Search

As information and communication technology becomes a regular feature of the educational environment, it may be difficult for teaching and learning activities especially in TVET institutions to remain unchallenged. However, ICT application as a pedagogical tool in Nigerian TVET institutions is not a common practice and it also remains unclear how utilisation of ICT enhances pedagogy. This study is interested in the availability of electronic courses using ICT infrastructure in teaching and learning. Using activity theory as a guide, multiple case studies are conducted. The Qualitative Case Study Methodology is used in this research. Five TVET institutions and 20 participants are selected using maximum variation and homogeneous purposive sampling strategies, respectively. During the visits to the institutions, classroom observation is carried out, documents such as the curriculum and teacher's lecture materials are reviewed for triangulation. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with 20 selected participants as the primary data collection method. At the data analysis stage, the inductive and deductive methods are used to analyse the data and two strategies of grounded theory as open and axial coding are employed. The coding process is achieved through the use of an inherent feature of NViVOlO. The findings show that four themes: availability of infrastructure, computer specifications, educational software and connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medicinal plants remain one of the largest reservoirs of new bioactive compounds. In this study, a new prenylated benzo-lactone (4, 6-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-3-(1, 2, 3, 4, 5-pentahydroxypentyl)-2-benzofuran-1(3H)-one) was isolated from the acetone extracts of the rhizome of Cissus cornifolia. The antimicrobial activity of the compound was evaluated against some microorganisms including Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and Candida albicans. Materials and Methods: The acetone extracts of the rhizome of C. cornifolia was separated and purified by various chromatographic techniques. The structure of the isolated compound was characterized by analysis of spectral data including one and twodimensional nuclear magnetic resonance. Results: The isolated compound was characterized as (4, 6-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-3-(1, 2, 3, 4, 5-pentahydroxypentyl)-2-benzofuran-1(3H)- one), it showed activity against 6 out of 10 tested clinical isolates of some microorganisms including S. aureus, S. typhi, and C. albicans. The inhibition zones ranged between 17 mm and 25 mm. The inhibition zones observed compare favorably with the positive control used. Conclusion: The compound could serve as a lead for the development of more potent antimicrobial agent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation and characterization as well as antimicrobial screening of the compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation on the occurrence of gastro intestinal helminthes of pigs slaughtered at the Jos Abattoir was carried out between May and November 2007, to determined sex, age, and breed related rate of infection, and the possible risk factors to the spread of the epidemic, using direct smear and floatation techniques. Out of the total of 532 examined, 245 (46.10%) were positive for five species of helminthes parasites, namely Taenia solium 44(8.27%) Ascaris suum 52(9.77%), Trichuris suis 40(7.52%) Strongyloids ransomi 16(3.0%) Ascarops strongylina 28(5.26%). Of the 532 pigs sampled, 65(12.22%) were recorded with mixed infection. The parasites were more established in the female pigs 149(50%) than in the male pigs 96(41.02%) However, chi square analysis showed no significant difference in the prevalence rate between female and male pigs (p>0.05). Apparently adult pigs haboured more of the helminthes parasites 240(57.14%) than the young pigs 41(36.61%) although the difference was not statistically significance. The large white breed was infected most, among the various breeds 239(48.28%). The infection rate for the large black was 2(26.67%) and for the mixed breed was 4(20.00%). There was no significant difference in the infection rate among the various breed of pigs (p>0.05). The study shows that breeds and sex are not the promoting factors to infection rate but age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a case of meningitis caused by Hemophilus influenzae type-b in an immunocompetent 41-year-old Saudi lady. The patient was successfully treated with Ceftriaxone for 10 days. A review of Hemophilus influenzae meningitis in adults and the impact of conjugated vaccine on the epidemiology of the disease are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The stem bark of Khaya senegalensis A. Juss (Meliaceae) is currently used for the treatment of trypanosomiasis by traditional practitioners in Nigeria. Objectives: The present study investigated the anti- Trypanosoma brucei brucei activity of phenolics-rich fraction of K. senegalensis (pfks) and its ameliorative effects on trypanosome-induced pathological changes. Materials and methods: The fraction was initially analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A 60 min time course experiment was conducted with various concentrations of the fraction using a 96-well microtiter plate technique and was further used to treat T. brucei infected rats at 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight (BW). Indices of anemia as well as hepatic and