Malnutrition significantly impacts a child's growth, development, and overall survival. To address this issue beyond the age of six months, this study developed three distinct dietary supplements to complement breast milk for early-age children. Comprehensive multivariate assessments were conducted to evaluate the nutritional quality and safety of these infant diets, employing established standard methods. The findings revealed that the diets exhibited carbohydrate and protein contents ranging from 2.84 to 32.48% and 40.66 to 63.23%, respectively. Importantly, the diets contained low levels of tannins, phytate, and oxalate. Notably, the high corn diet exhibited significantly higher mineral elements, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in bulk density and swelling capacity, but the medium corn diet displayed higher water absorption capacity and least gelation (p < 0.05). These diets were found to contain essential amino acid and vitamin requirements, conforming to FAO/WHO reference values. The sensory analysis yielded ratings within acceptable limits using a 9-point hedonic scale. Moreover, microbial load assessments complied with international microbiological standards (≤105 cfu/ml). These cost-effective and nutritionally sound dietary options present a pragmatic solution to addressing nutritional challenges faced by infants and children in developing nations.

Given increasing concerns about the environmental impact of heavy metal pollution, assessing the level of contamination in floodplain suspended sediments is an important task. Effective environmental management and the preservation of an ecosystem depend on understanding existing pollution levels and potential concerns in the future. For this reason, floodplain-suspended sediments from major industrialized cities in Southeast Nigeria were sampled and analyzed for heavy metal contents. The investigation was conducted to evaluate the immediate and long-term bioavailability and pollution status of heavy metals in receptor organisms. A five-step sequential extraction procedure was adopted to fractionate iron, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel, lead, cadmium, and chromium to determine the geochemical phases in which they were distributed. Generally, the heavy metals were partitioned in the following order: residual >> oxidizable > carbonate > reducible > exchangeable. This indicates that a significant portion of the metals were tightly bound to the soil matrix, rendering them not readily bioavailable to the biota, except over an extended period. The levels of heavy metals, except for lead and cadmium in specific areas, were below the saturation point in terms of their bioavailability. Furthermore, the pollution assessment indices, such as the geo-accumulation index, reflected high levels of cadmium, copper, and lead contamination. This suggests a potential ecotoxicological risk to organisms near the sampling sites. The sites were classified as moderate and high risk in terms of immediate and future risk assessment, respectively. This research has established connections between current conditions and future threats and contributed valuable insights for understanding and mitigating potential environmental hazards. Proper cleaning methods and potential site reclamation are imperative to minimize or contain these heavy metals in stable forms within urban areas to prevent bioaccumulation.

Background Terminalia catappa is a traditional medicinal plant used for several ailments among the local folks. Among the locals, the stem bark is an important constituent of polyherbal remedies for the treatment of cancer and metabolic diseases; however, there is a paucity of scientific reports on it. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antidiabetic, antihypertensive and antierectile dysfunction effects of Terminalia catappa stem bark extract (TSBE). Methods The HPLC phytochemical profiling, total phenol content, total flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity of the extract were delineated. The inhibitory effects of TSBE on activities of α-glucosidase, α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), arginase, phosphodiesterase-5′ (PDE-5′), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and ecto-5 nucleotidase (Ecto-5-NTD) were estimated following standard procedures. Results HPLC of TSBE profiled ferulic acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid, catechin, rutin, p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, kaempferol, apiginin and quercetin. TSBE had IC50 values of 49.19 µg/mL and 55.42 µg/mL in terms of scavenging DPPH and NO radicals, respectively. The TSBE inhibited α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities with IC50 values of 71.53 µg/mL and 105.11 µg/mL, respectively. The inhibitory effects of TSBE on AChE, arginase, PDE-5′, and ACE revealed IC50 values higher than that of standards. TSBE demonstrated a stimulatory effect on ecto-5-NTD activity. Conclusion TSBE revealed promising antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihypertensive and antierectile dysfunction (anti-ED) properties which may be associated with the bioactive compounds present in the extract.

