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Vacuum gas oil (VGO) is a hydrocarbon combination formed during crude oil extraction, and its consumption may have neurological repercussions. This study investigated the neuroprotective properties of Monodora myristica and Glycyrrhiza glabra in rats given cassava flour diet containing vacuum gas oil (CFD-VGO). Thirty rats were separated into six groups and treated as follows: Group 1 severed as normal control. Group 2 were fed CFD-VGO only. After a normal diet was given to groups 3, 4, and 5, M. myristica , G. glabra , and M. myristica plus G. glabra extracts were administered. Group 6, 7, 8 and 9 were given CFD-VGO and then treated with M. myristica extract, G. glabra extract, M. myristica plus G. glabra extracts and 2-methyl cellulose respectively. The rats were euthanized using carbon dioxide after experimental period of 28 days. The brain was excised for biochemical assays. The results showed that the concentration of the assessed 16 PAHs in CFD-VGO using GC-MS was 53.38 ppm. Significant (p < 0.05) increase were observed in malondialdehyde (MDA), total cholesterol (T.Chl), triacylglycerol (TAG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and decrease in high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and ATPases in the brain rats fed with CFD-VGO. On the other hand, administration of M. myristica and G. glabra extract effectively restored altered antioxidants, ATPases, and lipids in brain of rats fed with cassava diet containing VGO., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Malaria fever is known to cause around one million passings per annum. This life-threatening infection is predominant in most part of Africa. Malaria vaccinations are challenging in Nigeria, particularly in rural areas. Drugs derived from plants have been utilized customarily to treat malaria. In this manner, assurance of the harmfulness and antimalarial capacity of plant derived drugs can demonstrate to be the source of novel lead compound to control malaria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and antimalarial therapeutic index of alkaloid-rich extract of Phyllanthus amarus in mice., Methods: Thirty rats (n = 5/group) were used for the oral acute toxicity study and administered with varying doses (0, 100, 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000 mg/kg b.wt) of alkaloid-rich extract of P. amarus. The oral acute toxicity was carried out according to OECD guidelines.After 21 days of monitoring, serum liver function tests and liver histology were performed using documented methods. The antimalarial index was determined using median effective dose (ED 50 ) of thirty five mice divided into 7 groups (n = 5)., Results: showed that up to the highest dose (5000 mg/kg), there were no biochemical derangements in liver function. Physical signs of toxicity were also not observed. Antimalarial activity indices showed high potency with therapeutic index of 30.13., Conclusion: Alkaloid-rich extract of Phyllanthus amarus is therefore, non-toxic with reputable antimalarial activity. The active alkaloid(s) deserve further study as source for possible development of new and more potent antimalarial agent., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objectives: Design and examine the effect of sirolimus-PEGylated (Stealth) liposomes for breast cancer treatment. In this study, we developed conventional and Stealth liposome nanoparticles comprising of distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) or dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and DSPE-MPEG-2000 lipids loaded with sirolimus as an anticancer agent. The effect of lipid grade, drug loading and incubation times were evaluated., Methods: Particle size distribution, encapsulation efficiency of conventional and Stealth liposomes were studied followed by cytotoxicity evaluation. The cellular uptake and internal localisation of liposome formulations were investigated using confocal microscopy., Key Findings: The designed Stealth liposome formulations loaded with sirolimus demonstrated an effective in vitro anticancer therapy compared with conventional liposomes while the length of the acyl chain affected the cell viability. Anticancer activity was found to be related on the drug loading amounts and incubation times. Cell internalization was observed after 5 h while significant cellular uptake of liposome was detected after 24 h with liposome particles been located in the cytoplasm round the cell nucleus. Sirolimus Stealth liposomes induced cell apoptosis., Conclusions: The design and evaluation of sirolimus-loaded PEGylated liposome nanoparticles demonstrated their capacity as drug delivery carrier for the treatment of breast cancer tumours., (© Crown copyright 2021.)