renal functions were analyzed in all experimental animals at the end of the experiment. Results: The GC-MS analysis of the pfks revealed that the most abundant phytochemicals are phloroglucinol (40.56%) and 3,4-(dihydroxyphenyl) acetic acid (41.76%). The fraction showed a concentration dependent in vitro antitrypanosomal activity. Interestingly, the fraction completely eliminated the parasites from the bloodstream of infected rats without relapse during the experimental period at the dose of 300 mg/kg BW and also kept the parasites consistently lower at 100 and 200 mg/kg BW than that was recorded in the untreated infected rats. Furthermore, the severity of T. brucei-induced anemia and hepatic damage was significantly ( p < 0.05) ameliorated in the 300 mg/kg BW treatment group whereas the parasite-induced renal damage was significantly ( p < 0.05) ameliorated in all treatment groups. Conclusion: Data from this study may suggest that phenolics play an important role in the antitrypanosomal activity of K. senegalensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snakebite is a significant health concern in Africa, particularly due to neurotoxic envenomation which can lead to neuromuscular paralysis and respiratory failure. In Nigeria, snakes from the Elapidae family are a notable cause of envenomation cases, though these incidents are underreported. This review examined case reports of neurotoxic envenomation in Africa, highlighting the clinical impacts and the efficacy of available antivenoms. Preclinical studies showed that the polyvalent antivenom from the South African Institute for Medical Research (SAIMR) was highly effective against neurotoxicity with a protective efficacy (R) of 1346.80 mg/mL, while clinical assessment emphasized the need for high-dose antivenom therapy along with supportive measures like mechanical ventilation. Unlike hemorrhagic envenomation, where antivenom promptly resolves bleeding, neurotoxic cases often require additional interventions. The review underscores the necessity for tailored approaches in antivenom therapy to address the complexities of neurotoxic snakebites and reduce their public health burden in Africa., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Iron deficiency is a recognized global health concern, particularly impactful during pregnancy where the mother serves as the primary source of iron for the developing fetus. Adequate maternal iron levels are crucial for fetal growth and cognitive development. This review investigates the correlation between maternal iron deficiency and cognitive impairment and anemia in offspring, considering age and gender differentials. PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases were queried using keywords "maternal," "iron," "gender/sex," and "cognition." The review included studies on human and animal subjects where maternal iron deficiency was the exposure and offspring cognitive function and anemia were outcomes. Out of 1139 articles screened, fourteen met inclusion criteria. Twelve studies highlighted cognitive deficits in offspring of iron-deficient mothers, with females generally exhibiting milder impairment compared to males. Additionally, two studies noted increased anemia prevalence in offspring of iron-deficient mothers, particularly affecting males and younger individuals. The findings suggest that male offspring are at higher risk of both anemia and cognitive dysfunction during youth, while females face increased risks in adulthood. Thus, maternal iron deficiency elevates the likelihood of anemia and cognitive impairments in offspring, underscoring the importance of addressing maternal iron status for optimal child health., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Lipids are widespread in nature and play a pivotal role as a source of energy and nutrition for the human body. Vegetable oils (VOs) constitute a significant category in the food industry, containing various lipid components that have garnered attention for being natural, environmentally friendly and health-promoting. The review presented the classification of raw materials (RMs) from oil crops and quality analysis techniques of VOs, with the aim of improving comprehension and facilitating in-depth research of VOs. Brief descriptions were provided for four categories of VOs, and quality analysis techniques for both RMs and VOs were generalized. Furthermore, this study discussed the applications of lipidomics technology in component analysis, processing and utilization, quality determination, as well as nutritional function assessment of VOs. Through reviewing RMs and quality analysis techniques of VOs, this study aims to encourage further refinement and development in the processing and utilization of VOs, offering valuable references for theoretical and applied research in food chemistry and food science., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest 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., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ovarian cancer is the second most prevalent but most lethal gynaecologic malignancy in our institution. This study aimed at determining the rate of non-diagnosis in suspected lesions and reviewing the management challenges of ovarian tumours highly suspicious for malignancy in our hospital., Methodology: A three-year retrospective review of patients' records from the ward, clinic, theatre, and histopathology laboratory was carried out. Cases with high indices of suspicion for ovarian cancer (ovarian tumour with malignant