Amelioration of Aflatoxin B1-induced gastrointestinal injuries by Eucalyptus oil in rats.

Background Eucalyptus oil (EO), derived from Eucalyptus species, possesses vast remedial and healing properties, although its gut health-promoting properties have not been well investigated. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition of a commercial EO formulation and its potential role in protecting against aflatoxin B1 (AfB1)-induced gastrointestinal damage in rats. Methods Male Wistar rats were divided into six groups with eight rats each. Control rats were administered with the vehicle (1% Tween 80) for 14 days, while another group was exposed to two oral doses of AFB1 on days 12 and 14. Two other groups were pre-treated with oral doses of EO (50 and 100 mg/kg b.w.) for 14 consecutive days, along with two oral doses of AfB1 (5 mg/kg b.w.) on days 12 and 14. The remaining two groups were treated with EO alone at the two doses for 14 days. At the end of the experiment, blood samples, stomach and intestinal tissues were collected for measurement of oxidative stress and antioxidant parameters and light microscopic examination. Results Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed Eucalyptol (1, 8-cineole) as the main constituent (67.48%) of the oil. AfB1 administration induced oxidative and inflammatory disturbances, indicated by significantly (p<0.05) increased serum nitric oxide level and myeloperoxidase activity; increased tissue contents of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls, accompanied with corresponding histological alterations. AfB1 also induced significant (p<0.05) reductions in glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Treatment with EO produced significant improvements in the biochemical parameters as well as the appearance of the gastric and intestinal mucosa. EO alone, at the two doses tested did not produce any significant changes in the parameters investigated. Conclusion The findings from this study showed that EO demonstrated protective activity against Aflatoxin-induced toxicity in stomach and intestinal tissues and may thus find application in treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.

Neuroprotection by luteolin and gallic acid against cobalt chloride-induced behavioural, morphological and neurochemical alterations in Wistar rats.

Cobalt (Co) intoxication arising from occupational exposures and ion release from metal implants has been associated with neurological alterations such as cognitive decline, incoordination and depression. The present study evaluated the mechanisms of neuro-protection exerted by Luteolin (Lut; 100 mg/kg) and Gallic acid (GA; 120 mg/kg) in Wistar rats exposed to cobalt chloride (CoCl2) at 150 mg/kg for 7 consecutive days. Results indicate that CoCl2 induced neuro-behavioural deficits specifically by decreasing exploratory activities of CoCl2-exposed rats, increased anxiety, as well as significant reduction in hanging latency. Co-treatment with Lut or GA, however, restored these parameters to values near those of normal controls. Moreover, Lut and GA prevented CoCl2-induced increases in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) in the brain, while also restoring the activities of acetylcholinesterase, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). In addition, Lut and GA produced significant reversal of CoCl2-induced elevation in levels of serum Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß) and Tumor necrosis factor (TNFα). Meanwhile, immunohistochemistry revealed increased astrocytic expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), with intense calbindin (CB) D-28k staining and pronounced dendrites in the Purkinje cells. In contrast, the CoCl2 group was characterized by decreased number of neurons expressing CB and dendritic loss. Taken together, mechanisms of luteolin and/or gallic acid protection against Co toxicity involved restoration of Ca2+ homeostasis, acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant enzyme activities, as well as inhibition of lipid peroxidation in the brain.

Prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis among women with diabetes mellitus in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Background: Diabetes mellitus predisposes to both bacterial and fungal infections, including Candida species. Hitherto, Candida albicans has been identified as the most common opportunistic pathogen among patients with diabetes mellitus. More recently, Non-Candida albicans Candida (NCAC) species are increasingly recognized as the cause of candida infections.Objective: To determine the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) as well as the species of Candida frequently identified among women with diabetes mellitus in Ibadan, Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional study of 213 women diagnosed with diabetes mellitus was carried out in 2010. Direct microscopy and fungal cultures of high vaginal swabs were done using Sabouraud--Dextrose Agar and ChromAgar.Results: The prevalence of VVC among 213 women with diabetic mellitus was 18.8% (40/213). The predominant Candida species isolated were Candida glabrata (30.0%), C. albicans and C. tropicalis (17.5%) each and C. Gulliermondii (15.0%). Diabetic women had higher rates of moderate and heavy growth of Candida density. Twenty-nine (72.5%) patients with candidiasis were symptomatic and the most common symptom was vulval/vaginal itching 48.3% (14/29.Conclusion: This study put the prevalence rate of VVC among women with diabetes mellitus in Ibadan at 18.8%. The most common Candida species isolated was C.glabrata and majority of the patients were symptomatic

Anti-tuberculosis activities of the crude methanolic extract and purified fractions of the bulb of Crinum jagus.