Background: Malaria remains one of the major causes of childhood mortality in many parts of the world, especially in the sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. Increasing chemotherapeutic failure and side effects of available antimalarial drugs have promoted the use of natural herbs for the treatment of malaria in Nigerian communities., Objective: To study the phytosuppression of P berghei by Nauclea latifolia and its effects on the indices of anaemia and pancreatic beta cell function in experimental mice., Methods: Fifty mice were divided into 10 groups (n=5) and used for the study. Group 1 (control) were uninfected but given placebo. Group 2 were infected with P berghei and treated with placebo. Groups 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10 received N. latifolia treatment, while Groups 6 and 7 received standard chloroquine treatment. Groups 3, 4, 5 and 6 were however infected with the malarial parasite. Blood samples were collected by heart puncture and prepared for the estimation of haemoglobin, insulin and glucose. The pancreatic beta cell function (HOMA-beta) was determined using the fasting serum insulin and glucose levels as documented., Results: P. berghei malaria infection caused a significant reduction in haemoglobin that led to anaemia in the mice, There were elevated HOMA-beta) in the parasitized and chloroquine treated groups, suggesting possible pancreatic beta cell dysfunction. Treatment with N. latifolia showed parasitaemia suppression and' improved pancreatic beta cell function and haemoglobin concentrations., Conclusion: N. latifolia contains bioactive phytochemicals that suppresses malaria parasite multiplication and improves pancreatic beta cell function.

Sirolimus has recently been introduced as a therapeutic agent for breast and prostate cancer. In the current study, conventional and Stealth liposomes were used as carriers for the encapsulation of sirolimus. The physicochemical characteristics of the sirolimus liposome nanoparticles were investigated including the particle size, zeta potential, stability and membrane integrity. In addition atomic force microscopy was used to study the morphology, surface roughness and mechanical properties such as elastic modulus deformation and deformation. Sirolimus encapsulation in Stealth liposomes showed a high degree of deformation and lower packing density especially for dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) Stealth liposomes compared to unloaded. Similar results were obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies; sirolimus loaded liposomes were found to result in a distorted state of the bilayer. X-ray photon electron (XPS) analysis revealed a uniform distribution of sirolimus in multilamellar DPPC Stealth liposomes compared to a nonuniform, greater outer layer lamellar distribution in distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) Stealth liposomes.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are a versatile drug delivery system that can be used for loading of different guest molecules such as peptides, proteins, anticancer agents, and genetic material. MSNs are considered promising drug carriers due to their tuneable particle size, pore structure, and surface functionalization. Thus, MSNs provide opportunities for their effective application in a wide variety of fields. In the current review, we discuss both conventional and advanced MSNs synthesis methods, including their applications for drug delivery, gatekeepers, and biosensors. In addition, the research progress in biocompatibility, cytotoxicity, and internalization mechanisms is reported.

Cigarette smoke has been reported to contain free radicals. The interaction of these free radicals with the body defense system and associated health risk among Nigerian smokers have remained scarcely investigated despite the high numbers of smokers in our society. This study thus, investigates the serum total antioxidant capacity of some Nigerian cigarette smokers in apparent good health and who have been smoking between 1.4 sticks of cigarette/day for about 1-3 years. Twenty(20) consenting smokers between 19 and 45 years consisting of fifteen (15) males and 5 females were recruited after examination to certify their apparent good health. Twenty (20) non-smokers, who were matched in age and sex were included as control subjects. Serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was observed to be higher in male non-smokers (1.92 +/- 0.2 2mM) when compared with their female counterparts (1.88 +/- 0.16 mM). Among smokers, the males subjects showed a decreased TAC (Male: 1.45 +/- 0.23 mM and female; 1.65 +/- 0.16 mM) with a strong statistical difference between the TAC of smokers and non-smokers (t = 2.095, n = 20 and P < 0.05). Data suggest lower oxidant defense and hence, increased susceptibility to free radical associated diseases especially among the male smokers. Conserted efforts need to be made by governmental agents to enforce legislation that could reduce the rate of smoking. Campaigns should also be initiated to educate the lay public on the dangers of cigarette smoking.

A total of seventy (70) consenting subjects were recruited for this study. The subjects consist of fifty (50) hypertensive subjects yet to receive treatment and twenty (20) normotensive (control) subjects. Subjects' blood pressure values were measured and serum was obtained from the whole blood collected by vene puncture using centrifugation technique. Serum calcium, phosphorus and magnesium were determined by established procedures using commercial kit reagents. Results show that the mean serum calcium, phosphorus and magnesium levels for hypertensive patients were 1.98 +/- 0.22 mmol/L, 1.65 +/- 0.42 mmol/L and 0.88 +/- 0.20 mmol/L as against 2.11 +/- 0.10 mmol/L, 1.50 +/- 0.12 mmol/L and 0.96 +/- 0.05 mmol/L for normotensive subjects. Fifty-four (54) percent and twelve (12) percent of the hypertensives had reduced calcium and magnesium levels respectively, but none for the normotensive subjects. Fifty-eight (58) percent of the hypertensive patients and forty-five (45) percent of the normotensives had elevated serum phosphorus levels, but no subject was hypophophataemic. Hypertension reduced serum calcium (P < 0.05) and magnesium (P > 0.05) levels among hypertensives in the south-south area of Nigeria. These micronutrients are therefore implicated in the progression of hypertension. These micronutrients are therefore implicated in the progression of hypertension. The effects of antihypertensive drugs and/or micronutrients' supplementation on blood pressure and serum calcium, phosphorous and magnesium levels in our study area should be further investigated. This is important because beneficial adjunct to the available modalities in the treatment of hypertension especially in Nigeria could be identified.