radiologic features with any of ascites, pleural effusion, as well as cachexia, anaemia, or evidence of metastasis) were included. In-depth interviews were carried out with a consultant from each specialty of Radiology, Radio-oncology, Pathology, and Gynaecologic oncology at the gynaecologic oncology multidisciplinary team meeting., Results: One hundred and twenty-two cases of highly suspicious ovarian malignancies were seen with a mean age of 40.6 years. Of these, 28 (23%) had surgery and 77% did not have any form of histological diagnosis. Of those that had surgery, 13 (46.4%) had upfront surgery and 15 (53.6%) neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by interval debulking surgery (IDS). Only two cases had documented complete (R 0 ) debulking. Among those that had upfront surgery, one case (7.7%) was an ovarian fibroid and one (7.7%) was a fibrosarcoma while two cases (15.4%) were borderline ovarian tumours. Chemotherapy was commenced based on malignant cells on ascitic or pleural fluid cytology in three cases. Of all the malignant cases, epithelial carcinomas were commonest accounting for 48%. Aside from the general late presentation of cases, insufficient funds for treatment, poor coverage of health insurance for cancer care, unavailability of routine immunohistochemistry, lack of germline and somatic testing, non-availability or prohibitive cost of some chemotherapeutic agents, unavailability of maintenance therapies, inadequate capacity to manage toxicities, inadequate skill across all specialties, unavailability / erratic function of computerized tomography scans and unavailable positron emission tomography, lack of interventional radiology facility amongst others were all identified as challenges to management., Conclusion: Most patients with tumours highly suspicious for ovarian cancers did not get a histologic diagnosis and probably died undiagnosed. Management of ovarian cancer remains a challenge despite advances in surgical and chemotherapeutic options. Health insurance for all, infrastructure development, and training of all disciplines involved is recommended., (Copyright © 2023 Nigerian Medical Association.)

Introduction: Antibiotic resistance is a public health concern in Nigeria and the world, and healthcare workers contributed to the upsurge of antibiotic resistance in hospital settings. This study focused on the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of antibiotic use and the frequency of prescriptions of antibiotics from the list of WHO Model Essentials Antibiotics (AWaRe ) (in the last 6 months) among healthcare workers and established the determining factors in six hospitals in Niger state, Nigeria., Methodology: A KAP survey was conducted in Niger State, Nigeria, from March to June 2022. A structured self-administered, pretested questionnaire was distributed to six hospitals in the state following a stratified random sampling considering the staff capacity, the population of the city, and patients' patronage., Results: A total of 350 questionnaires distributed, and 313 (89.4%) completed and returned from the six hospitals. The median scores were knowledge (75%), attitude (69%), practice (62%), and self-reported prescription (70%), and respondents with good scores were knowledge [195 (62.3%)], attitude [185 (59.1%)], practice [201 (64.2%)], and prescription [117 (37.4%)]. In multivariate analysis, older respondents are more likely to have a good prescription ( p = 0.006), and prior antimicrobial training improved their knowledge ( p < 0.001), attitude ( p = 0.007), and prescription pattern ( p = 0.009). All the study participants had prescribed one or more of the most prescribed antibiotics; Amoxicillin clavulanate (Access group, 96.5%), Amoxicillin (Access group, 95.9%), and Metronidazole (Access group, 95.7%)., Conclusions: The study suggests that antibiotic education for healthcare workers and antimicrobial stewardship programs are significant interventions to mitigate antibiotic overuse in the state., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Rapidly expanding systemic treatment options, combined with improved screening, diagnostic, surgical, and radiotherapy techniques, have led to improved survival outcomes for many cancers over time. However, these overall survival gains have disproportionately benefited patients in high-income countries, whereas patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continue to experience challenges in accessing timely and guideline concordant care. In September 2022, the Accelerating Anticancer Agent Development and Validation workshop was held, focusing on global cancer drug development. Panelists discussed key barriers such as the lack of diagnostic services and human resources, drug accessibility and affordability, lack of research infrastructure, and regulatory and authorization challenges, with a particular focus on Africa and Latin America. Potential opportunities to improve access and affordability were reviewed, such as the importance of prioritizing investments in diagnostics, investing health infrastructure and work force planning, coordinated drug procurement efforts and streamlined regulatory processing, incentivized pricing through regulatory change, and the importance of developing and promoting clinical trials that can answer relevant clinical questions for patients in LMICs. As a cancer community, we must continue to advocate for and work toward equitable access to high-quality interventions for patients, regardless of their geographical location.