Background One of the major pathogenesis of malaria parasite infection is the invasion and destruction of the Red Blood Cells, which requires the joint administration of antimalarial and most times essential nutrients for effective treatment. Previous studies have shown that various non-edible parts of Azadirachta indica tree may have anti-malarial potentials. Purpose To investigate the effects of the edible fresh juice of A. indica fruit on various hematological parameters in addition to its potential to clear P. berghei in infected mice. Methods The phytochemical constituents of A. indica fruit juice were determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopic (GC-MS) method. Determinations of creatinine, urea, and lipid profile were carried out using Auto-analyzer. Results The chromatogram of GC-MS analysis of A. indica fruit juice showed four (4) peaks as follows dodecanoic acid (4.37%), oleic acid (14.19%), 13-octadecyl (17.05%) and 15-tetracosanoic acid methyl ester (47.13%) as the major constituents. The unique pathway for plasmodial fatty acid synthesis has become a possible target of drug action. Adult male mice were placed in six groups (n = 6). Group A mice were fed a normal diet and water ad libitum only while groups B to E were fed a normal diet and water ad libitum and further infected with P. berghei. The parasitemia was confirmed on the third day of infection. Groups C, D, E, and F were further given 5 mg/kg body weight of artesunate, 4.3 ml/kg, 8.6 ml/kg, and 12.9 ml/kg of fruit juice respectively for fourteen days and then sacrificed. The percentage of parasitemia in infected groups was very high but treatment with artesunate and various doses of fruit juice significantly reduced the percentage of parasitemia. Interestingly, 0.86 mg/kg dose of the fruit juice caused a high significant reduction in the percentage of parasitemia comparable to the potency of artesunate. Additionally, infection with P. berghei yielded a significant decrease in the levels of various hematological indices in the infected mice which were normalized with the administration of Artesunate and the fruit juice of A. indica. Conclusion Fruit juice of A. indica has been shown to have novel dual benefits of clearing malaria parasites, serving as a blood tonic and nutritional supplement.

Given increasing concerns about the environmental impact of heavy metal pollution, assessing the level of contamination in floodplain suspended sediments is an important task. Effective environmental management and the preservation of an ecosystem depend on understanding existing pollution levels and potential concerns in the future. For this reason, floodplain-suspended sediments from major industrialized cities in Southeast Nigeria were sampled and analyzed for heavy metal contents. The investigation was conducted to evaluate the immediate and long-term bioavailability and pollution status of heavy metals in receptor organisms. A five-step sequential extraction procedure was adopted to fractionate iron, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel, lead, cadmium, and chromium to determine the geochemical phases in which they were distributed. Generally, the heavy metals were partitioned in the following order: residual >> oxidizable > carbonate > reducible > exchangeable. This indicates that a significant portion of the metals were tightly bound to the soil matrix, rendering them not readily bioavailable to the biota, except over an extended period. The levels of heavy metals, except for lead and cadmium in specific areas, were below the saturation point in terms of their bioavailability. Furthermore, the pollution assessment indices, such as the geo-accumulation index, reflected high levels of cadmium, copper, and lead contamination. This suggests a potential ecotoxicological risk to organisms near the sampling sites. The sites were classified as moderate and high risk in terms of immediate and future risk assessment, respectively. This research has established connections between current conditions and future threats and contributed valuable insights for understanding and mitigating potential environmental hazards. Proper cleaning methods and potential site reclamation are imperative to minimize or contain these heavy metals in stable forms within urban areas to prevent bioaccumulation.

Abstract One of the major pathogenesis of malaria parasite infection is the invasion and destruction of the Red Blood Cells, which requires the synergistic administration of antimalarial and most times essential nutrients for effective treatment. Previous studies have shown that various non-edible parts of Azadirachta indica tree may have anti-malarial potentials, hence the investigation on the effects of edible fresh juice of Azadirachta indica fruit on various hematological parameters in addition to its potential to clear Plasmodium berghei in infected mice. The phytochemical constituents of A. indica fruit juice were carried out by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopic (GC-MS) method. Determinations of creatinine, urea, and lipid profile were carried out using Auto-analyzer. The chromatogram of GC-MS analysis of A. indica fruit juice showed four (4) peaks as follows dodecanoic acid (4.37%), oleic acid (14.19%), 13-octadecyl (17.05%) and 15-tetracosanoic acid methyl ester (47.13%) as the major constituent. The unique pathway for plasmodial fatty acid synthesis has become a possible target of drug action. Adult male mice were placed in six groups (n = 6). Group A mice were fed a normal diet and water ad libitum only while groups B to E were fed a normal diet and water ad libitum and further infected with Plasmodium berghei. The parasitemia was confirmed on the third day of infection. Groups C, D, E, and F were further given 5mg/kg body weight of Artesunate, 4.3ml/kg, 8.6 ml/kg, and 12.9 ml/kg of fruit juice respectively for fourteen days and then sacrificed. The percentage of parasitemia in infected groups was very high but treatment with Artesunate and various doses of fruit juice significantly reduced the percentage of parasitemia. Interestingly, 0.86mg/kg dose of the fruit juice caused a high significant reduction in the percentage of parasitemia comparable to the potency of Artesunate. Additionally, infection with Plasmodium berghei yielded a significant decrease in the levels of various hematological indices in the infected mice which were normalized with the administration of Artesunate and the fruit juice of Azadirachta indica. Fruit juice of Azadirachta indica has been shown to have novel dual benefits of clearing malaria parasites, serving as a blood tonic and nutritional supplement.

