Background and Objective: Inflammatory biomarkers like C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) are implicated in lots of inflammatory and auto-immune disorders and thus often used as tools for prediction of disease risk.The study aimed to determine the effects of oral contraceptive pills (Exluton and Combi-3) on these inflammatory biomarkers.Materials and Methods: The 25 adult female albino Wistar rats were obtained from the Animal House of Rivers State University, Port Harcourt and were divided into 5 groups of 5 Wistar rats each-Control, 200, 400 mg/kg Exluton, 200 and 400 mg/kg Combi-3 groups.They were allowed standard feed and water ad libitum to acclimatize for 14 days, after which the test drugs were administered to the various groups for 21 days.The rats were sacrificed and blood samples were collected for assessment of CRP, TNF and IL-6 using standard laboratory procedures.Data obtained were subjected to IBM SPSS, version 25 for statistical analysis.Results: The results for CRP revealed a non-significant (p>0.05)decrease in the groups 200, 400 mg/kg Exluton and 200 mg/kg Combi-3 and a nonsignificant (p>0.05)elevation of 400 mg/kg Combi-3 group.The result for IL-6 demonstrated a significant (p<0.05)elevation and reduction in 200 and 400 mg/kg Exluton groups, respectively and a non-significant (p>0.05)increase and decrease in 200 and 400 mg/kg Combi-3, respectively.The findings for TNF showed that a significant elevation was observed in TNF on administration of Exluton and Combi-3 when all were compared with the control groups.Conclusion: The oral contraceptives of study tend to inhibit elevation of C-reactive protein and have variable changes on IL-6, tending to decrease it at high doses.A markedly significant increase in TNF was also observed.This increase in TNF could account for the potential risk in incidences of autoimmune, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and other metabolic risks associated with oral contraceptives.
Background and Objective: Dual application of freezing and microwave heating is the most common form of food processing for food with a pleasant taste and texture in commercial and domestic settings.The effect of these processing methods on food was usually investigated in male laboratory animals, while such effects on female rats are sparse data.This study was poised to investigate the effects of various processing methods of foods on the cardiovascular risk and oxidative parameters in female Wistar rats.Materials and Methods: Four groups of female rats were employed in the study.Groups 1 to 4 were fed standard rat-chow (CG), freeze-thawed rat-chow (FT), microwaved rat-chow (MO) and freeze-microwaved rat-chow (FM), respectively, for 6 weeks.Results: The study showed that the plasma HDL-C was not altered (p>0.05)compared with the control group, however, the plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C and VLDL-C of the rats fed the experimental rat chows were significantly elevated (p<0.05)than the CG group.In addition, the experimental foods altered the natremia and oxidative parameters, however, no significant (p>0.05)lipid oxidation was recorded.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that short-term consumption of freeze-microwaved food might not have a pronounced effect on oxidative parameters.However, freeze-microwaved food is safer than consumption of either freeze-thawed or microwaved foods, however, there is a need to investigate the long-term effect of this claim.
Background and Objective: Nauclea latifolia (Smith) (Family: Rubiaceae) also known as 'Pincushion Tree' or 'African Peach' is a struggling shrub, native to tropical Africa and Asia where the use of folk medicine is prevalent and the search for an herbal cure is but common practice.Consequently, the effect of Nauclea latifolia ethanolic root extracts on hematological indices in rats was investigated in this research.Materials and Methods: The root of Nauclea latifolia was extracted with ethanol.A total of twenty Wister albino rats were used in this study.The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of 5 rats each.Varying doses of the extract such as 10, 50 and 250 mg kgG 1 were orally administered to groups 2, 3 and 4, respectively for 42 days.Results: The ethanolic extract of N. latifolia showed a significant elevation (p<0.05) in haematological parameters of the experimental rats after 42 days of administration in the Packed Cell Volume (PCV), white blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration and red blood cell count as compared with the control group which could be a protective mechanism against infection. Conclusion:If the results obtained from this study are applicable to man, ethanolic extracts of Nauclea latifolia root can be used as immune boosters and blood tonics in herbal medicine.However, it seems that it may contain particles that may exert or have allergenic and inflammatory properties.
Background and Objective: BPA is disruptive to women's hormone homeostasis.Environmentally relevant doses of BPA can cause effects on human development and reproduction.BPA can impair implantation and impair the establishment of pregnancies leading to a high rate of infertility.BPA may stimulate cell proliferation and stimulates uterine, vaginal and mammary growth.This study investigates the possible effect of BPA on LH and FSH at prevailing low exposure rates in albino Wistar rats.Materials and Methods: Ten experimental groups each containing 10 female rats were administered 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 and 1 mg of BPA/kg body weight, respectively for 3 months.The eleventh control group was given water.Animal blood was collected at the end of every week of the studies and the serum sample specimens were analyzed by routine diagnostic procedures for the parameters assayed.Results: Significantly increased concentrations of luteinizing hormones were observed at all concentrations of BPA exposure and FSH was decreased.Conclusion: The present study is evident that BPA exposure alters the reproductive hormones and this implies that BPA can alter steroid hormone pathways.
