Assessment of the anxiolytic, antidepressant, and antioxidant potential of Parquetina nigrescens (Afzel.) Bullock in Wistar rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The recent growing concerns about the multisystemic nature of mental health conditions in the global population are facilitating a new paradigm involving alternative natural, nutritional, and complementary therapies. Herbal remedies despite accounts in literature of their ethnobotanical as alternative remedies for diverse ailments, remain underexplored for psychiatric disorders like anxiety, depression, and insomnia. AIM OF THE STUDY: Hence, the anxiolytic, antidepressant, and antioxidant properties of a hydro-ethanolic leaf extract of Parquetina nigrescens (PN) in male Wistar rats were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sedative effect was evaluated using the Diazepam sleeping time test while anxiety was induced with a single intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). This was after pre-treatment with 100, 150, and 250 mg/kg of PN or the standard drugs (1 mg/kg diazepam and 30 mg/kg imipramine) for 14 consecutive days. Behavioral tests (Open Field test, Elevated Plus-Maze test, and Forced Swim test) were performed on days 1 and 14, to evaluate the antidepressant and anxiolytic activities of PN. Oxidative stress and neurochemical markers were determined in the brain homogenates of the animals. RESULTS: The duration of sleep was significantly (p < 0.001) increased in the PN-administered group compared to the control. The behavioral models showed that PN exhibited antidepressant and anxiolytic properties in PTZ-induced animals. Significant reductions were observed in GSH level and SOD activity while MDA, nitrite, and GPx levels were significantly increased in PTZ-induced rats. However, treatment with PN significantly improved brain antioxidant status by ameliorating the PTZ-induced oxidative stress. Dopamine, cortisol, and acetylcholine esterase activity levels were significantly (p < 0.05) elevated while serotonin and brain-derived neurotrophic factors were reduced in PTZ-induced rats compared with the control. CONCLUSION: The PN demonstrated neurotransmitter modulatory ability by ameliorating the PTZ-induced neurochemical dysfunction. Findings from this study showed that PN exhibited sedative, antidepressant, and anxiolytic activities in rats.

Comparative effects of combined use of alcohol with cannabis and tobacco on testicular function in rats.

Alcoholism has been linked to problems with male reproductive function. The combined effects of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco were compared in this study. A total of 35 rats were assigned randomly into seven groups A-G: animals in A were administered distilled water. Animals in B-G were either administered alcohol orally (30 ml 40% alcohol) or exposed to smoke from ignited tobacco (exposure to smoke from 0.7 g tobacco for 5 min) or cannabis (exposure to smoke from 0.7 g tobacco and cannabis for 5 min): B (orally administered alcohol), C (exposed to the smoke from tobacco), D (exposed to smoke from cannabis), E (treated with alcohol and exposed to smoke from tobacco), F (treated with alcohol and exposed to smoke from cannabis), G (treated with alcohol and exposed to smokes from tobacco and cannabis). Assays were carried on the testicular homogenate after a 14-day treatment. There was a significant increase in activity of alkaline phosphatase (P ≤ 0.05), concentrations of cholesterol, glutathione reductase, and malondialdehyde in treated rats by the co-administration of alcohol with cannabis and tobacco compared with the control group. The combined treatment also caused degeneration and morphological distortions of testicular cells. The biochemical and histoarchitectural change was due to oxidative damage attributable to the synergistic effects. The high binding energy of tetrahydrocannabinol ligand to prostate acid phosphatase may be a prediction that the ligand can have an inhibitory effect on the function of enzymes in the prostate.

Exopolysaccharides from bacteria and fungi: current status and perspectives in Africa.

Bacterial and fungal exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are extracellular metabolites of living organisms (plants, animals, algae, bacteria and fungi) associated with adaptation, survival and functionalities. The EPSs also afford humans multiple value-adding applications across different spheres of endeavors. The variable chemical and biochemical architecture that characterizes an EPS presets its biological functionality and potential biotechnological benefits. Suffices to say that it is amenable to genetic, biotechnological and biochemical maneuverability for desired bioactivity or application during their production and extraction. EPSs have been shown to have, antioxidant, anti-tumor and antiviral activities; enhance soil aridity and nutritional value of food consumed by humans. Their innocuous domestic and commercial versatility and biotechnological relevance is a reliable confirmation of the recent attention accorded EPSs by the global research community. This is especially with respect to their biosynthesis, composition, production, structure, characterization, sources, functional properties and applications. It is also responsible for the development of newer strategies for their extraction. EPSs' relative prospects, perspectives and orientation in the African context are seldom reported in recognized scientific literature data bases. A random preliminary study showed that EPS applications, biotechnological and research orientations are still developing, and influenced by preponderant vegetation, level of industrialization, political will and culture. Africa is endowed with untapped bioresources (biomaterials), bioproducts and bioequivalents that can mediate several global foods, industrial and technological challenges for which EPS may be a potential remedy.

Environmental fate and effects of granular pesta formulation from strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa C1501 and Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae C1136 on soil activity and weeds.

This work investigated the effect of variably formulated pesta granules containing wild and UV mutated Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae on the rate of CO2 evolution, organic carbon content, enzymatic activity (acidic and alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenases, urease and protease) and representative soil microorganisms in the soils using different assay techniques. After the 35th day period of experiment, the pesta granule formulation BH4 showed the best evolution of CO2 (824 ±â€¯6.2 mg CO2 kg-1 soil hr-1) as against control treatment (689 ±â€¯3.7 mg CO2 kg-1 soil hr-1). Enzymes activities, organic carbon content of 3.8% on the 15th day of study and stable representation of microorganisms that include actinomycetes, fungi, heterogenous as well as soil nitrogen-mediatory bacteria were equally at their maximum level BH4 treatments. The phytotoxic assay showed no inhibitory effect on Solanum lycopersicum seeds and seedlings compared to the observed growth inhibition on the tested weeds (Amaranthus hybridus and Echinocholoa crus-galli) which corresponds with positive control glyphosate treatment. The glyphosate treated soil had the least critical results on parameters investigated during the study. The order of bioherbicidal activity is BH4>BH2>BH6>BH3>BH1>BH5>positive control. Results from this study confirmed the target efficacy of variably formulated pesta granules which is sustainable, cheap, ecologically suitable and recent. This is in addition to recognizing the microbial-derived formulations as characteristically potent alternative to chemical herbicides utility in agrosystems practice. Further study of the underlining factor responsible for the bioherbicidal performances of the variably formulated pesta granules and field trials are critical for their future commercialization.