Thirty days oral Aframomum melegueta extract elicited analgesic effect but influenced cytochrome p4501BI, cardiac troponin T, testicular alfa-fetoprotein and other biomarkers in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Pain is the commonest symptom of a disease and the percentage of persons manifesting one form of pain is growing globally. Aframomum melegueta (AM) is commonly used by traditional doctors as medication for many ailments such as body pains and rheumatism because it possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, antiviral, anti-ageing and anti-tumour phytochemical agents. AIM OF THE STUDY: Traditionally a botanical remedy in the management of pain was assessed. A common tropical plant Aframomum melegueta (AM) was evaluated for the amelioration of pain. For further pharmacologic understanding sensitive marker were used to assess the effect of the extract on the organ as a multifaceted approach to the evaluation of safety and analgesic efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Sensitive biomarkers such as troponin-T (CTnT), cardiac troponin-I (CTnI), interleukin-beta (IL-ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-α) were evaluated using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method and electrocardiographic parameters were also evaluated. The dynamics of concentrations of the various subfamilies of cytochrome were also assessed using ELISA in the evaluation of thirty-day oral AM, while histopathological changes of organs were also observed. RESULTS: Thirty-day oral AM doses 40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg showed analgesic potential but influenced IL-6 level, IL-1ß, TNF-α and P-LCR. Electrocardiographic parameters showed the extract had arrhythmogenic effects the other cardiac parameters influenced was CTnT. The testicular alfa-fetoprotein and prostate specific antigen were also influenced. There were also some histopathological changes. CONCLUSIONS: The extract showed analgesic, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory potential with possible adverse effects consistent with testicular and prostate cancers, cardiovascular complication, hepatic congestion and cholestasis.

Evaluation of the leprosy control programme surveillance system in Kwara State, Nigeria, 2010 - 2014

Objective:Leprosy is a chronic, infectious disease complicated with blindness and loss of fingers/toes in some cases. Though the disease is targeted for eradication in Nigeria, the country had the 6th highest prevalence globally in 2013. This study was conducted to evaluate the leprosy surveillance system in Kwara State, assessing its operations, attributes and determining its usefulness.Method:The 2001 updated guidelines for evaluating public health systems of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was used. Key informant interviews were done with the State Tuberculosis and Leprosy (TBL) Control Officer, and the State Epidemiologists to assess the importance of the public health, purpose and operation of the surveillance system, resources used to operate it as well as the attributes of the system. Questionnaires were administered to Local Government Area TBL supervisors to assess the attributes of the surveillance system. Surveillance data from 2010 to 2014 was analyzed and data quality determined.Results:Incidence of leprosy over the five year period 2010 – 2014 was 62.0%, 59.0%, 54.0%, 67.0%, and 42.0% respectively, with occurrence of the multi-bacillary type in 83.1% to 90.7% newly detected cases. The system was found to be 51.0% sensitive(most hospitals do not have treatment forms for health workers use, community awareness programmes was done in 53.0% of local government areas in last 3 months, contact tracing was however always done), 90.0% simple, 93.0% acceptable and 95.0% timely. Data system was both paper and electronics, based on collection, collation, analysis and reporting done quarterly in a year. The surveillance system is donor-driven and fully integrated with that of tuberculosis and buruli ulcer. Annual surveillance expenditure was about $2 500.Conclusion:Kwara State Leprosy Surveillance System has a low sensitivity with delayed case detection. Training of health workers on early case detection, provision of treatment forms and more community awareness will improve the surveillance system’s sensitivity.