Background and Objective: The 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MST) is an enzyme known to catalyse the detoxification of cyanide by transferring sulfur from appropriate substrates to cyanide to form a less toxic compound.Aqueous two-phase partitioning system (ATPS) has several advantages as compared with conventional methods of enzyme purification.However, to improve enzyme purification through ATPS, a combination of process variables need to be optimized.Materials and Methods: In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted to determine the optimum condition for the aqueous two-phase partitioning of chicken liver 3-MST.The variables optimized are polyethylene glycol (PEG), ammonium sulphate and NaCl.Results: The results obtained validate the predictability of the model.The optimal concentration of independent variables that ensued highest purification yield of 80.989% was 25% (PEG), 6.9% (ammonium sulphate) and 2.8% of NaCl.The R 2 value for the model was 0.9708 (p<0.05).Conclusion: The experimental values obtained in this study are following those predicted, indicating the suitability of the employed model and the success of the response surface methodology (RSM) in optimizing the purification conditions.
Background and Objective: Surfactants in the environment enhance the solubility of harmful organic compounds in soil due to their surface-active qualities, enhancing the mobility of toxic agents and further damaging the aquatic environment.This study investigates the chronic effects of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates (LABs), a well-known surfactant, on biochemical alterations in freshwater culturable catfish, Clarias gariepinus, after 30 days of exposure to a sub-lethal dose of a detergent component. Materials and Methods:The fish experimentation was carried out following the applicable standards and legislation as the C. gariepinus utilized in this study was self-bred.Blood was collected from the caudal region following the standard procedures.The fish were exposed to the range of the concentrations of LABs reported in the field of 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 mg LG 1 and the control for 30 days.The Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), Glutathione activities (GST) and hydro corticosteroid profiles were measured on days 2nd and 30th in the laboratory spectrophotometrically.Results: Findings revealed that the surfactant altered the enzymes in these organs and the effects were dosage and time-dependent.The activity of the GST and cortisol levels followed an increasing trend and a decline in the activity of AChE in all the concentrations throughout the experiment.Conclusion: Long-term exposure to LABs increased the production of ROS, which ultimately caused oxidative cell damage and reduced esterase activity in the fish tissues.This study shows that LAB poisoning can ultimately endanger life and have comparable negative consequences on human health.Since anthropogenic factors are the primary causes of surfactant exposure, concerned authorities must enact stringent mitigation measures to curb this underrated risk.
Background and Objective: Azo dyes are most widely used in various industries due to their ease of synthesis and chemical stability.But many azo dyes and their breakdown derivatives have been suggested to be toxic to life.Biological treatments of dyes with microorganisms are relatively cost effective and eco-friendly due to lower sludge production.In this study, the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris was examined for its degrading ability of azo dyes viz., Reactive Black 5, Direct Blue 71 and Disperse Red 1. Materials and Methods:The experiments included dye decolorization experiments and factors affecting decolorization such as initial dye concentration, pH and temperature.Further, azoreductase enzyme specific activity and its kinetics were determined.Results: The results revealed that azo degradation based on the initial dye concentration varied among the dyes tested and the same was reflected for pH.In specific, 200 mg LG 1 was found optimum for Reactive Black 71 and Direct Blue 71 whereas 300 mg LG 1 was for Disperse Red 1.The optimum pH for decolorization of RB5, DB71 and DR1 was 5, 8 and 8, respectively.The optimum temperature for degradation of all the dyes was found as 40EC.Maximum azoreductase activity of 0.127 U mgG 1 protein was observed for DR1 and the enzyme activity was not pH dependent but substrate specific.Conclusion: The results revealed the azo dye degrading potential of Chlorella vulgaris and the decolorizing conditions were optimized for the microalgae.
Background and Objective: Most of the studies carried out with leaves, barks and stems of Cassia species.So, the objective of this study was to characterize the chemical constituents of flowers of Cassia alata, Cassia auriculata, Cassia fistula and Cassia occidentalis by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).Materials and Methods: The GC-MS analysis of flower extracts was performed using a GC and MS JEOL GC mate system and Interpretation on mass spectrum GC-MS was conducted using the database of National Institute Standard and Technology (NIST).Results: From the GCMS study, 12 phytocompounds were identified from C. alata flowers, 9 compounds from C. auriculata flowers, 12 compounds from C. fistula flowers and 13 phytocompounds identified from the C. occidentalis flower extract.A compound namely, Pregna-5, 8, 16-triene-3à-ol-20-one acetate (its chemical name is 16-Dehydropregnenolone acetate) found first time in C. occidentalis flowers, which is used in the preparation of anti-cancer agents.Conclusion: From the results obtained it was concluded that Cassia sp.contain various phytochemicals, justifying their use for various human ailments.
