Idowu Aimola

The anti-proliferative effect and down regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor C and toll like receptor-2 by kolaviron on Wuchereria bancrofti infected peripheral blood lymphocytes were investigated. Blood were collected from consenting volunteers in Talata Mafara, Nigeria, between the hours of 10pm to 12am, and microscopically identified for microfilariae. W. bancrofti positive samples were cultured for 72h treated with Doxycycline (2μg/ml) and kolaviron (5μg/ml) in vitro. Mitotic index, expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-c), toll like receptor-2 (TLR-2) were determined using standard procedures. Mitotic index was significantly (P<0.05) reduced in the kolaviron treated group compared to negative control. Kolaviron also significantly (P<0.05) down regulated the expression of VEGF-c and TLR-2 when compared with the untreated group. In both cases, the effects of kolaviron was not significantly different (P<0.05) to that of doxycycline. Furthermo...

Abstract Annona senegalensis Pers (Annonaceae) known as Wild Custard Apple is used locally in the treatment of diabetes in Nigeria. This study was aimed at investigating the inhibitory potential of A. senegalensis leaf extracts and fractions on the activities of some enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) linked to diabetes. Plant samples were extracted with n-hexane (HEX), ethyl cetate (EtOAc) and ethanol (EtOH) and the extracts were subjected to in vitro antidiabetic studies. The most active extract was further fractionated using column chromatography and the fractions obtained were screened for the inhibitory activities whilst the possible bioactive compounds were determined by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GC–MS). From the results, ethanolic extract possessed lowest IC50 values (α-amylase: 204.04 ± 6.38 μg/ml, α-glucosidase: 97.91 ± 2.40 μg/ml) compared to other extracts. The most active fraction (F-fraction) from the ethanolic extract showed lower IC50 values for α-amylase (237.14 ± 31.19 μg/ml) and α-glucosidase (88.25 ± 0.59 μg/ml). The data further showed that F-fraction is a competitive inhibitor (Vmax: 27.03 μmol/min, Km: 0.24%, ki value: 8.46 μg/ml) for α-amylase and non-competitive inhibitor for α-glucosidase (Vmax: 1.10 μmol/min, Km: 3.7 mmol/l, ki value: 1.26 μg/ml). Possible compounds revealed by GC–MS from F-fraction were hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester, 1,3-octadecenal, and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, and bis (2-methylpropyl) ester. Therefore, our present data showed that A. senegalensis showed inhibitory potentials on the activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, attributed to the possible presence of identified compounds.

Current novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of sickle cell anaemia (SCA) focus on increasing foetal haemoglobin (HbF) levels in SCA patients. Unfortunately, the only approved HbF-inducing agent, hydroxyurea, has long-term unpredictable side effects. Studies have shown the potential of plant compounds to modulate HbF synthesis in primary erythroid progenitor stem cells. We isolated a novel HbF-inducing Terminalia catappa distilled water active fraction (TCDWF) from Terminalia catappa leaves that induced the commitment of erythroid progenitor stem cells to the erythroid lineage and relatively higher HbF synthesis of 9.2- and 6.8-fold increases in both erythropoietin (EPO)-independent and EPO-dependent progenitor stem cells respectively. TCDWF was differentially cytotoxic to EPO-dependent and EPO-independent erythroid progenitor stem cell cultures as revealed by lactate dehydrogenase release from the cells. TCDWF demonstrated a protective effect on EPO-dependent and not EPO-independent progenitor cells. TCDWF induced a modest increase in caspase 3 activity in EPO-independent erythroid progenitor stem cell cultures compared with a significantly higher (P˂0.05) caspase 3 activity in EPO-dependent ones. The results demonstrate that TCDWF may hold promising HbF-inducing compounds, which work synergistically, and suggest a dual modulatory effect on erythropoiesis inherent in this active fraction.

