Effect of x-ray exposure (mAs) on peroxide and acid values of honey.

Honey is used in most places as food sweetener and antibacterial agent for wounds. The antibacterial property of honey depends mainly on its peroxide value and acidity. This study investigated the possible effect that may be observed on the peroxide value and acidity if honey is exposed to x-ray at varying tube current values (mAs) in order to infer the possible implications of referring patients undergoing honey therapy for diagnostic x-ray examination. The acid and peroxide values were found to vary with changes in the exposure (mAs) value. It is therefore recommended that patients undergoing honey therapy should be referred for diagnostic x-ray examination with caution while radiotherapy should be avoided.

Radiation exposure levels within timber industries in Calabar, Nigeria.

The UNSCEAR (2000) observed that there could be some exposure at work which would require regulatory control but is not really considered. This study was, therefore, set up to evaluate the effective dose in timber industries in Calabar, Nigeria to determine if the evaluated dose levels could lead to any radiological health effect in the workers, and also determine if the industries require regulatory control. The gamma ray exposure at four timber industries measured using an exposure meter were converted to effective dose and compared with the public and occupational values. The evaluated effective dose values in the timber industries were below public and occupational exposure limits and may not necessarily result in any radiological health hazard. Therefore, they may not require regulatory control.

Effect of aqueous leaf extract of Irvingia gabonensis on gastrointestinal tract in rodents.

Effect of the aqueous leaf extract of I. gabonensis on the gastrointestinal tract was investigated on isolated rabbit jejunum, guinea pig ileum, gastrointestinal motility, castor oil-induced diarrhoea in mice and castor oil-induced fluid accumulation in rats. The results showed that the extract exhibited a concentration-dependent relaxation of spontaneous pendular movement of isolated rabbit jejunum and guinea pig ileum, and attenuated both acetylcholine-induced contraction of rabbit jejunum and histamine-induced contraction of guinea pig ileum. The extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) also caused a significant dose-dependent decrease of gastrointestinal motility in mice (40.12, 39.45 and 37.45%), intestinal fluid accumulation in rats (71.43, 81.63 and 83.27%), and remarkably protected mice against castor oil-induced diarrhoea [58.33, 75 and 91.67% (Di Carlo score)] respectively. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the aqueous leaf extract of I. gabonensis revealed the presence of saponins, tannins, phenols and phlobatanins.