Antidepressant effect of methanol root bark extract of Acacia seyal Del. (Fabaceae): Possible involvement of the inflammatory pathway

Purpose: To study the involvement of inflammatory pathways in the antidepressant activity of Acacia seyal in mice.Methods: The median lethal dose (LD50) of the extract Acacia seyal (AS) was determined using OECD guideline 425. The antidepressant activity of AS was assessed against BCG (0.2 mg/kg, ip)-induced depression in mice using Tail suspension test (TST) and open field test (OFT) at 4, 24 and 48  hours post BCG administration.Results: The median lethal dose (LD50) for the extract was > 5000 mg/kg orally. The extract AS at all tested doses (250 – 1000 mg/kg) significantly (p ≤ 0.001) decreased the duration of immobility in TST but increased the number of line crossing in OFT post-BCG.Conclusion: The antidepressant activity of the methanol root bark extract of Acacia seyal in mice may involve an inflammatory mechanism. Thus, the extract of Acacia seyal may be suitable for the management of depression in humans resistant to other conventional antidepressant agents. However, further studies are required to ascertain this Keywords: Depression, Acacia seyal, Tail suspension test, Open field test, Bacillus Calmette-Gueri

Acute Toxicological, Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Methanol Extract of Laggera aurita Linn F (Compositae) in Mice and Rats

Background: The plant Laggera aurita is an annual or biannual plant belonging to the family Compositae that has been used for management of pain related conditions locally.  It reportedly has anti-oxidant as well as antimicrobial properties. Objectives: To conduct LD50 and phytochemical studies, evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of the methanol extract of L. aurita and determine possible mechanism of action. Methodology: Analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of the extract were investigated using acetic acid induced writhing, thermally-induced pain, and formalin induced inflammation in rats and mice. Phytochemical and acute toxicological screenings were also conducted. Results: The LD50 was found to be above 5000 mg/kg with slight changes in histological architecture observed in the kidney, liver, lungs and stomach. The extract at dose 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg significantly (p<0.05) inhibited acetic acid induced writhes in mice and increased mean reaction time in the thermal pain model, both dose dependently. The effect on thermally induced pain was blocked by naloxone, a non-specific opioid antagonist, suggesting opioid receptor involvement in analgesia. The extract also significantly (p<0.05) decreased formalin induced paw edema dose dependently. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the methanol extract of L. aurita possesses analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties that justify its ethnomedicinal use in management of pain and inflammation. Keywords: Laggera aurita, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, acute toxicity

Establishing convergent validity of a medication literacy assessment instrument for use within the Nigerian setting

Purpose: To establish convergent validity of a previously designed medication literacy instrument for use in Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Zaria, Kaduna State from May to August 2021, with structured instruments administered to conveniently sampled members of the public via one-on-one interviews to collect data. These instruments included a previously designed medication literacy assessment instrument and the Newest Vital Sign United Kingdom version (NVS-UK) health literacy assessment questionnaire. Data obtained was reported using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Three hundred respondents were interviewed, majority of whom were females (51 %) and aged between 15 – 25 (76.6 %). The percentage of correct responses to the NVS-UK questions ranged from 22 to 58.3 %, while the total number of NVS-UK questions answered correctly by respondents ranged from 0 to 6 with a mean of 2.2 ± 1.7. Respondents’ NVS-UK scores were associated with their highest level of education completed (p = 0.001). The NVS-UK showed adequate internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.7) and validation of the developed medication literacy instrument against the NVS-UK demonstrated a Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient of 0.42. Conclusion: The designed instrument is valid and can be used to assess medication literacy within the country

Tuberculin screening of some selected Fulani lactating cows in north-central Nigeria

The prevalence of mycobacterial infection among lactating Fulani cows was investigated in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and Kaduna State of Nigeria. Tuberculin testing using single comparative intradermal tuberculin test showed a 14.6 % positive, 4 % doubtful, and 81.4 % negative reactors. Mycobacterial infection was found to be present in the nomadic (constantly moving) and seminomadic (limited movement) management systems studied but management showed no significant effect on the prevalence of the disease. However, the prevalence was significantly higher in older age groups than the younger ones (P < 0.05).Peer reviewedSubmitted Versio