Background: Major depressive disorder is a serious psychiatric illness having serious damaging effect on the quality of life of suffers. Quercetin is a plant flavonoid, mostly used as a constituent in dietary products. This study evaluated antidepressant effect of quercetin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression in rats., Materials and Methods: Twenty-one male rats were randomly assigned into three groups (n = 7): group 1 (vehicle only), group 2 (quercetin), group 3 (LPS). Rats were treated with vehicle (10 mL/kg, p.o.) or quercetin (50 mg/kg, p.o.) for seven days. Sixty minutes after treatment on day seven, all animals were injected with LPS (0.83 mg/kg, i.p.) except group 1 (vehicle only). Twenty-four hours after LPS injection, animals were assessed for depressive symptoms using forced swim, sucrose splash and open field tests. Animals were sacrificed; brain samples collected for bioassay of pro-inflammatory mediators, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-17 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) while expressions of NF-κB, inflammasomes, microglia and iNOS were quantified by immunohistochemistry., Results: The LPS significantly (p < 0.05) decreased mobility of rats in FST and decreased sucrose preference, which is indicative of depressive-like behaviours. These behaviours were significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated by quercetin compared to control (vehicle only). Following LPS exposure, the expressions of inflammasomes, NF-κB, iNOS, proinflammatory cytokines and microglia positive cells in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were significantly (p < 0.05) elevated. All these were attenuated by pretreating animals with quercetin., Conclusion: Quercetin exhibit antidepressant-like property, which may be related to inhibition of neuroinflammatory signaling pathways., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Iron deficiency is a common micronutrient deficiency associated with metabolic changes in the levels of iron regulatory proteins, hepcidin and ferroportin. Studies have associated dysregulation of iron homeostasis to other secondary and life-threatening diseases including anaemia, neurodegeneration and metabolic diseases. Iron deficiency plays a critical role in epigenetic regulation by affecting the Fe 2+ /α-ketoglutarate-dependent demethylating enzymes, Ten Eleven Translocase 1-3 (TET 1-3) and Jumonji-C (JmjC) histone demethylase, which are involved in epigenetic erasure of the methylation marks on both DNA and histone tails, respectively. In this review, studies involving epigenetic effects of iron deficiency associated with dysregulation of TET 1-3 and JmjC histone demethylase enzyme activities on hepcidin/ferroportin axis are discussed., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declared no conflicting interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

The global burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing annually. CRC could develop from genetic and phenotypic factors involving changes in gene expression. Incredibly, the human genome transcribes into non-coding RNAs, among which long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) signify the most crucial part of the transcriptome in multicellular organisms. lncRNAs affect gene expression at multiple levels, from transcription to protein localization and stability. Recent studies have implicated lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 15 (SNHG15) in cancers occurrence and progression. Previously, an indication suggests SNHG15 overexpression triggers proliferation, metastasis, and impedes apoptosis in CRC. Further, through its activity of binding micro-RNAs, lncRNA SNHG15 modulates genes associated with CRC progression and promotes CRC resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Here, we reviewed recent findings on the various mechanisms and roles of lncRNA SNHG15 implicated in CRC tumorigenesis. We further highlight how SNHG15 plays a vital role in regulating critical pathways linked to the development and progression of CRC. Finally, we highlight how SNHG15 can be modulated for CRC treatments and the various therapeutic strategies to be implored when targeting SNHG15 in the context of CRC treatments. Findings from these studies present SNHG15 as a potential therapeutic target for preventing and treating CRC., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Epidemiologically, metabolic disorders have garnered much attention, perhaps due to the predominance of obesity. The early postnatal life represents a critical period for programming multifactorial metabolic disorders of adult life. Though altricial rodents are prime subjects for investigating neonatal programming, there is still no sufficiently generalised literature on their usage and methodology. This review focuses on establishing five approach-based models of neonatal rodents adopted for studying metabolic phenotypes. Here, some modelled interventions that currently exist to avoid or prevent metabolic disorders are also highlighted. We also bring forth recommendations, guidelines and considerations to aid research on neonatal programming. It is hoped that this provides a background to researchers focused on the aetiology, mechanisms, prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders.

