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Infertility resulting from sperm dysfunction is a serious health problem leading to psychological, economic, and medical implications worldwide. Borassus aethiopum is a plant that has been used as an aphrodisiac. This study evaluated the effect of hydromethanol hypocotyls extracts of B. aethiopum on the sperm and gonadal indices of male Wistar rats. The extract was prepared and administered orally at doses of (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) to 40 male Wistar rats, divided into four groups; three experimental groups and one control group (distilled water). Sperm parameters (count, motility, viability and morphology) and gonadal indices were determined. Testicular tissues were examined histologically for evidence of morphological changes. The extract increased significantly sperm count in a dose-dependent manner across all treatment groups (p

A survey was conducted in Maiduguri to assess the awareness and effectiveness of camel milk and urine for the control of Diabetes mellitus (DM). Snowball sampling technique was used to select 75 respondents that utilized camel milk and urine frequently. The respondents were interviewed on their level of awareness, perceived effectiveness on the use of Camel milk and urine in controlling DM, and the problems they encountered in sourcing them. The results show that all the respondents are aware of the use of camel milk in the management of DM. Greater proportion (53%) are unaware of the use of camel urine or its combination with milk in the control of DM in the study area. Camel milk was perceived to be significantly (P

The study examined effects of farm labour migration on crop productivity among farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 242 farmers from the study area. Data were collected through interview schedule using structured questionnaire with the help of trained enumerators under the supervision of the researcher. Analytical tools used were descriptive statistics (frequency distribution, percentages and mean) and inferential statistics (multiple regression) was employed in this study. The results showed that the mean age of the respondents was 45 years and were married; and 84.7% were male. These implied that crop farmers were in their productive stage of life and had the capacity of carrying out agricultural production. More so, the mean household size of the farmers was 11 persons, and about 80.6% had formal education. This implied that high educational level of farm household could increase income earnings and reduce poverty level in Kaduna State. The multiple regression analysis on the effects of farm labour migration on farmers’ crop productivity showed that the double-log functional form gave the best fit based on the significance of F-statistics and adjusted R-squared parameter estimated in conformity with the a priori expectation. Farm size (P

This study was undertaken to assess the incidence of antimicrobial susceptibility status of Salmonella species and Escherichia coli isolated from a fermented cow milk product (Nono) in Kuje, FCT, Abuja. For the purpose of this study, Kuje was divided into; Kuje North (KN), Kuje East (KE), Kuje West (KW), Kuje Central KC) and Kuje South (KS). In number, a total of 154 fermented samples of the products were collected for bacterial isolation and identification from the regions using conventional bacteriological identification methods. The identified isolates were tested for their antimicrobial susceptibility status using four different types of antibiotics by disc diffusion method. The prevalence of Salmonella sp. was 10/154, while that of E. coli was 18/154. The presence of Salmonella isolates was higher in those milk samples products where nearby stream was the primary source of available water for all routine domestic use including milk processing (KE and KN) respectively. All the salmonella isolates were found to be susceptible to gentamicin but 91.3% to amoxicillin, 90.2% to sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim and 88.9% to tetracycline. Three of the Salmonella isolates showed multiple drug resistance to two drugs. The findings from this research showed that the fermented dairy milk product (nono) obtained from local processing households in Kuje, FCT, Abuja was contaminated with public health important bacterial species; Salmonella species and E. coli. Also of utmost importance is the resistance of the pathogens to certain antimicrobial drugs which call for attention. Therefore, in order to ensure safe quality of fermented milk products are supplied to the FCT, the respective stakeholders engaged in this business need to be educated in basic hygienic practices and the implication of poor sanitation on human health