It has been observed that placental alkaline phosphatase (PAP) activity progressively rises as pregnancy advances, possibly, because of its increasing synthesis by placental tissue. The present investigation therefore, examines the relationship between placental alkaline phosphatase activity and the biochemical indices of foetal nutrition (cord blood glucose, albumin) and growth (neonatal birth weight). Placental and umbilical cord blood samples were collected from one hundred and five deliveries and prepared for both, placental alkaline phosphatase assay, and glucose and albumin estimations using standard procedures. The birth weights of the neonates at term were taken and recorded. Correlation analyses of the data obtained show significant positive relationships between PAP and cord blood glucose (r2 = 0.86, p<0.05), albumin (r2 = 0.71, p<0.05) and birth weight (r2 = 0.68, p<0.05), but no significant relationship with gestational age. PAP may be essential in nutrient mobilization to the foetus. However, further studies involving more subjects and an intrauterine growth retardation control group (IUGR) are required to fully document the present report.

Syndrome X is biochemically characterized by impaired glucose tolerance, hypertriacylglycerolemia, altered HDL-cholesterol content and high blood pressure. In different isolated studies, alcohol and fructose have been observed to increase the risk of Syndrome X. However, several reports have recognized the potential of fructose in stimulating the elimination of alcohol from the bloodstream, but the effects of such an anti-intoxicating property of fructose on the biochemical features of Syndrome X have remained scarce. Thus, in this study, oral fructose was used to increase the metabolism of alcohol and the associated changes in blood glucose, triacylglycerol, lipoprotein cholesterol and blood pressure were measured and used to classify subjects into the Syndrome X risk category. One gram of fructose/kg body weight was used to 'treat' the intoxication caused by 1.0 g (20%) ethanol/kg body weight administered to forty-five consenting male subjects in apparently good health. The subjects were light alcohol drinkers (<20 g/day) between the ages of 25 and 35 years. Results show that the administered dose of fructose significantly (P<0.05) reduced the duration of alcohol intoxication by 30.7%, and accelerated the elimination (metabolism) of alcohol from bloodstream by 44.7% (P<0.05). However, ethanol+fructose, increased the number of subjects with impaired glucose and triacylglycerol (TAG) levels to 13 (29%) and 43 (96%) from 8 (18%) and 37 (82%) induced by the ethanol dose alone. The TAG number is the summation of those with borderline high and high concentrations. Oral fructose-induced stimulation of alcohol oxidation from bloodstream also has the potential of increasing the risk of Syndrome X. Ways of curbing the metabolic syndrome associated with oral fructose should be explored, if its anti-intoxicating property and use is to be recognized and promoted.

Objective: To assess the level of regard and misconceptions of modern family planning methods in Abraka communities., Methods: The interviewer's administered questionnaire method was used to gather the required information from 657 respondents randomly chosen from PO, Ajalomi, Erho, Oria, Otorho, Umeghe, Urhuoka and Uruagbesa communities in Abraka kingdom., Results: Results show that 75.3% of those interviewed were aware of modern family planning but only 42.9% were using it to plan their families. Those using condom, safe periods and withdrawal constitute 32.6% of the 42.9% figure. Thus, data indicate a fairly high degree of awareness but little regard for family planning., Conclusion: Campaigns should be organized in order to educate Abraka communities on the benefits and need for family planning. Government should provide quality, comprehensive and subsidized family planning services. In addition, research efforts should be intensified on how to take advantage of the traditional methods of family planning to systematically introduce the modern method, so as to gradually eliminate the associated bias and misconceptions associated with modern methods of family planning.