Parental dietary choices and/or nutritional interventions in the offspring are critical to early life development, especially during the periods of active developmental plasticity in the offspring. Exposure to a high-fructose, high-fat diet during the fetal or neonatal period predisposes the affected individuals to the development of one or more features of metabolic syndrome, such as dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, and associated cardiovascular diseases, later in their life. Owing to the increasing global prevalence of metabolic syndrome and multiple side effects that accompany conventional medicines, much attention is directed towards medicinal plants and phytochemicals as alternative interventions. Several studies have investigated the potential of natural agents to prevent programmed metabolic syndrome. This present review, therefore, highlights an inextricable relationship between the administration of medicinal plants or phytochemicals during the intrauterine or neonatal period, and the prevention of metabolic dysfunction in adulthood, while exploring the mechanisms by which they exert such an effect. The review also identifies plant products as a novel approach to the prevention and management of metabolic syndrome., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Patients of African ancestry are not well-represented in cancer clinical trials despite bearing a disproportionate share of mortality both in United States and Africa. We describe key stakeholder perspectives and priorities related to bringing early-stage cancer clinical trials to Africa and outline essential action steps. Increasing Diversity, Market Access, and Capacity in Oncology Registration Trials-Is Africa the Answer? satellite session was organized at 2021 Accelerating Anti-Cancer Agent Development and Validation Workshop. Panelists included representatives of African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer, Uganda Cancer Institute, Uganda Women's Cancer Support Organization, BIO Ventures for Global Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the US Food and Drug Administration, Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Bayer, and Genentech, with moderators from ASCO and American Cancer Society. Key discussion themes and resulting action steps were agreed upon by all participants. Panelists agreed that increasing diversity in cancer clinical trials by including African patients is key to ensuring novel drugs are safe and effective across populations. They underscored the importance of equity in clinical trial access for patients in Africa. Panelists discussed their values related to access and barriers to opening clinical trials in Africa and described innovative solutions from their work aimed at overcoming these obstacles. Multisectoral collaboration efforts that allow leveraging of limited resources and result in sustainable capacity building and mutually beneficial long-term partnerships were discussed as key to outlined action steps. The panel discussion resulted in valuable insights about key stakeholder values and priorities related to bringing early-stage clinical trials to Africa, as well as specific actions for each stakeholder group.

Background: It would be rational to describe the pattern of the clinical characteristics of the survivors and the nonsurvivors during the critical intensive-infection era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The explicit objective of the current scoping review was to delineate the predictive risk factors associated with case fatality rate (CFR)., Methods: Six retrospective studies of subjects infected with COVID-19 published between December 1, 2020, and March 30, 2020, describing nonsurvivors in Wuhan/Hubei, China, were identified., Results: There were 1769 subjects with a mean age of 52 years, and 65.9% were male. The highest comorbidity reported was cardiovascular diseases at 22.2% (393/1769). The overall number of cases admitted to the intensive care unit was 228 (12.9%). The reported overall CFR was 7.7% (136/1769), with the highest at 28.2% (54/191), and the lowest at 1.4% (15/1099). The mean duration of onset until death for nonsurvivors was 15.3 days., Conclusion: We have found that older age, male gender, the longer duration from onset till death (days), development of acute respiratory distress syndrome/shock, preexisting diabetes, and preexisting cardiovascular diseases were the major risk factors associated with high CFR., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Vernonia glaberrima leaves are traditionally used to alleviate bodily pain, skin cancer, and other skin-related disorders. The purpose of the study was to investigate the acute and sub-acute toxicity of 5-methylcoumarin-4β-glucoside, a promising chemotherapeutic agent against colon cancer isolated from the leaves of Vernonia glaberrima . 5-methylcoumarin-4β-glucoside was isolated from the methanol leaf extract of Vernonia glaberrima following a previously described method. The acute toxicity study involved a two-phase 24 h observation for signs of mortality and toxicity following single oral dose administration of the isolated compound. For the sub-acute study, four groups of mice, averagely aged eight weeks, were administered graded doses of the compound (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) or vehicle for 28 days. On the 29th day, the mice were fasted, anesthetized, euthanized, then their blood and tissues were harvested for hematological, biochemical and histopathological evaluations. There were no signs of mortality or moribund status with an increasing dose of up to 5000 mg/kg over a 24 h period in the acute study. Also, there was no evidence of toxicity on the biochemical or hematopoietic systems in the sub-acute study (p < 0.05). At the dose of 1000 mg/kg, the mice showed some distorted histology with no corresponding alterations in serum biochemicals. Overall, the results showed that 5-methylcoumarin-4β-glucoside at dosages up to 500 mg/kg is tolerable in mice., 