No abstract

Citrullus lanatus (Watermelon) is a fruit cultivated and consumed in Africa for its essential nutrients which are very beneficial to the human body. The present study was designed to evaluate the nutritive contents, free radical scavenging activities and phytochemical components of C. lanatus fruit. The extract of the fruit was subjected to in vitro antioxidant assessment using 1,1-diphenylpicryl-hydrazyl radical (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging assays. The proximate and phytochemical analyses were conducted using standard procedures. The results of this study showed that C. lanatus fruit had very high moisture content and its crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre and ash content were all in traceable amounts. The sugar content was considerably high in comparison with other nutritive contents. Lycopene and β-carotene contents of C. lanatusfruit were estimated to be 4537.83 and 308.71 µg/100g respectively. The gross energy evaluation showed a value of 0.335 Kcal/g. The fruit extract exhibited significant (p < 0.05) DPPH (IC50 of 0.10 mg/ml) and hydrogen peroxide radicals scavenging activity (IC50 of 0.62 mg/ml) in comparison with the positive control butylated hydroxytoluene (BTH). This study therefore recommends that C. lanatus fruit could be an excellent source of antioxidants which may prevent diseases whose pathogenesis involves oxidative stress.

Launaea taraxacifolia and Amaranthus viridis used by people of Western Africa in the treatment of malaria and related symptoms were assessed for their antiplasmodial value against the chloroquine sensitive strain of Plasmodium berghei. Crude extracts (200 mg/kg) and chloroquine (5 mg/kg) were administered to different groups of Swiss mice. The percentage of parasitemia, survival time, and haematological parameters were determined. Both extracts significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited parasitemia and improved survival time in infected mice. The crude extracts prevented loss of some haematological parameters. A. viridis had a distinct effect on the packed cell volume. The extract was able to protect the liver from some of the damage. This study however showed that the methanolic extracts of A. viridis and L. taraxacifolia possess antiplasmodial activity. The results of this study can be used as a basis for further phytochemical investigations in the search for new and locally affordable antimalarial agents.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of tramadol administration on some haematological and biochemical indices in rats. Tramadol was administered orally to rats for 28 days at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight/day, 50 mg/kg body weight/day and 100 mg/kg body weight/day. Twenty-four hours after the last tramadol, blood, liver and kidney were removed from the animals after an overnight fast and analysed for their haematological and biochemical parameters. Results obtained revealed that tramadol administration significantly reduced the levels of white blood cells (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), haemoglobin and platelet count (PLT) while its resulted in non-significant changes in other haematological parameters examined when compared with control rats. Tramadol intake significantly increased plasma levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine and urea while its reduced total protein levels. Hepatic and renal thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels were significantly increased by tramadol administration while levels of endogenous antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and reduced glutathione (GSH) were reduced. This study confirmed the risk of increased oxidative stress, hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity due to tramadol administration. Although tramadol is reported to be effective in pain management, its toxicity should be kept in mind.

Objective:Materials and This study was aimed to investigate . whether levofloxacin perturb lipid metabolism methods:7.14 mg/kg body weight) of levofloxacin was administered intraperitoneally 12 hourly to Therapeutic dose ( rats for 5 and 10 days. Twenty-four hours after the last levofloxacin treatment and 7 days after levofloxacin withdrawal (for a group of rats), blood and other tissues (liver, kidney, brain, heart, lung and spleen) were removed from the animals after an overnight fast and analysed for their lipid contents.Levofloxacin administration resulted in Results: dyslipidemia in different compartments investigated.characterised Plasma and erythrocyte dyslipidemia were by increased concentrations of phospholipid, free fatty acids (FFA) and depletion of cholesterol. It also resulted in kidney and heart cholesterogenesis, while spleen and lung cholesterol were reduced. Liver cholesterol was unaffected. Administration of the drug equally produced phospholipidosis in the kidney, lung and liver while brain and heart phospholipids decreased. Lipoprotein abnormalities were reflected as up-regulation of HDL triglyceride and phospholipid as well as down-regulation of VLDL-LDL cholesterol and phospholipid. Hypertriglyceremia was the hallmark of dyslipidemia in the plasma, kidney, lung and brain while in the heart and erythrocyte triglyceride level was decreased.The distortion observed in the lipid profile in most of the compartments of the animals studied, Conclusion: suggest that induction of dyslipidemia might represent additional adverse effects of levofloxacin.