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Histopathological and Hematological Alterations in Cat fish Exposed to Sublethal Concentrations of Naphthalene, a Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon
Odom Theophilus Chikodi,
Ekop Mercy Otobong,
Chigbu Timothy Onyekachi,
Osuagwu Uchechukwu Obinna
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, June 2022
Pages:
41-46
Received:
20 February 2022
Accepted:
12 March 2022
Published:
9 April 2022
Abstract: The effect of naphthalene on selected haematological and histopathological parameters as wellrelative growth rate in the tropical African catfish was evaluated. Healthy juvenile fish (n = 90) weighing 19.7±1.8 g were exposed to sublethal concentrations of naphthalene over a period of 35 days after which haematological and histopathological parameters were analyzed. The medianlethal concentration LC 50 of naphthalene was determined to be 6600 μg/L in Catfish withestimated safe level ranging from 0.066 to 330 μg/L. Sublethal concentrations of naphthalene ledto significant declines in red blood cell (RBC) counts, haemoglobin concentration andhaematocrit. The erythrocyte indices showed mixed results with mean corpuscular haemoglobinconcentration (MCHC) showing significant elevation while changes in mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) were not significant. Naphthalene wasimmunotoxic in exposed fish leading to significant elevations in circulating white blood cells (WBC). There was also a significant increase in platelet (PLT) count in naphthalene exposedfish. Growth rate significantly reduced in a dose response pattern. While there was no observedhistopathological alteration in the liver of exposed fish, haemorrhage with blood coagulation wasobserved in the gill sections. There were changes in the haematological parameters. Thesignificant reduction in (RBC) and the reduced growth rate of catfish shows that naphthalene isof environmental concern due to its toxicity.
Abstract: The effect of naphthalene on selected haematological and histopathological parameters as wellrelative growth rate in the tropical African catfish was evaluated. Healthy juvenile fish (n = 90) weighing 19.7±1.8 g were exposed to sublethal concentrations of naphthalene over a period of 35 days after which haematological and histopathological paramete...
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Evaluation of a Homemade Saliva Kit for the Stabilization of Plasmodium DNA at Room Temperature
Palmer Masumbe Netongo,
Eric Berenger Tchoupe,
Séverin Donald Kamdem,
Jean-Paul Chedjou,
Wilfred Fon Mbacham
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, June 2022
Pages:
47-51
Received:
25 March 2022
Accepted:
13 April 2022
Published:
28 April 2022
Abstract: Background: Malaria is a tropical disease that continues to have devastating impact on the health and livelihood of people around the world. The good number of new cases and most malaria-related deaths occur in the sub-Saharan African countries especially among children under the age of 5. Most malaria diagnostic methods are invasive and the use of non-invasive alternatives could be of great help in the control of the disease. The use of saliva-based diagnosis has been documented in recent studies. However, long-term storage of saliva also requires a cold chain, which is challenging in poor countries. Current tools to conserve saliva at room temperature are not affordable (~$16/kit) for malaria endemic countries. Methods: In this cross-sectional study including 83 febrile participants in the Obala district hospital, Cameroon, we evaluated the effectiveness of a cheaper homemade kit for stabilizing Plasmodium DNA in saliva at room temperature relative to the OMNIgene®ORAL kit, for the molecular diagnosis of malaria. Results: Of the 83 participants aged between 2 to 77 years included in the study, 24% were males and 76% females. The frequency of malaria in this study was 78.31% (65/83) using microscopy. Saliva PCR-f1 and PCR-S0 detected 59 (71.08%) and 56 (67.47%) positive malaria samples respectively. Using microscopy as gold standard, the sensitivities of PCR-S0 and PCR-f1 were 100% while the specificities were 80%, and 85%, respectively. These parameters remained unchanged after 12 months of storage of saliva samples at room temperature. Conclusion: PCR-f1 had a “very good” agreement (kappa 0.81) with microscopy compared to PCR-S0 (kappa 0.64). We obtained similar results after 12 months of storage of saliva samples at room temperature. Homemade kit could be effective in transportation, preservation and diagnosis of malaria parasite in saliva.