The nutrients and chemical contents of Persea americana, Dacryodes edulis, and Canarium scheinfurthi fruits and partial characterization of their seed oils were carried out to ascertain their nutritional benefits. The fruit pulps were analyzed for chemical (proximate) composition, amino acids profile, vitamins, and phytochemical and anti-nutritional compositions. Oils were extracted from the fruit seeds and the physico-chemical properties of the seed oils were determined according to the standard protocols. The results showed that the fruit pulps contained an abundance of macro- and micro-nutrients which varied significantly (p < 0.05) among the varieties with low anti-nutrients. The essential amino acid contents were high and varied significantly (p < 0.05) among the varieties. Glutamic acid, followed by aspartic acid had the highest concentration of the amino acids, while the concentrations of methionine and cysteine were low in all the varieties. The results also revealed high essential amino acids score values, above 100% for isoleucine and total aromatic amino acids. The physicochemical properties of the fruit oils showed that the oils were edible (low acid value) and may have industrial potential due to their low peroxide, iodine, and saponification values. Overall, the results showed that the pears are nutritionally rich and could serve dietetic and industrial purposes.

Lassa fever (LF) is a rodent-borne disease that threatens human health in the sub-region of West Africa where the zoonotic host of Lassa virus (LASV) is predominant. Currently, treatment options for LF are limited and since no preventive vaccine is approved for its infectivity, there is a high mortality rate in endemic areas. This narrative review explores the transmission, pathogenicity of LASV, advances, and challenges of different treatment options. Our findings indicate that genetic diversity among the different strains of LASV and their ability to circumvent the immune system poses a critical challenge to the development of LASV vaccines/therapeutics. Thus, understanding the biochemistry, physiology and genetic polymorphism of LASV, mechanism of evading host immunity are essential for development of effective LASV vaccines/therapeutics to combat this lethal viral disease. The LASV nucleoprotein (NP) is a novel target for therapeutics as it functions significantly in several aspects of the viral life cycle. Consequently, LASV NP inhibitors could be employed as effective therapeutics as they will potentially inhibit LASV replication. Effective preventive control measures, vaccine development, target validation, and repurposing of existing drugs, such as ribavirin, using activity or in silico-based and computational bioinformatics, would aid in the development of novel drugs for LF management.

The fight against malaria is a continuum as the epidemic is not abating. For proper deployment of tools in the fight against malaria, an assessment of the situation is necessary. This work assessed the level of antimalarial drug treatment failure in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Both survey and in vitro analyses were adopted. The survey was used to obtain qualitative information from both the malaria subjects and the pharmacies where antimalarial drugs are sourced. The results from the survey were complemented by an in vitro assay of the level of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the commonly used artemisinin combination in Nigeria; artemether/lumefantrine. Results from the survey revealed that artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) remain the mainstay in the treatment of malaria, even though other non-artemisinin drugs are still used. It also revealed that many patients still self-medicate, although, this may not be connected to the treatment failure seen among some malaria subjects. The in vitro assay showed that ACT contains the right quantity of APIs. Further surveillance is, therefore, necessary to understand the real cause of treatment failure among malaria subjects in Nigeria.