The study focused on the role of Development Exchange Centre (DEC) microcredit in women empowerment and poverty alleviation in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Data for the study were collected using a well-structured questionnaire administered to 420 women farmers of beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries in the study area. The result shows the mean farming experience was 22 years for DEC beneficiaries and 19 years for non- beneficiaries while mean farm size for beneficiaries and non- beneficiaries was 2.0 ha. The result of the regression analysis showed that level of education, age and years of involvement in cooperative society were significantly related with level of participation. The mean crops output of DEC beneficiaries (437,807.1kg) was significantly higher than non- beneficiaries (145,571.4kg). The difference in the mean crops output levels was largely attributed to participation in DEC microcredit programme. The calculated Z-test value (14.74) for crops output and income (22.93) was significant at 1%. It was therefore recommended that DEC programme be extended to other farming communities in Kaduna State, so as to accelerate the poverty alleviation among women farmers in the State.

The study was conducted to determine the poverty status of women farmers in Development Exchange Centre Microcredit of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study utilized primary data collected through a questionnaire administered to 420 selected respondents distributed into 210 Development Exchange (DEC) participants and 210 non-participants using purposive and random sampling procedures. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics, the FGT poverty model and Logit regression model. The result of the FGT poverty model revealed that the incidence of poverty among the farming households was 40% and 50% of participants and non-participants. These implied that 60% and 50% of participants and non-participants farm households were not poor. The result of the Logit regression showed that age, education, farm size, farm experience, income, crop output, level of living and access to DEC microcredit were significantly related to the poverty level of the women farmers. This implies that a unit increase in these variables will likely lower household’s head of being poor. The study, therefore, recommends that amount of credit facilities provided should be increased so as to increase productivity, time for repayment of credit facilities should be extended to more than one year and the programme should be extended to other farming communities in the State, so as to accelerate the reduction of poverty among rural women in the state and nation at large.

The development of novel excipients with enhanced functionality has been explored using particle engineering by co-processing. The aim of this study was to improve the functionality of tapioca starch (TS) for direct compression by co-processing with gelatin (GEL) and colloidal silicon dioxide (CSD) in optimized proportions. Design of Experiment (DoE) was employed to optimize the composition of the co-processed excipient using the desirability function and other supporting studies as a basis for selecting the optimized formulation. The co-processed excipient (SGS) was thereafter developed by the method of co-fusion. Flow and compaction studies of SGS were carried out in comparison to its parent component (TS) and physical mixture (SGS-PM). Tablets were prepared by direct compression (DC) containing ibuprofen (200 mg) as a model for poor compressibility using SGS, Prosolv®, and StarLac® as multifunctional excipients. The optimized composition of SGS corresponded to TS (90%), GEL (7.5%), and CSD (2.5%). The functionality of SGS was improved relative to SGS-PM in terms of flow and compression. Tablets produced with SGS were satisfactory and conformed to USP specifications for acceptable tablets. SGS performed better than Prosolv® in terms of disintegration and was superior to StarLac with respect to tensile strength and disintegration time. The application of DoE was successful in optimizing and developing a starch-based co-processed excipient that can be considered for direct compression tableting.

A research was conducted to develop and evaluate a highly compressible micro-structured filler- binder for direct compression tableting. Tapioca starch (TS) was annealed, hydrolyzed and coprocessed with α -lactose monohydrate (α-LMH) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) to yield a novel microcrystarcellactose (MSCL B3). The powder suspensions were prepared at a concentration of 40 %w/w in five separate conical flasks. The TS granules were annealed for 1 h and subsequently hydrolyzed with α-amylase at 58 o and pH 7 for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 h respectively. The reaction was terminated and neutralized with 0.1 N HCL and 0.1 N NaOH respectively. The enzyme hydrolyzed starch (EHS) at 3 h, sieved fraction >75-250 μm was coprocessed with α-LMH and MCC and compressed with load ranging from 2.5 to 12.5 KN. MSCL B3 (component ratio of EHS, α-LMH, and MCC ‘35: 35:30’) possessed improved functionality over direct physical mixture of the excipients. The Py (yield values) are: Cellactose (24.2 MNm -2 ) > MCC (25 MNm -2 ) > MSCL B3 (50.0 MNm -2 ) > Starlac (143 MNm -2 ). The degree of plastic deformation occurring “Pk” are in the following order: MSCL B3 (17.0 MNm -2 ) = Cellactose ® (17.0 MNm -2 ) > MCC (18.6 MNm -2 ) > Starlac ® (19.1 MNm -2 ). MSCL B3 is as good as Cellactose ® and more superior in functionality than Starlac ® and MCC. The dilution potential for MSCL B3 in PCM and AA tablets were: 45% and 50 % respectively. MSCL B3 can be used to formulate softer tablet of both poorly compressible API and moisture sensitive API Keywords: Microcrystarcellactose; Coprocessed excipient; Directly compressible excipient; Highly functional fillerbinder; Tapioca starch

