ABSTRACT Desmodium adscendens is used as prophylaxis in asthma. Earlier work in this laboratory on the scientific basis for the therapeutic action of the plant indicated that both the aqueous and alcoholic extracts were anti-anaphylactic in vitro. Since extracts of the plant are taken orally by asthmatic patients, the present work was carried out to investigate the in vivo effects of both alcoholic and aqueous extracts of D. adscendens on anaphylaxis. The methods used were the contraction of ...
ABSTRACT The major objective of this work was to establish an in vitro assay system for evaluating Ocimum canum, an antidiabetic plants, using insulin release from isolated pancreatic p-islet cells of rats. An in vivo assay was carried out to confirm the previous work by Hogarh (1996) indicating the anti-diabetic activity of 0. canum. The effect of the aqueous extract of fresh leaves of 0. canum on lipid profile of genetically diabetic mice and their lean littermates was also evaluated. In vi...
ABSTRACT Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of chronic liver disease among sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. Disease progression has been implicated with circulating genotypes of HCV. Determination of RNA and genotypes of HCV in sickle cell disease patients may give an indication of their contribution to the observed clinical manifestations and disease progression which will inform appropriate clinical management. Aim: This study sought to identify and characte...
ABSTRACT V Yeast mating type locus gene alpha2 (MATa2), Yeast G protein complementing gene ( YGC1) and minichromosome maintenance gene (M C M 1) have been identified by isolation of plasmids that are able to complement or suppress a gpa1::HIS3 mutation. MATa2 and YGC1 rescue both MATa and M A Ta-gpa1::HIS3 haploid cell types whereas MCM1 complements only MATa gpal::HIS3 cell type. MATa2 is known to be a general repressor and a determinant of both haploid and diploid cell types. MCM1 is known ...
ABSTRACT Background: Haptoglobin (Hp), an acute phase glycoprotein with antioxidant, antiinflammatory and immune-modulatory functions may be an excellent candidate gene to investigate human longevity. Human Hp is polymorphic and these polymorphisms have been associated with different functional capacities of the proteins expressed as a result of their distinct biochemical and biophysical properties. Aim: To determine the possible role of haptoglobin genotypes as genetic markers for longevity....
ABSTRACT Three non-chemical conditions of preservation, storage at room temperature (that is benchtop), in a freezer and at simulated herbarium were examined to determine which is most suitable for the preservation of cowpea leaves for molecular studies. Under each storage condition, the effect of duration of storage and the difference in leaf age (that is flush or mature) on DNA yield and purity were assessed. Periodically, DNA was extracted from both flush and mature leaf samples from 6 cow...
ABSTRACT Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for about 28% of the estimated 9.6 million of all notified tuberculosis (TB) cases in 2014. Due to high incidence of TB caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in developing countries, TB control activities have centered on MTBC to the neglect of non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections. MTBC and NTM infections differ clinically, however, microscopy which is the mainstay of TB diagnosis in Ghana cannot distinguish between them. The inabi...
A B S T R A C T The baseline levels of hepatic microsomal proteins of cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase enzyme complex of two economically important tilapia species, Oreochromis! niloticus and Seratherodon. galilaeus. were measured and compared with the levels of the enzyme in O. niloticus injected with J5-naphthoflavone (fl-NF) a classical inducer of cytochrome P-4501A isozyme, and O. niloticus exposed to effluents from Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL-E). This was done in order to find out if th...
ABSTRACT The toxicities of single antibiotics: ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, sulfathiazole and amoxicillin and their quaternary mixtures in different ratios were examined on three organisms Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Micrococcus luteus all isolated from Nworie River from three different points including the point of effluent discharge of a hospital. Toxicity of antibiotics and mixtures was assessed using inhibition of total dehydrogenase assay method. Result obtained from the s...
ABSTRACT Thonningia sanguinea is one of the herbal preparations vised prophylactieally against asthma at the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine. Preparations of this plant are used with Desmodium adseendens which has been shown to be anti-anaphylactic. The anaphylactic reaction is a basic underlying phenomenon in asthma. In this work, the effects of T. eanguinea preparations were evaluated on some aspects of the disease. The method adopted was experimental anaphylaxis in the ...
ABSTRACT The HIV/AIDS pandemic is still a global health issue despite the many concerted efforts put in by various stakeholders to curtail it. It has become clear however that understanding the epidemiology of the highly variant virus is key in eliminating it. It has been shown that the subtype of infecting HIV-1 plays a crucial role in disease progression among other thing. It is therefore important to continually monitor the circulating HIV-1 subtypes in the population. Equally important, ...
ABSTRACT A total of 1,075 fasting Human Serum and early morning urine samples were assayed for various biochemical parameters. The parameters include: Blood lipids, Total Cholesterol, High Density lipoproteins, Low Density lipoproteins, Vitamin A, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Bicarbonate, Urinary glucose, Protein and Blood. From the results obtained, the calculated phospholipids:cholesterol ratio was less than 1 amongst the hypertensives. This confirmed the work of Stroev and Makarova, 1986; ...
ABSTRACT Animal African Trypanosomiasis (AAT) greatly affects livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ghana prevalence of AAT is estimated to range between 5 – 50%. Studies have reported serum biochemical aberrations and variability in cytokine profiles in animals during infection. However, information regarding the biochemical parameters and cytokine profiles associated with natural infections are limited. This study was therefore aimed at establishing the levels of serum biochemica...
ABSTRACT Mucuna pruriens is one of the many species of Nigerian medicinal plants which have a long history of use as remedies for various ailments such as diabetes mellitus, diarrhea and Parkinson's disease. In most countries, herbal medicines and related products are introduced into the market without any mandatory safety or toxicological evaluation. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the phyto-constituents of ethanol root extract of Mucuna pruriens, as well as to evalua...
ABSTRACT Changes in oxidative stress parameters, lipid profile, atherogenic predictor indices, and anthropometrics of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects attending Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH) Awka, were assessed using standard methods. Demographic data of the T2DM patients were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire.The subjects included willingly consented 60 (30 males and 30 females) T2DM patients and 40 (20 males and 20 females) appar...