Abstract: Background: Malaria is a tropical disease that continues to have devastating impact on the health and livelihood of people around the world. The good number of new cases and most malaria-related deaths occur in the sub-Saharan African countries especially among children under the age of 5. Most malaria diagnostic methods are invasive and the use of...
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Green Production and Preliminary Evaluation of Some Physic-Chemical Properties of Lecithin from Locally-Sourced Soybean (Glycine max) in Nigeria
Ezegbe Chekwube Andrew,
Ezegbe Amarachi Grace,
Mbah Chukwuemeka Christian,
Okorafor Chinemerem Ezinne,
Ofoefule Ifeanyi Sabinus
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, June 2022
Pages:
52-58
Received:
28 April 2022
Accepted:
11 May 2022
Published:
19 May 2022
Abstract: Background: Lecithin is a very important pharmaceutical and food excipient. Despite its wide applications, most, if not all, of the lecithin used in Nigeria are imported from other countries. Moreover, their extraction usually involve use of organic solvents. Objectives: The aim of the study was to extract and characterize lecithin from “locally-sourced” soybean using green approach. Materials and methods: The soybean nuts were cracked, milled and sieved to obtain the flour. Then lecithin was extracted from the flour using aqueous method. The extract was subjected to purification in order to reduce neutral oil from the crude lecithin. The powdered crude lecithin obtained was packaged in sealed nylon bags in screw-capped containers and the yield determined. The extract was characterized for moisture content, free fatty acid (FFA) content, acid value (AV), iodine value (IV), saponification value (SV), peroxide value (PV), and some particle properties such as bulk, tap and true densities, flow rate and angle of repose, following standard procedures. An industrial lecithin sample, (lipoid S 75®, Lipoid, Germany), was used as reference. Results: The percentage yield of the extracted lecithin ranged from 21.0 ± 0.40 to 25.0 ± 0.41. The moisture content of the reference lecithin was 0.09 ± 0.07, while that of the extracted lecithin was 0.76 ± 0.21%. The FFA of the reference obtained was 3.38 ± 0.14, while that of the extracted was 7.52 ± 0.29%. The AV of the reference was 10.9 ± 0.28, while that of the extracted was 14.5 ±0.32 mgKOH/g, the IV of the reference was 124.7 ± 1.07, as against that of the extracted with 114.1 ± 0.65 mg I/g oil. The AV and FFA were within the WHO recommended specifications. Conclusions: Locally-sourced soybean is a potential source of lecithin with comparable qualities to those of the standard reference. Therefore, the green extraction approach could be exploited for industrial applications in Nigeria.
Abstract: Background: Lecithin is a very important pharmaceutical and food excipient. Despite its wide applications, most, if not all, of the lecithin used in Nigeria are imported from other countries. Moreover, their extraction usually involve use of organic solvents. Objectives: The aim of the study was to extract and characterize lecithin from “locally-so...
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Comparison of Long-Term Fixation Effects on Tissues Stored in Glyoxal and Formaldehyde as Evaluated by Special Stains and Immunohistochemistry
Sheila Criswell,
Kristina Zwerg,
Cynthia Lazar,
Caitlin Richmond,
Chelsea Bridges
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, June 2022
Pages:
59-70
Received:
6 May 2022
Accepted:
23 May 2022
Published:
31 May 2022
Abstract: Glyoxal solutions are safer fixatives as compared to formalin in the anatomic pathology laboratory. While long-term effects of tissue stored in formalin are well-documented, studies of tissues fixed long-term in glyoxal are few. Using human autopsy tissues, 4 glyoxal solutions, and neutral buffered formalin, the effects of storage of tissues in fixatives for 8 hours, 1 month, and 4 months were compared. Special stain methods to include hematoxylin and eosin, melanin bleaching using either 10% hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate followed by oxalic acid, Verhoeff van Gieson, reticulin, Fontana Masson, mucicarmine, colloidal iron, alcian blue, trichrome, and Wright stain, as well as immunohistochemistry labeling of 18 antibodies were conducted and compared. Tissues fixed in glyoxal solutions exhibited nearly identical staining properties when compared with each other for all lengths of fixation. When fixed for 8 hours, they also produced the same results as tissues fixed in formalin. Although glyoxal-fixed tissues stored for 1 – 4 months in fixatives mimicked staining in formalin-fixed tissues for most special stain techniques, they retained adequate antigenic labeling for only 78% of the antibodies evaluated. Consequently, for special stain applications, tissues fixed in glyoxal for both short and long term yielded results comparable to those fixed in formalin. However, careful validation of specific antibody clones should be undertaken when conducting immunohistochemistry evaluations on tissues stored long-term in glyoxal fixatives.