Guessability of standard pharmaceutical pictograms in members of the Nigerian public

Background: Pharmaceutical pictograms are standardized images used to visually convey medication instructions. Very little is known about the ability of Africans to interpret these images. Objectives: Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the guessability (ability to correctly guess meaning) of selected International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) pictograms in members of the Nigerian public. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out between May and August 2021 on 400 randomly sampled members of Nigerian public. Selected pictograms (24 FIP and 22 USP pictograms) were grouped and printed on A3 sheets of paper which were used to interview members of the public who fulfilled the study's' eligibility criteria. Respondents were asked to guess the meanings of either the FIP or USP pictograms, and their answers written down verbatim. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to report the data collected. Results: Four hundred respondents were interviewed, with 200 respondents each assessing the guessability of the FIP and USP pictograms. The guessability of assessed FIP pictograms ranged between 3.5 and 95%, while that for the USP pictograms was 27.5–97%. Eleven FIP and Thirteen USP pictograms respectively achieved the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) comprehensibility cutoff point of 67%. Guessing performance (the total number of pictograms correctly guessed by an individual) of respondents that assessed the FIP pictograms was significantly associated with their age (p = 0.044) and highest level of education completed (p = 0.003). For the USP pictograms, guessing performance was only significantly associated with the highest educational level completed (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Guessability of both pictogram types varied widely, but the guessability of the USP pictograms was generally better than that for the FIP pictograms. Many of the tested pictograms may however need to be redesigned before they can be correctly interpreted by members of the Nigerian public

Potential Roles of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Cellular Proteins Implicated in Diabesity

The role of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has evolved from protein synthesis, processing, and other secretory pathways to forming a foundation for lipid biosynthesis and other metabolic functions. Maintaining ER homeostasis is essential for normal cellular function and survival. An imbalance in the ER implied stressful conditions such as metabolic distress, which activates a protective process called unfolded protein response (UPR). This response is activated through some canonical branches of ER stress, i.e., the protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6). Therefore, chronic hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, increased proinflammatory cytokines, and free fatty acids (FFAs) found in diabesity (a pathophysiological link between obesity and diabetes) could lead to ER stress. However, limited data exist regarding ER stress and its association with diabesity, particularly the implicated proteins and molecular mechanisms. Thus, this review highlights the role of ER stress in relation to some proteins involved in diabesity pathogenesis and provides insight into possible pathways that could serve as novel targets for therapeutic intervention

An analysis of dietary fiber and fecal fiber components including pH in rural Africans with colorectal cancer

Background/AimsColorectal cancer (CRC) is now a major public health problem with heavy morbidity and mortality in rural Africans despite the lingering dietary fiber-rich foodstuffs consumption. Studies have shown that increased intake of dietary fiber which contribute to low fecal pH and also influences the activity of intestinal microbiota, is associated with a lowered risk for CRC. However, whether or not the apparent high dietary fiber consumption by Africans do not longer protects against CRC risk is unknown. This study evaluated dietary fiber intake, fecal fiber components and pH levels in CRC patients.MethodsThirty-five subjects (CRC=21, control=14), mean age 45 years were recruited for the study. A truncated food frequency questionnaire and modified Goering and Van Soest procedures were used.ResultsWe found that all subjects consumed variety of dietary fiber-rich foodstuffs. There is slight preponderance in consumption of dietary fiber by the control group than the CRC patients. We also found a significant difference in the mean fecal neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin contents from the CRC patients compared to the controls (P<0.05). The CRC patients had significantly more fecal pH level than the matched apparently healthy controls (P=0.017).ConclusionsThe identified differences in the fecal fiber components and stool pH levels between the 2 groups may relate to CRC incidence and mortality in rural Africans. There is crucial need for more hypothesis-driven research with adequate funding on the cumulative preventive role of dietary fiber-rich foodstuffs against colorectal cancer in rural Africans “today.