Background and Objective: Environmental pollution from human activities is a major challenge of civilization today.This study aimed to use Sn doped ZnO nanoaprticles for the purification polluted water from dye and heavy metal.Materials and Methods: The Sn doped ZnO nanoparticles have been synthesized using a simple chemical method and characterized by XRD, SEM and AFM.The degradation efficiency of Sn/ZnO nanoparticles was studied against methyl orange dye along with Cr(VI) by using a UV-vis spectrophotometer (Sl-210 Double Beam UV Visible Spectrophotometer (Elico)).Results: The results demonstrated that the photocatalyst was efficient at 200 mg LG 1 , the maximum amount of degradation (80.2 %) have been observed for MO/Cr(VI) after 2 h.Conclusion: The photocatalytic performance of the Sn/ZnO nanoparticles was stable after the nanoparticles were reused 5 times.The photocatalytic ability of the Sn-doped ZnO film allowed the development of a low cost, high efficiency and environmentally friendly material for water treatment applications using sunlight.
Background and Objective: In oil refining process, lipase-catalyzed de-acidification is a promising alternative to conventional neutralization.The enzymatic esterification of free fatty acids in crude sardine oil was carried out by immobilized lipase novozymes 435.The aim of this study was to upgrade the sardine oil processed in Morocco by using enzymatic solutions and to investigate the effect of the various parameters involved in enzymatic deacidification of fish oil: Pressure, ratio of oil/novozymes 435, ratio of oil/glycerol, temperature.Materials and Methods: The enzymatic deacidification optimization was performed with novozymes 435, by using two oils with different initial acidity.The results obtained in the present study were analyzed through two-way ANOVA test.Results: The greater deacidification yields were obtained with: A temperature of 70EC, a ratio oil/glycerol: 2%, a ratio oil/novozyme 435: 1%, a pressure: 15-25 mbar.Conclusion: From an industrial point of view, this eco-friend enzymatic solution may allow Moroccan fish oil producers to achieve acid number values that meet the standard.
Objective: The present study investigated the synergistic effect and the antioxidant activity of 7 aqueous extracts from Egyptian spices; identified the phenolics and flavonoids constituents of two different blends prepared from these extracts using DART-MS for the first time and also evaluated the cytotoxic effect of the blends on liver cancer cell line Hep G2.Methodology: The antioxidant activity of the water extracts was evaluated using 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azinobis (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assays.Based on folin-ciocalteu and AlCl 3 -colorimetric methods, total phenolic content and total flavonoids of the extracts were assayed.The separation and identification of phenolics/flavonoids constituents of extracts blends were performed using direct analysis in real time DART-mass spectrometry.In vitro cytotoxicity was performed against liver human cancer cell line (Hep G2) using MTT assay and 5-flurouracilas a reference drug.Results: Clove/cinnamon extracts combination showed synergistic effect in promoting the cytotxicity of Hep G2 cancer cells as well as scavenging DPPH radicals, while combination had antagonistic effect.Phenolic constituents e.g., catechol, pyrogallol, eugenol, linalool, caffeic and ferulic acids were identified in both combination using DART-MS technique, however, flavonoids e.g., pinocembrin, catechin and apeginin were detected only in clove/cinnamon combination which may correlated to its synergistic effect.Conclusion: Aqueous extract of clove/cinnamon blend demonstrated a synergistic effect as an anticancer or antioxidant agent, while clove/cinnamon/thyme blend, although showed antagonistic effect as an antioxidant but exhibited good cytotoxic effect on liver cancer cell line Hep G2.These findings may provide some basis for the purported synergistic effects of traditional Egyptian spices and facilitate their utilization in combination as functional foods and dietary supplements.
Background: The bioactive components present in the Datura metel plant are known to be responsible for its medicinal properties, to cure many diseases like asthma and bronchitis.However, the extraction method for these bioactive components is not yet standardized.The present study was undertaken to compare the effect of using different extraction solvents to extract the active components like alkaloids, flavinoids, saponins, steroids and tannins from the dried leaves of the Datura plant.Methodology: To achieve this, different extracts from the plant leaves were made using soxhlet apparatus.The extraction solvents used were distilled water, methanol, acetone, chloroform, ethyl acetate and hexane.Phytochemical estimations, total phenol concentration, flavonoid concentration and antioxidant activity have been evaluated to compare the efficiency of different extraction solvents.Results: The results shows that using methanol as an extraction solvent works best for the extraction of various active phytochemicals with flavonoid concentration of 16.48±0.22mg of quercetin equivalent/100 g of extract, phenol concentration of 8.493±0.21mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g of extract and 41.2±0.64%2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition which is significantly higher than chloroform which results in the minimum extraction with flavonoid concentration of 6.71±0.44 mg of quercetin equivalent/100 g of extract, phenol concentration of 0.196±0.02mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g of extract and 15.3% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition.Conclusion: To best of our knowledge this is the first report that directly compares the 6 extraction solvents for the extraction of active components from the Datura plant leaves and shows that methanol should be the solvent of choice.