Abstract: Glyoxal solutions are safer fixatives as compared to formalin in the anatomic pathology laboratory. While long-term effects of tissue stored in formalin are well-documented, studies of tissues fixed long-term in glyoxal are few. Using human autopsy tissues, 4 glyoxal solutions, and neutral buffered formalin, the effects of storage of tissues in fix...
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Flavonoid-Rich Fraction of Alstonia boonei Leaves Attenuates Haematological and Biochemical Changes Induced by Plasmodium berghei-Infection
Osmund Chukwuma Enechi,
Christian Chijioke Amah,
Jacob Ikechukwu Okoro,
Ursula Chidimma Obelenwa,
Ernest Chinecherem Omeje,
Thankgod Ugochukwu Nweke,
Mary Chiamaka Uzochukwu,
Sixtus Chidozie Ezimora,
Perpetua Chidimma Ike,
Lovelyn Ngozika Eze,
Chidubem Francis Okoye
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, June 2022
Pages:
71-80
Received:
29 April 2022
Accepted:
14 May 2022
Published:
8 June 2022
Abstract: Malaria has become a global scourge, particularly in the developing nations of the world. However, efforts to combat the malaria scourge have been hampered by the ability of plasmodium species to develop resistance to conventional anti-malarial drugs such as chloroquine and artemisinin. This necessitates the search for newer anti-malarial agents from other sources such as medicinal plants. This study investigated the anti-malarial activity of flavonoid-rich fraction of Alstonia boonei leaves (FRFABL) on haematological and various biochemical changes induced by plasmodium berghei-infected mice following a 5-day suppressive test. Forty eight (48) adult albino Wistar mice of average body weight of 30 ± 38 g were used for this study; 18 for the toxicity study while 30 mice consisting of six groups of five mice each were used for the anti-malarial study. Groups 4-6 were infected malaria and treated with 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg body weight of FRFABL respectively; group 3 mice was infected malaria and treated with 140 mg/kg body weight of Coartem® (standard anti-malarial drug); group 2 was infected malaria and no treatment (positive control) while group 1 was not infected and served as normal control. Quantitative phytochemical screening of FRFABL revealed high amounts of phenols, alkaloids and flavoinoids. Tannins and terpenoids were detected in moderate amounts, whereas steroids and saponins were found in smaller amounts. After oral administration of 5000 mg/kg body weight, the toxicity test revealed that FRFABL was not toxic. It was observed that the percentage parasitemia of mice in Group 2 was significantly (p < 0.05) higher when compared to mice in parasitized and treated groups. When compared to the positive control (group 2), the treated groups showed significant (p < 0.05) increases in packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations, and red blood cell (RBC) count, but the white blood cell (WBC) count decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the treated groups when compared to the positive control (group 2). Similarly, FRFABL treatment of infected mice significantly (p < 0.05) restored some malaria-modified biochemical parameters of plasmodium berghei-infected mice. The results showed that FRFABL possesses good anti-malarial properties and will serve as an excellent anti-malarial agent.
Abstract: Malaria has become a global scourge, particularly in the developing nations of the world. However, efforts to combat the malaria scourge have been hampered by the ability of plasmodium species to develop resistance to conventional anti-malarial drugs such as chloroquine and artemisinin. This necessitates the search for newer anti-malarial agents fr...
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