This study examined the potentials of Bacillus cereus N27 to decolourize textile effluents. The determined physicochemical parameters of the effluents were temperature, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) using standard techniques. The Bacillus cereus N27 was isolated from textile effluent contaminated soil samples in Challawa, Kano state, Nigeria and were characterized and identified based on cultural, biochemical and molecular techniques. The Bacillus cereus N27 was used for the biodecolourization study. The 3 ml broth culture of Bacillus cereus N27 was inoculated into medium comprising 2 g of yeast extract, 2 g of glucose, 2.8 g of lactose broth in 50 ml of different concentrations of the effluent (0%, 5%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90% and 100 %) and were incubated for 30 days at 37oC. The growth of the Bacillus cereus N27 was compared with corresponding McFarland standards. The rate of biodecolourization was determined using spectrophotometer at 600 nm. The effects of temperature (30oC, 35oC, 40oC, 45oC) and pH (4, 6, 8, and 10) on the decolourisation potential of the isolates was also determined. The results obtained for the physicochemical study were temperature (33.5oC), pH (6.10), BOD (0.13 mg/L), COD (123.5 mg/L). DO (0.162 mg/L), TSS (310 mg/L), TDS (465.5 mg/L). The optimum biodecolourization temperature was 35oC with 72.2% rate of biodecolourization after 30 days while pH 6 was optimum for the biodecolourization. The results obtained in the study suggest that Bacillus cereus can be used to develop an effective biological treatment system for the wastewaters contaminated with textile effluent.Keywords: Textile effluent, dye, biodecolourization,Bacillus cereus.

A polycarboxylic acid, citric acid, was used to derivatise cashew gum via cross - linking. A dispersion of the purified gum, the acid and sodium dihydrogen phosphate was made in deionised water and concentrated by heating at 40 o C for 18 h. The resulting solid mass was heated at 140 o C for 30 min for the cross - linking. The cross - linking was demonstrated using DSC and FT - IR, and the derivative was characterized by determination of the solubility, water content, swel ling and water holding capacity, moisture sorption and desorption, particle flow properties and preliminary studies on drug release in tableting. The results obtained indicated that the cross - linked product differed from the parent gum. At 10 %w/w it retar ded drug release while at 3 %w/w it enhanced drug release. The activity of the cross - linked gum in tableting is concentration dependent but could evidently find use as drug release modifier.

Aim: This research was aimed at evaluating the use of Grewia mollis Juss. (Tiliaceae) stem bark gum as a compression coating-agent in a formulation intended to deliver ibuprofen to the colon.Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (both in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Kaduna Laboratory between October 2012 and March 2014.Methods: Ibuprofen core tablets were prepared by the direct compression method and four different compression-coated formulations were produced using powdered and granulated Grewia gum (GG) or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC). The compression-coated tablets were also evaluated for tablet parameters; the in vitro drug release studies were carried out in different simulated gastro-intestinal fluids. An in vivo study was conducted in New Zealand rabbits using the optimized compression-coated tablet and compared with a conventional ibuprofen tablets. The pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated from concentration of ibuprofen in the rabbit plasma using the high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC).Results: The tablets that were compression-coated with powdered GG showed better ability to offer barrier to drug release and to deliver the drug to the colon than those coated with granulated polymers. The tablets coated with powdered GG coated exhibited greater propensity to deliver ibuprofen to the colon than the other coated tablets. A lower Cmax, longer t1/2 of 8.66 h, longer MRT (7.43 h) and shorter ke (0.08 h-1) revealed that ibuprofen remained in the system for a longer period after oral administration of F2 than when MKT was administered. A high correlation coefficient (0.926) was obtained from the in vitro drug release studies and in vivo studies from F2 indicating that a good relationship was established between both studies.Conclusion: The results of this study have been able to establish that Grewia mollis stem bark gum can be used to effectively deliver ibuprofen to the colon.