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., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Cancer metastasis research has emerged in recent years as one of the most important topics of debate in the discovery and development of novel anticancer therapies. Colorectal cancer (CRC), the third most common cancer worldwide, has a high mortality rate due to recurrence and distant metastasis to the liver. Several non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been linked to metastatic CRC (mCRC), including the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Metastasis-Associated Lung-Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 (MALAT1). MALAT1 is an RNA that has been linked to tumor cell proliferation, progression, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell migration and invasion, metastasis, and survival in mammalian species. Previously, there was no convincing evidence linking MALAT1 to mCRC. Studies have shown that MALAT1 functions as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) with microRNAs (miRNAs) and interacts directly with oncogenes and proteins. This RNA also activates several signaling pathways, including Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and EMT. Meanwhile, standard chemotherapy and immunotherapy are the current treatment options for mCRC patients. However, evidence-based studies have recently demonstrated that inhibiting the MALAT1 RNA transcript can be considered as a treatment option for mCRC, highlighting the need to investigate its roles as a therapeutic target in mCRC. Thus, in this review, we looked at studies that linked MALAT1 to multiple signaling pathways implicated in mCRC, as well as its potential as a therapeutic target for the treatment of mCRC., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a potentially fatal multisystemic infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Currently, viable therapeutic options that are cost effective, safe and readily available are desired, but lacking. Nevertheless, the pandemic is noticeably of lesser burden in African and Asian regions, where the use of traditional herbs predominates, with such relationship warranting a closer look at ethnomedicine. From a molecular viewpoint, the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the crucial first phase of COVID-19 pathogenesis. Here, we review plants with medicinal properties which may be implicated in mitigation of viral invasion either via direct or indirect modulation of ACE2 activity to ameliorate COVID-19. Selected ethnomedicinal plants containing bioactive compounds which may prevent and mitigate the fusion and entry of the SARS-CoV-2 by modulating ACE2-associated up and downstream events are highlighted. Through further experimentation, these plants could be supported for ethnobotanical use and the phytomedicinal ligands could be potentially developed into single or combined preventive therapeutics for COVID-19. This will benefit researchers actively looking for solutions from plant bioresources and help lessen the burden of COVID-19 across the globe., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Abubakar, Usman, El-Saber Batiha, Cruz-Martins, Malami, Ibrahim, Abubakar, Bello, Muhammad, Gan, Dabai, Alblihed, Ghosh, Badr, Thangadurai and Imam.)

Background: Zinc deficiency is associated with adverse effects on maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. These consequences have been reported over the years from zinc supplementation trials and observational studies whereby outcomes of maternal, foetal and infant health were measured. Owing to the importance of zinc in the functions of epigenetic enzymes, pre-clinical studies have shown that its deficiency could disrupt biological activities that involve epigenetic mechanisms in offspring. Thus, this review assessed the link between epigenetics and the effects of maternal zinc deficiency on the offspring's health in animal studies., Methods: Research articles were retrieved without date restriction from PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases, as well as reference lists of relevant articles. The search terms used were "zinc deficiency", "maternal zinc deficiency", "epigenetics", and "offspring." Six studies met the eligibility criteria and were reviewed., Results: All the eligible studies reported maternal zinc deficiency and observed changes in epigenetic markers on the progeny during prenatal and postnatal stages of development. The main epigenetic markers reported were global and gene specific methylation and/ or acetylation. The epigenetic changes led to mortality, disruption in development, and risk of later life diseases., Conclusion: Maternal zinc deficiency is associated with epigenetic modifications in offspring, which induce pathologies and increase the risk of later life diseases. More research and insight into the epigenetic mechanisms could spring up new approaches to combat the associated disease conditions., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

More than half a century ago, zinc was established as an essential micronutrient for normal human physiology. In silico data suggest that about 10% of the human proteome potentially binds zinc. Many proteins with zinc-binding domains (ZBDs) are involved in epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, which regulate transcription in physiological and pathological conditions. Zinc metalloproteins in epigenetics are mainly zinc metalloenzymes and zinc finger proteins (ZFPs), which are classified into writers, erasers, readers, editors, and feeders. Altogether, these classes of proteins engage in crosstalk that fundamentally maintains the epigenome's modus operandi. Changes in the expression or function of these proteins induced by zinc deficiency or loss of function mutations in their ZBDs may lead to aberrant epigenetic reprogramming, which may worsen the risk of non-communicable chronic diseases. This review attempts to address zinc's role and its proteins in natural epigenetic programming and artificial reprogramming and briefly discusses how the ZBDs in these proteins interact with the chromatin.

