ABSTRACT The use of starches as natural polymers for pharmaceutical applications remains attractive because they are cheap, readily available, biodegradable and capable of modification (Lawal et al., 2007; Yiu et al., 2008; Okunlola et al., 2010). Native starch is a white powder with a bland taste and flavor, and is insoluble in cold water. Due to the sub-optimal properties of native starches, modifications are efficient methods of improving their suitability as excipients for specific pharma...
ABSTRACT Serological and bacteriological studies were carried out to determine the prevalence of brucellosis among cattle in Benue State, Nigeria; and to determine the level of contamination of fresh bulk herd and fermented milk sold to the public for consumption; as well as detect and characterize the causative agent of bovine brucellosis in the area; and to evaluate a new diagnostic test for brucellosis, the Brucella Lateral Flow Assay (the rapid field test). Serum samples obtained from ca...
ABSTRACT Infectious bursal disease (IBD) causes high morbidity and high mortality among 3 – 6 weeks old chicks. Its occurrence even in vaccinated flocks is a global concern. Passive haemagglutination (PHA) test, a simple and rapid test has been adopted for IBD antibodies but its use for viral titres has not been reported. To modify the test for assessment of viral titres, serial dilutions of a reference IBDV sample were used to sensitize human group O+ red blood cells (RBC) before reacting...
Abstract This study evaluated the anti-diabetic and antioxidant potential of methanolic extract of Helianthus annuus L. leaves in alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rats. Fresh leaves of the plant were collected from their local habitat in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka environment. The extract was prepared by cold maceration using 80 % methanol at environmental temperature with intermittent sharing for 48 h to obtain a yield of 10.04 % w/w dry Helianthus annuus extract (HAE). The extract was t...
Background. Neglected tropical diseases continue to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the developing world. Psychiatric patients are among groups at risk for parasitic infection although control and monitoring programs largely overlook this population. This study aimed at determining prevalence and factors associated with intestinal parasitic infection among patients admitted to a psychiatric facility. Method. The study followed cross-sectional design; all the residin...
ABSTRACT Effect of Aluminium – Magnesium Silicate (AMS) on Avian Influenza Virus was tested in vitro by incubating an isolate of a highly pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) involved in an outbreak of the disease in Nigeria, with a synthetic AMS. The isolate was a confirmed Influenza virus type A, subtype H5N1. Equal amount of the Virus sample and of the AMS, on volume to weight (v/w) basis, were incubated at room temperature for one hour and then centrifuged at 3000 revolutions per m...
ABSTRACT This study investigated the effects of a combination of arthemether and diminazene aceturate therapy on experimental Trypanosoma brucei infection in albino rats. Thirty five male albino rats were used for the study. They were randomly assigned to seven groups of five rats each, after acclimatization. The groupings and their specific treatments were as follows: Group A- infected and treated with diminazene aceturate (DA) at the dose of 7.0 mg/kg body weight (bw) once on day 7 post-in...
ABSTRACT Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are preventable complications following surgery cause significant burden in terms of patient morbidity, mortality and increased cost of treatment. Very few studies have been published on the efficacy of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis in the prevention of SSIs in our country and the practice is mostly not well established in our hospitals including DRRH. Objective: To determine association between surgical antibiotic prophylaxis practices...
ABSTRACT Background: Raising awareness of women about obstetric danger signs would improve the early detection of problems and seeking timely obstetric care. This study aimed to determine the association between antenatal attendance and knowledge on obstetric danger signs among postnatal mothers in Zanzibar. Method: It was a community-based cross-section study. A multistage sampling technique was used to select study participants that were postnatal mothers from day 0 up to 42 days. Sample ...
ABSTRACT Background: Client satisfaction is an essential determinant of the quality of services. At a time when efforts to reduce maternal mortality have been stepped up, mother’s satisfaction with institutional delivery services is important for the wellbeing of the mothers and newborns. Little was known on the factors associated with postnatal mothers’ satisfaction with institutional delivery services in Manyara Region. Methodology: A hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study de...
ABSTRACT A mathematical model describing the dynamics of Nitrogen transformation and removal in a maturation Waste Stabilization Pond (MWSP) system receiving industrial wastewater was developed. Simulation of the processes was done using STELLA 8_1®, based on the principle of conservation of mass. Besides, measurement of different parameters input to the model was made. Model simulation and mass balance analysis results show that nitrification was responsible for the majority of nitrogen tr...
ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of planes of nutrition on body weight, haematology and immune responses in broiler chickens vaccinated with NDV I-2 and Lasota vaccines. Two hundred (200) day old broiler chicks of Anak 2000 strain were used for the study. They were randomly assigned into nine groups of 20 birds each. Three feed types (A, B, C) were compounded for the study. Proximate analyses of the feeds were carried out. The groupings are A1 (feed A + ...
ABSTRACT Background: Health belief theory was developed to assess health behavior of individual through examination of perceptions someone may have towards disease and negative outcomes of certain actions. In relation to vaccine uptake, the theory explains why caregivers reject or accept child disease prevention intervention. Methods: Across sectional study design community based was conducted. Purposively sampling method was used to select region and District based on low uptake of Pneumo...
Abstract The effects of varied oral doses of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy on the thyroid glands, haematology, serum chemistry and sperm count were evaluated in Nigerian local dogs. Twenty adult male dogs weighing between 4.5-10 kg were used for the study. The dogs were housed in metal cages in the Animal house of Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The dogs were acclimatized for three weeks during which period they were vaccinated agai...
ABSTRACT Fifteen female grasscutters, obtained from David Mark Farms, Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria, were used for the study. They were randomly assigned to 3 groups of 5 each according to their ages; 1-3 months, 4-6 months and 7-9 months. They were acclimatized for 14 days. The live weights of the grasscutters were obtained. They were then euthanized with gaseous chloroform in an air-tight container. The female reproductive system (ovaries, uterine tubes, uterine horns, uterus duplex, cervi...