracts, confirming the antimalarial activity of the plant extract. Keywords: Alstonia boonei, toxicity, malaria, liver Function Indices and histopathology

Heavy Metals Health Risk Assessment through Consumption of Baobab Leaf Cultivated in Katsina State, North West Nigeria

Vegetables play important roles in human nutrition and health. They can also contain some undesirable components that can be harmful, e.g.  Pesticides and heavy metals. The objectives of the study were mainly to detect the presence of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Fe, Ni, Mn, Pb and Zn) in sampled Baobab leaf in Katsina state Nigeria and assessed the human health risks associated with the consumption of the Baobab leaves. The content of these metals was assayed by the AAS method. The health risk to the local inhabitants was evaluated by estimating daily heavy metal intake and computing the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) and the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) for cancer and non-cancer risks. The results were compared with the safety standards established by the WHO/FAO and USEPA. With the exception of the heavy metal Pb (0.526-0.981) the mean concentration (mg/kg) range values of Cr (0.116-0.352), Cd (0.041-0.054), Fe (1.016-1.951) and Zn (0.940-1.229) in the samples were generally lower than the USEPA, WHO/FAO maximum permissive limits. The risk level of Target Hazard Quotient (THQ < 1) was observed for all the evaluated heavy metals for both adults and children. The THQ for the samples was in the decreasing order Zn>Fe>Pb>Cr>Cd, for all the baobab leaf samples respectively. All the studied samples showed the risk level (HI < 1). ILCR for Cd violated the threshold risk limit (>10−4) and ILCR for Pb reached the moderate risk limit (>10−3) for cancer in all the studied samples in adults, While in children ILCR for Pb in samples from Dabai and Daura have reached the moderate risk limit (>10−3), while the ILCR for Pb in rest of the samples and ILCR for Cd of all the samples are beyond the moderate risk level (>10−2). The consumption of the Baobab leaf sample may contribute to the population cancer burden