Citric acid and glycerol were used to derivatise cashew gum via cross-linking. A dispersion of the purified gum, the acid, glycerol and sodium dihydrogen phosphate was made in deionised water and concentrated by heating at 40oC for 18 h. The resulting solid mass was heated at 140oC/170oC for 30 min for the cross-linking to take place. The cross-linking was demonstrated using DSC, FT-IR and NMR spectral data and the esterified derivative (tagged CrosCCG) was characterized by determination of the solubility, water content, swelling and water holding capacity, moisture sorption and desorption, particle flow properties The results obtained indicated that the cross-linked product differed from the parent gum and from cashew gum cross-linked using citric acid alone, by displaying greater swelling ratios, water sorption and water holding capacities. This product may find use as swellable device in controlling drug release or as disintegrant in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Background: Fistula-in-ano when complicated by Fournier's gangrene is an unusual finding and always carries high morbidity. This study details our experience in managing 10 cases. Methods of Study: Case files of all patients managed in University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and Federal Medical Center of Yola and Gombe from January, 2007 to December, 2011 were retrieved from Medical Record Departments and other Hospital Records. These were analyzed for demographic, clinical and pathological variables, the type of treatment and follow-up. Results: A total of 10 men with a mean age of 50.5 years (35-60) were managed in the period of study. Nearly, 50% of the patients were farmers, 30% businessmen and 20% were civil servant. 7 (70%) of these patients presented with Fournier's gangrene within 4 weeks of development of fistula-in-ano and the rest within 8 weeks. 4 (40%) of these patients had inadequate drainage of their perianal abscess and 2 (20%) had incision and drainage. Another 4 (40%) had spontaneously rupture of the perianal abscess. 6 (60%) of the fistula-in-ano was submuscular, 30% subcutaneous and 10% were complex or recurrent. Nearly, 20% of patients had fistulotomy and seton application for adequate drainage. Mucosal advancement flap was performed in 5 (50%) and fistulotomy in 3 (30%) patients. Another 30% had fistulotomy and continuing sitz bath. Conclusion: Cryptoglandular infection is an important cause of perianal abscesses and fistula-in-ano and if poorly managed results in Fournier's gangrene. Early broad spectrum parenteral antibiotic therapy and primary surgical treatment can prevent Fournier's gangrene.

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Introduction: The dry powdered leaf of Vernonia galamensis (Asteraceae) has been used by traditional herbalists in northern Nigeria to treat diabetes mellitus. However, medicinal plants used in folk medicine have no standard dose or acceptable method of formulation. In this study therefore, the leaves of Vernonia galamensis (Asteraceae) were extracted, evaluated for pharmacological activity and formulated into tablets. Materials and Methods: The extract was found to be highly hygroscopic and deliquescent, therefore the following efflorescent diluents; aerosil® 200 (GmbH, Meggle, Germany), avicel PH 101 (Honey Well and Stein, UK), and anhydrous calcium phosphate (BDH chemicals, England) were used. The wet granulation method was employed for the tablet formulation and the compaction characteristics of the granules were determined using the Heckel equation. Results and Conclusions: Negative intercepts were a setback to the use of the Heckel equation due to the resulting negative values of D A and D B . This makes it difficult to explain the compaction characteristics of the crude extract.