Diet-related metabolic diseases, and especially obesity, are metabolic disorders with multifactorial aetiologies. Diet has been a cornerstone in both the aetiology and management of this metabolic disorders. Rice, a staple food for over half of the world's population, could be exploited as part of the solution to check this menace which has been skyrocketing in the last decade. The present study investigated nine forms of rice from three widely grown Malaysian rice cultivars for in vitro and in vivo (glycaemic index and load) properties that could translate clinically into a lower predisposition to diet-related diseases. The germinated brown forms of MRQ 74 and MR 84 rice cultivars had high amylose content percentages (25.7% and 25.0%), high relative percentage antioxidant scavenging abilities of 85.0% and 91.7%, relatively low glycaemic indices (67.6 and 64.3) and glycaemic load (32.3 and 30.1) values, and modest glucose uptake capabilities of 33.69% and 31.25%, respectively. The results show that all things being equal, rice cultivars that are germinated and high in amylose content when compared to their white and low amylose counterparts could translate into a lower predisposition to diet-related diseases from the dietary point of view in individuals who consume this cereal as a staple food., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder with established, well-defined precursors. Obesity and insulin resistance are amongst most important factors in predisposition to diabetes. Rice is a staple for about half the global population and its consumption has been strongly linked with diabetogenesis. We assert that tackling the prevalence of predisposing factors by modifying certain rice cultivars could reduce the global burden of obesity and insulin resistance, and by extension type 2 diabetes. Several rice cultivars with various properties were fed to nulliparous rats (five weeks old at the start of the experiment) for 90 days. They were then returned to a diet of standard pellets and mated with males raised on a standard diet. The resulting pups and dams were investigated for obesity and insulin resistance markers. We found that germination did more to reduce predisposition to obesity and insulin resistance than high amylose content. The combined reducing effect of germination and high amylose content on predisposition to obesity and insulin resistance was greater than the sum of their independent effects. Polished (white) rice with a low amylose content predisposed dams on a high-fat diet to markers of insulin resistance and obesity and this predisposition was inherited (in biochemical terms) by their F1 offspring. Overall, the results suggest that harnessing the beneficial properties of germination and amylose in rice would reduce the burden of obesity and insulin resistance, which are known to be key risk factors for development of type 2 diabetes.

In the last two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in the global use of herbal medicinal products (HMPs) due to their claimed health benefits. This has led to increase in their demand and consequently, also, resulted in massive adulteration. This is due to the fact that most of the traditional methods cannot identify closely related species in a process product form. Therefore the urgent need for simple and rapid identification methods resulted in the discovery of a novel technique. DNA barcoding is a process that uses short DNA sequence from the standard genome for species identification. This technique is reliable and is not affected by external factors such as climates, age, or plant part. The difficulties in isolation of DNA of high quality in addition to other factors are among the challenges encountered using the DNA barcoding in the authentication of HMP. These limitations indicated that using DNA barcoding alone may ineffectively authenticate the HMP. Therefore, the combination of DNA barcoding with chromatographic fingerprint, a popular and generally accepted technique for the assessment and quality control of HMP, will offer an efficient solution to effectively evaluate the authenticity and quality consistency of HMP. Detailed and quality information about the main composition of the HMPs will help to ascertain their efficacy and safety as these are very important for quality control.