Using a descriptive survey design, the prevalence and management practices of malaria and malaria- typhoid co-infection in Unwana South East Nigeria was determined. Two hundred and thirty-six (236) febrile volunteers comprising 104 males and 132 females attending the Medical Centre of Akanu Ibiam Federal polytechnic Unwana, Afikpo Ebonyi state Nigeria participated in this study. Using thick film microscopy and Widal antigen-based agglutination test, one hundred and thirty-seven participants were diagnosed with malaria mono infection while ninety-nine were diagnosed with malaria-typhoid co-infection. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on the management practices and attitudes that constitute risk factors to increased incidence of treatment failure of malaria and malaria- typhoid co-infection. The dataset [1] is relevant as a baseline and reference for further research related to factors associated with increased risk of treatment failure and emergence of drug resistance of malaria and malaria-typhoid co-infection in resource poor setting.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease. Accumulating evidences show that natural products use for RA treatment is gaining importance in the medical world due to negative effects associated with orthodox medicines. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potency of Stem Bark of Cleistopholis Patens (SBCP) on Chicken Type II collagen in Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA) induced RA in rats. Experimental rats were divided into nine groups (n= 15). RA was established in the rats by a single intradermal injection of 0.1ml Chicken Type II collagen in CFA through the left hind paw. The serum concentrations of Interinterleukin- 1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-κ), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were evaluated. Unlike the untreated arthritic group, the test groups (4-9) orally administered with graded doses (400, 600 and 800 mg/kg) of SBCP extracts for twenty-one days showed significant reduction (P < 0.05) in concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-κ, MDA and NO while the activities of SOD and CAT increased significantly (P < 0.05) when compared to the negative control. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of SBCP extracts were comparable to that of the reference drug, indomethacin. This study indicates that SBCP ethanol and aqueous extracts could suppress proinflammatory cytokines and reduce oxidative stress in rheumatoid arthritic rats.

Background and Objective: Forest habitat plays significant roles in the conservation of biodiversity, environment and the provision of essential products for the well-being of mankind.The habit of Nwamba forest reserve in Ndubia-Igbagu, Izzi Local Government Area, Ebonyi state, Nigeria was studied to ascertain the floristic composition, families, life forms, frequency distribution, diameter at breast height and basal area.Material and Methods: Systematic sampling design was used to lay 8 straight line transects of 400 m separated with plots of 50×50 m each to give a total of 32 sample plots for the study.Results: A total of (153) plant species in 128 genera and 53 families were identified.Dicotyledons were dominant with 139 species comprising 116 genera and 44 families, monocotyledon were 11 species in 9 genera and 6 families, pteridophytes were 2 species in 2 genera and 2 families while bryophytes were mono-specific.The dominant families were Fabaceae, Rubiaceae and Apocynaceae with 24, 14 and 10 species, respectively.Napoleona vogelii and Colaargentia had the highest percentage frequency distribution (84.4%) followed by Cola hispida, Icacina trichantha, Cnestic ferruginea and Newbouldia laevis (81.30%).Woody species with diameter at breast height (dbh) class <10 cm were dominant and the mean basal area of the woody species was 38.1 m 2 /plot.The order of the life forms were phanerophytes (84.31%)>chameatophytes (7.20%)>Epiphyte (3.92)>hemicryptophytes = cryptophytes (1.96%)>therophytes (0.65%).Conclusion: The study revealed that the vegetation of the Nwamba forest reserve is diverse and requires forest desirable management practices by the indigenous community/government foresters in the conservation and sustainable exploitation of plant resources in the area.

The global burden of malaria seems unabated. Africa carries the greatest burden accounting for over 95% of the annual cases of malaria. For the vision of a world free of malaria by Global Technical Strategy to be achieved, Africa must take up the stakeholder's role. It is therefore imperative that Africa rises up to the challenge of malaria and champion the fight against it. The fight against malaria may just be a futile or mere academic venture if Africans are not directly and fully involved. This work reviews the roles playable by Africans in order to curb the malaria in Africa and the world at large.