Tuberculosis (TB) is of great public health burden globally especially in developing countries of Africa and Asia . Current TB regimen involves multiple therapies and of long duration leading to poor patient adherence. There is also the challenge of multidrug resistant TB. Hence, there is a need for discovery of new anti- TB drugs. This study was designed to investigate the in -vitro activity of the crude methanolic extract and chromatographic fractions of the bulb of Crinum jagus against Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. The extracts were screened for anti- TB activity against three different M. tuberculosis isolates and a drug susceptible reference strain H37Rv using Lowenstein Jensen (L-J) medium and Middlebrook 7H10agar. The crude extract was prepared using soxhlet extraction apparatus while the purified fractions were obtained by column chromatography. The two media were inoculated with M. tuberculosis strains, after which the crude and purified extracts were added. After 4-6 weeks incubation, colony forming units were counted and percentage inhibition calculated. The crude extract and the purified fractions showed inhibitory activity on all the isolates tested including the reference strain. Fraction 3 showed the highest inhibitory percentage (86%) among the extracts. At a concentration of 1.0mg/ml, the percentage inhibition of fraction 3, rifampicin and isoniazid against M. tuberculosis strain 3 were 83%, 95% and 86% in L-J medium respectively while 86%, 96% and 89% were obtained respectively in Middle brook medium. Results showed that the crude methanolic extract and the purified fractions of the bulb of Crinum jagus exhibited anti-mycobacterial activity which is an indication of promising potential of this plant for the development of anti-tuberculosis agent.

Pulmonary tuberculosis among health care workers at two designated DOTS Centers in urban city of Ibadan, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Tuberculosis (TB) infection control interventions are not routinely implemented in many Sub-Saharan African countries including Nigeria. This study was carried out to ascertain the magnitude of occupationally-acquired pulmonary TB (PTB) among health care workers (HCWs) at two designated DOTS centers in Ibadan, Nigeria. METHODS: One year descriptive study (January-December 2008) was carried out at the University College Hospital and Jericho Chest Hospital, both located in Ibadan, Nigeria. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographic data and other relevant information from the subjects. Three sputum samples were collected from each subject. This was processed using Zeihl-Neelsen (Z-N) stains. One of the sputum was cultured on modified Ogawa egg medium incubated at 37 ° C for six weeks. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was confirmed by repeat Z-N staining and biochemical tests. RESULTS: A total of 271 subjects, 117 (43.2%) males and 154 (56.8%) females were studied. Nine (3.3%) had their sputum positive for acid fast bacilli (AFB) while six (2.2%) were positive for culture. The culture contamination rate was 1.8 per cent. Significantly, all the six culture positive samples were from males while none was obtained from their female counterparts. About half of the AFB positive samples were from subjects who have spent five years in their working units. Eight AFB positive cases were from 21-50 yr age group while students accounted for seven AFB positive cases. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that occupationally-acquired PTB is real in Ibadan. Further studies are needed to ascertain and address the magnitude of the problem.

Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to available antipseudomonal drugs in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been reported to be a leading cause ofnosocomial infections. Resistance of this notorious bacterium to commonly used antimicrobial agents is becoming an increasing clinical problem and a recognized public health threat because there are limited number of antimicrobial agents including the antipseudomonal penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones with reliable activity against it. This study was therefore carried out, using Bauer-Kirby method, to determine the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from in-patients and out-patients attending the University College Hospital, Ibadan in Nigeria between June 2004 and May 2006. The isolation rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in clinical specimens was found to be 16.8% with the highest occurrence of 41.9% in ear swab followed by 39.3% occurrence in wound swab. The susceptibility pattern showed that 78.3% were sensitive to amikacin and 72.0% to ciprofloxacin. The isolates from the in-patients showed higher resistance to all the antibiotics tested than the isolates from the out-patients, most especially amikacin and ciprofloxacin. However, no consistent antibiotic susceptibility pattern could be established for this pathogenic bacterium based on sources. In conclusion, the Pseudomonas aeruginosa species harboured by in-patients showed higher rates of antibiotic resistance than those of the out-patients. Also amikacin and ciprofloxacin were the two antibiotics found to be most potent against this pathogen.