In this study, the flocculation behavior and mechanism of a cation-independent bioflocculant IH-7 produced by Aspergillus flavus were investigated. Results showed 91.6% was the lowest flocculating rate recorded by IH-7 (0.5 mg L(-1)) at pH range 4-8. Moreover, IH-7 showed better flocculation performance than polyaluminum chloride (PAC) at a wide range of flocculant concentration (0.06-25 mg L(-1)), temperature (5-45 °C) and salinity (10-60% w/w). The current study found that cation addition did not significantly enhance the flocculating rate and IH-7 is a positively charged bioflocculant. These findings suggest that charge neutralization is the main flocculation mechanism of IH-7 bioflocculant. IH-7 was significantly used to flocculate different types of suspended solids such as activated carbons, kaolin clays, soil solids and yeast cells., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Medicinal plants remain one of the largest reservoirs of new bioactive compounds. In this study, a new prenylated benzo-lactone (4, 6-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-3-(1, 2, 3, 4, 5-pentahydroxypentyl)-2-benzofuran-1(3H)-one) was isolated from the acetone extracts of the rhizome of Cissus cornifolia. The antimicrobial activity of the compound was evaluated against some microorganisms including Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and Candida albicans., Materials and Methods: The acetone extracts of the rhizome of C. cornifolia was separated and purified by various chromatographic techniques. The structure of the isolated compound was characterized by analysis of spectral data including one and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance., Results: The isolated compound was characterized as (4, 6-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-3-(1, 2, 3, 4, 5-pentahydroxypentyl)-2-benzofuran-1(3H)-one), it showed activity against 6 out of 10 tested clinical isolates of some microorganisms including S. aureus, S. typhi, and C. albicans. The inhibition zones ranged between 17 mm and 25 mm. The inhibition zones observed compare favorably with the positive control used., Conclusion: The compound could serve as a lead for the development of more potent antimicrobial agent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation and characterization as well as antimicrobial screening of the compound.

Unpredictable climate change is already having a profound effect on our agricultural crops thus, the need to have periodic data base on their physiology. The consequences of the change is becoming more wide spread affecting all component of our ecosystem including the vegetable species. The present studies was carried out to study cowpea seed germination and seedling establishment of seven varieties (Sampea-5, Sampea-6, Sampea-7, Sampea-8, Sampea-9, Sampea-10 and Sampea-12) in the laboratory and botanical garden of the Department of Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria-Nigeria. Cowpea is used to substitute the insufficient expensive animal protein in the diet of many people in Nigeria either directly or in other preparation. Water absorption rate of cowpea seeds during imbibitions were determined after 30 min of soaking in water. Significant difference were found among Sampea-5, Sampea-7, Sampea-8, Sampea-10 and Sampea-12 while there was no significant difference between Sampea-6 and Sampea-7 in terms of water absorption rate. Mean comparison showed that the highest germination percentage (100%), seedling weight change (1.52 g), shoot length (25.81 cm), root length (23.12 cm) was observed. Based on this result, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant difference in the rate of imbibitions as well as shoots and root length exist in the seven cowpea varieties.

Antioxidants activities from plants sources have attracted a wide range of interest across the world in recent times. This is due to growing concern for safe and alternative sources of antioxidants. The free radical scavenging activity using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), reducing power assay, total antioxidant capacity of the phosphomolybdenum method and the total phenolics content using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent were carried out on the acetone, n-butanol and methanol root extracts of Anchomanes difformis. The results of the total phenolics content expressed in mg/100 g of gallic acid equivalent (GAE) showed that the n-butanol extract has significantly (p < 0.05) higher phenolics content (381 +/- 1.13) than the methanol and acetone extracts. All the extracts displayed strong concentration dependent radical scavenging activity. It was also observed that the n-butanol extract showed higher activity of 70.87% and 78.59% at low concentrations of 31.25 microg/mL and 62.5 microg/mL, respectively, than methanol and acetone extracts. The results also showed that the n-butanol extract has strongest reducing ability which is comparable to that of gallic acid at all the concentrations tested. Phytochemical screening on the extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, and tannins. The results suggest that n-butanol extract of the plant is very rich in antioxidant compounds worthy of further investigations.