Malaria burden has severe impact on the world. Several arsenals, including the use of antimalarials, are in place to curb the malaria burden. However, the application of these antimalarials has two extremes, limited access to drug and drug pressure, which may have similar impact on malaria control, leading to treatment failure through divergent mechanisms. Limited access to drugs ensures that patients do not get the right doses of the antimalarials in order to have an effective plasma concentration to kill the malaria parasites, which leads to treatment failure and overall reduction in malaria control via increased transmission rate. On the other hand, drug pressure can lead to the selection of drug resistance phenotypes in a subpopulation of the malaria parasites as they mutate in order to adapt. This also leads to a reduction in malaria control. Addressing these extremes in antimalarial application can be essential in maintaining the relevance of the conventional antimalarials in winning the war against malaria.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) underscores a rising epidemic orchestrating critical socio-economic burden on countries globally. Different treatment options for the management of DM are evolving rapidly because the usual methods of treatment have not completely tackled the primary causes of the disease and are laden with critical adverse effects. Thus, this narrative review explores different treatment regimens in DM management and the associated challenges. A literature search for published articles on recent advances in DM management was completed with search engines including Web of Science, Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, using keywords such as DM, management of DM, and gene therapy. Our findings indicate that substantial progress has been made in DM management with promising results using different treatment regimens, including nanotechnology, gene therapy, stem cell, medical nutrition therapy, and lifestyle modification. However, a lot of challenges have been encountered using these techniques, including their optimization to ensure optimal glycemic, lipid, and blood pressure modulation to minimize complications, improvement of patients' compliance to lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions, safety, ethical issues, as well as an effective delivery system among others. In conclusion, lifestyle management alongside pharmacological approaches and the optimization of these techniques is critical for an effective and safe clinical treatment plan.

Background: Cereals are the most staple foods in human diet and the main components of the daily diet. This work was designed to determine the level of essential and non-essential elements, the in vitro bioavailability, interrelationship, and associated health risk in consumed cereal grains in Nigeria to assess their safety and wholesomeness. Methods: The contents of phytate, oxalate, and some major-, trace- and potentially toxic elements were determined in 36 samples of barley, maize, millet, rice, sorghum, and wheat marketed in Nigeria. Results: The data showed variable significant (p<0.05) levels of elements, phytate, and oxalate in the cereals but they were below European commission maximum permissible limits. Estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of elements in the cereals were all below maximum permissible limits set by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) values, though higher in children than adults, were less than one except in wheat and sorghum. The incremental lifetime Cancer Risk (CR) and Total Cancer Risk (TCR) values were below the threshold limit. Conclusion: This study revealed that barley, maize, millet, rice, sorghum, and wheat available in Nigeria markets contain varying quantities of essential elements, potentially toxic elements, and antinutrients.

Drug-induced hepatorenal damage is a significant worldwide clinical challenge. In Nigeria, Copaifera salikounda seed pod ethanol extract (CSSPEE) is used in the treatment of many ailments including liver disorders. This study investigated the protective efficacy of CSSPEE against paracetamol (PCM) induced hepatorenal toxicity.Male albino Wistar rats were assigned at random into five different groups (n = 6). The normal control (Group I) was given normal saline via oral administration while Group II was given 500 mg/kg body weight of PCMvia intra-peritoneal administration; Group III was administered 100 mgkg-1 of silymarin (reference drug) while Groups IV and V were administered 200 and 400 mg kg-1 of CSSPEE, respectively, per os for seven days prior to administration of PCM. CSSPEEpretreated groups protected PCM-induced hepatorenal damage as reflected by significant diminution (P < 0.05) in liver enzymes activities and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total bilirubin (TB), triglycerides (TG) and urea in comparison with group II. Also, CSSPEE pretreatment significantly increased (P < 0.05) the activities of catalase and GSH relative to group II while no significant elevation (P > 0.05) in superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was observed in comparison to PCM group. CSSPEE also reversed liver and kidney PCMoverdose caused histopathological alterations and ameliorated the tissue histology thereby corroborating the results of biochemical findings. CSSPEE produced analogous effects comparable to those produced by silymarin (reference drug). The results indicated that oral administration of CSSPEE conferred a dose-dependent protection against paracetamol-induced oxidative damage to liver and kidney.