Abstract
Background: Millions of people around the world get exposed to high levels of heavy metals in drinking-water.
Therefore, quality control in drinking-water, food industries and detection of heavy metals is an extremely critical
issue in maintaining the human health. Of such heavy metals is arsenic. Water as one of the major ingredient in both
traditional and modern beer fermentation process may/may not be contaminated with arsenic due to poor quality
control. As a result people are exposed to the end product which constituted arsenic compound. Sodium arsenite
and ethanol has been established to be toxic both in vivo and in vitro.
Objective: This study is primarily designed to investigate the effect of co-administration of sodium arsenite and
ethanol in male Wister albino rats.
Methods: Forty five (45) albino rats divided into nine (9) groups of five rats each were administered with distilled
water, 2.5mg and 5mg/kg body weight of sodium arsenite, 3% and 6% (v/v) respectively. Treatment was based on
single and combined administration. Micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes, acetylcholine esterase, Aspartate
Transaminase (AST), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Alanine Transaminase (ALT) and hematological parameters
were determined by standard procedures (Figure 1).
Results: Combined treatment with sodium arsenite and ethanol significantly decreased the number of micro
nucleated polychromatic erythrocytes, AST, ALT and ALP activities as against the single treated groups. However,
there was stabilization of acetylcholine esterase activity in the brain. The hematological parameters level was also
stabilized.
Conclusions: We therefore proposed that the chemical interaction between sodium arsenite and ethanol is
what was responsible for the suppression of sodium arsenite – induced clastogenic, hepatotoxic, anti-acetylcholine
esterase and anemic effects.

The methanolic and aqueous extracts of Aframomum longiscapum seed were
screened for In vitro antioxidant activity based on the reducing power and hydrogen peroxide
scavenging activity assay. Gingerol was identified as the active principles using Gas
Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Non-specifically presence and absence
of tanins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, reducing sugars, anthraquinones,
flavonoids and alkaloids were observed in the extracts by qualitative and quantitative
analysis. The total flavonoids and phenolics were 11.47±1.50mgQE/g of extract and
582.00±38.11mgGAE/g for methanolic, and 13.00±4.24 mgQE/g of extract and
530.00±42.33 mgGAE/g of extract for aqueous extract respectively. The extract exhibited In
vitro antioxidant activity in a concentration dependent manner with the methanolic extract
showing more antioxidant activity than the aqueous extract. Results from this present work
suggest that the plant has antioxidant properties and this indicates the potentials of the
extracts as a source of natural antioxidant or nutraceuticals with potential application to
reduce oxidative stress with potential health benefits.

... Title: Comparative Determination of Antinutritional Factors in Groundnut Oil and Palm Oil. ...Antinutritional factors are substances found in most food substances which are poisonous to humans and ... The lethal level of anti-nutritional factors is 50-60 mg/kg for cyanogenic glycosides ...

Abstract Insect-borne diseases exact a high public health burden and have a devastating impact on livestock and agriculture. To date, control has proved to be exceedingly difficult. One such disease that has plagued sub-Saharan Africa is caused by the protozoan ...

The research was aimed at determining the degree of antinutritional factors in palm oil and groundnut
oil and to know the effect of these factors on the nutritional value of these oils and to know the possible
preventive measures. Antinutritional factors are substances found in most food substances which are poisonous
to humans and in some ways limit the nutrient availability to the body. The groundnut oil and palm oil were
extracted using the soxhlet extraction method. Oxalate and phytate were determined using titration method and
aflatoxin was determined using thin layer chromatography. Tannin, trypsin inhibitor, cyanogenic glycosides,
hemagglutinin and alkaloids were determined using different procedures. The lethal level of anti-nutritional
factors is 50-60 mg/kg for cyanogenic glycosides and phytate and 2.5 g/kg for oxalate and trypsin inhibitor, the
lethal doses of these substances were higher compared to the amount that can be possibly found in a food
substance at a time from the findings of this research work, groundnut oil contains a higher concentration of
the analyzed anti-nutritional factors compared to palm oil.