Plasma thiocyanate has been reported to be high among cassava-eating populations such as that in Nigeria because of the cyanide content of cassava. Thiocyanate, which is secreted into the stomach contents of animals, has been demonstrated to catalyse the formation of nitrosamines (potent carcinogens) in the stomach from secondary amines and nitrite. The main source of the nitrite precursor in this environment is vegetables, primarily eaten as the chief supplier of proteins. The present study attempts to analyse the levels of nitrate and nitrite in vegetables commonly grown and consumed in Delta State, Nigeria. The nitrate and nitrite contents in green vegetable (Amaranthus spp.), bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), pumpkin (Telfaria occidentalis) and water leaf (Talinum triangulare) grown in different localities of the state were determined by standard analytical procedures. The results show that those vegetables grown in the industrialised urban centres of the state had higher nitrate (223 (SD 71) mg/kg dry weight; P<0.05) and nitrite (12.6 (SD 1.7) mg/kg dry weight; P>0.05) levels when compared with the same species (188 (SD 77) mg nitrate/kg dry weight and 10.9 (SD 1.1) mg nitrite/kg dry weight) cultivated in less industrialised suburbs. We conclude that frequent consumption of such vegetables whose nitrate and nitrite contents are high by cassava-eating individuals might put them at risk of developing stomach cancer and other possible results of nitrate and/or nitrite toxicity. In order to avoid an outbreak in our communities, appropriate agencies should monitor and regulate the release of chemicals into the environment. In the meantime, the cultivation and consumption of vegetables grown in industrialised areas of the state should be discouraged.

The effect of honey on blood alcohol metabolism and the accompanying changes in serum triacylglycerol and blood pressure were investigated using volunteers. Fifty consenting undergraduates in apparent good health, between the ages of 15 and 30 years (23.6 +/- 7.4), were recruited for the study. The subjects were moderate alcohol drinkers (<30 g ethanol/day), matched in body weight and frame size. The participants were given ethanol (0.5 g/kg) and ethanol + honey (0.5 g/kg + 1.25 ml/kg) on two different occasions separated by 1 week. The results show that honey significantly (p < 0.01) increased blood alcohol disappearance and elimination rates by 32.4 and 28.6%, respectively, but reduced the intoxication time (that is, the time taken to attain zero blood alcohol level) and its degree (the peak blood alcohol level) by 30.0 and 4.4%. Ethanol + honey further increased serum triacylglycerol and blood pressure by 20.8 and 1.3/1.4% when compared with the proportion induced by ethanol after about 10 h of ingestion. The occasional use of honey as an anti-intoxicating agent may be approved. Meanwhile, further studies on how to ameliorate or prevent the associated increase in serum triacylglycerol and blood pressure is required., (Copyright (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The effect of Nigerian citrus (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) honey on ethanol metabolism was tested using 45 consenting individuals in apparent good health and between the ages of 25 and 35 years. The subjects were moderate social drinkers matched in terms of body weight and build. The results obtained showed that on average, honey significantly (p < 0.05) increased the blood ethanol clearance rate by 68% and decreased the intoxication period by 43%, but insignificantly (p > 0.05) reduced the degree of intoxication by 9%. Honey could be a promising anti-intoxicating agent, but its long-term biochemical evaluation, possibly as a complement in the management of alcohol intoxication, deserves further study.

Reports on the influence of fructose on blood alcohol clearance have not always been consistent. Notwithstanding, information concerning the Nigerian population is yet to be documented. In this present study, ten consenting adults in apparent sound health, and who did not have any traceable history of alcohol or drug abuse were selected. The subjects were non-smoking Nigerians with an average age of 23.3 years and body weight of 55 kg, and were matched in body frame size and weight. The volunteers were given 0.55g (20%) ethanol/kg body weight as single dose about 4 hours after their breakfast meal, and on another occasion, 0.25g fructose/kg body weight was used to sober the intoxicating effect produced by 0.55g (20%) ethanol/kg body weight. In each case, the blood alcohol level (BAL) was determined every 30 minutes using about 0.5 ml whole blood obtained by venipuncture. The mean peak BAL obtained for the male and female subjects (0.093% vs 0.096%) imply that the women were more intoxicated, though for a shorter time (314 minutes vs 280 minutes). This investigation also demonstrates that the group of women cleared blood alcohol faster (0.026%/hr) and oxidized blood alcohol more rapidly (115.8 mg/kg/hr) than the men, who respectively recorded mean values of 0.021%/hr and 102 mg/kg/hr. However, among the male and female volunteers, oral fructose intake significantly (p<0.05) increased the blood ethanol clearance rate by 66.7 and 92.3%, decreased intoxication time by 41.7 and 40%, reduced peak BAL by 18.3 and 0%, but enhanced blood ethanol oxidation rate by 71.2 and 66.7%, respectively. The oxidokinetic data obtained suggest that Nigerian women may be more susceptible to alcohol's effects than Nigerian men, and oral fructose seems promising in the treatment of Nigerian alcoholics.