Anemia is a clinical disorder orchestrated by factors such as drugs, including phenylhydrazine (PHZ). This study explored the protective roles of Copaifera salikounda methanol leaf extract (CSMLE) against PHZ-induced hematotoxicity and oxidative stress in rats. In vitro antioxidants studies of CSMLE using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) and quantification of CSMLE bioactive compounds using High-Performance-Liquid-Chromatography (HPLC) were done. In vivo, thirty rats in five groups (n = 6) were used. Anemia was induced intraperitoneally in groups 2 to 5 with 40 mg/kg body-weight/day PHZ for two days. Group 1 received normal saline, group 2 (untreated: negative-control), group 3 received 1 ml/kg-body-weight Vit B12 syrup while groups 4 and 5 received 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg-body-weight CSMLE, respectively, daily for fourteen days. Result of CSMLE profiling showed luteolin (76.49 ng/Ml) and squalene (38.31 ng/Ml) as the most abundant flavonoid and terpenoid, respectively. In vitro CSMLE demonstrated dose-dependent antioxidant effects on DPPH and FRAP with IC50 of 0.1085 mg/ml and 0.07344 mg/ml (EC50), respectively. In vivo, CSMLE improved the body weight, red blood cell, hematocrit and hemoglobin concentrations, significantly (P < 0.05), reduced serum malondialdehyde and nitic oxide but increased reduced glutathione levels, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities and attenuated the levels of Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in dose-dependent manner in treated groups relative to the negative control. The spleen tissues histology results corroborated biochemical results. The results indicated that CSMLE possesses anti-anemic potentials and attenuate spleenotoxic effects of PHZ.

Malaria -typhoid co-infection is associated with poverty and underdevelopment with significant morbidity and mortality with similarities in clinical features of the two diseases that often result in misdiagnosis and mistreatment of the febrile patients. The Co-administration of artemether lumefantrine (AL) with ciprofloxacin as treatment for malaria-typhoid co-infection is common in Nigeria and this increases risk of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction since ciprofloxacin is an inhibitor of CYP3A4 that metabolizes AL. In an open-label prospective three arm design with registration pactr201909811770922, one hundred and nineteen (119) febrile volunteers comprising 55 males and 64 females were distributed into three oral treatment regimen groups. Group 1 consist of sixty-five participants presenting malaria mono infection treated with AL only and fifty-four participants presenting malaria-typhoid co-infection randomly assigned to Group 2 treated with AL and ciprofloxacin concomitantly and Group 3 whose doses were staggered at 2 hours interval. Blood samples were collected from participants in the three groups on 3 different days: day 0 (before commencement of treatment); day 3 (after completion of AL); and day 7 (after completion of ciprofloxacin), The collected blood sample were used to determine parasite density, serum liver and kidney function parameters, haematological indices, and day 7 lumefantrine concentration. The data in this article provides the changes in PCR-uncorrected Early Treatment Failure (ETA), Late Clinical Failure (LCF), Late Parasitological Failure (LPF), Day 7 serum lumefantrine concentration, liver and kidney function parameters, axillary body temperature and PCV/Hb associated with the different treatment regimen. The dataset [1] as a baseline, will stimulate the need for a randomized clinical assessment of the efficacy of AL when co-administered with ciprofloxacin in the treatment regimen of Malaria-typhoid co-infection in endemic areas. Such findings are capable of influencing national treatment policy on the management of malaria-typhoid co-infection.

Background: Lack of nutrition information is a serious challenge facing young adults in some countries resulting in their ignorance of the nutritional values of various foods.Objective: This study determined the dietary diversity of undergraduate students of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (AEFUNAI).Methods: Simple random sampling technique was used in selecting 470 students (234 males and 236 females) between the ages of 17-27 years. A pre-tested semi-structured interviewer–administered questionnaire was used to collect socio- demographic information and 24-hour diet recall.Anthropometric data was collected using standard procedures. Dietary diversity (DD) was determined using 14-food group dietary diversity model and terciles were created to categorize individual dietary diversity (low: 1-4; average: 5-9; high: 10-14). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Chi-square. Statistical significance was determined at 5% level (P <0.05).Results: Mean age, height, weight and BMI of respondents were 21.2± 2.5 years, 1.69 ± 0.03m, 64.4 ± 2 9.2kg and 22.7 ± 3.0kg/m respectively. Obesity was significantly higher in females (22.9%) than males (9.8%), (P < 0.05). Dietary diversity scores (DDS) was 5.0 ±2.74, and majority (57.9%) scored low. Food consumption by the respondents was significantly different (p<0.05) in two food groups. More males (53.9%) skipped lunch while more females (43.9%) skipped breakfast.Conclusion: The respondents had low dietary diversity with obesity higher in females than males.Nutrition education on adequate dietary practices is recommended.