-The knowledge of the chemical composition of unpopular sources of edible oils has become paramount to supplement the usage of widely known vegetable oils. In this study, the gas chromatographic quantification of fatty acids and phytochemicals was carried out, and the physicochemical and micronutrient composition of Duranta repens leaf and seed oil were evaluated using standard methods. The leaf oils contained significantly higher (p < 0.05) peroxide, iodine and thiobarbituric acid values, refractive index, and moisture contents, while the saponification value, specific gravity, melting point and pH were significantly higher in the seed oil. The seed oils contained higher Mg, K, Na and vitamin K contents while the leaf oil contained higher Fe, vitamin A and vitamin D contents. The occurrence of the fatty acids were as follows: palmitic > oleic > myristic > stearic > capric > linoleic > lauric > palmitoleic for the seed oil, while for the leaf oil linoleic > palmitoleic > oleic > stearic > palmitic > myristic > capric > lauric > myristoleic. The major phytochemical constituents of the seed oils were catechin (68.12 ug/ml), saponin (44.03 ug/ml), rutin (32.89 ug/ml), linamarin (22.66 ug/ml) and tannins (19.62 ug/ml), while kaempherol (84.05 ug/ml), rutin (62.26 ug/ml) and saponins (45.63 ug/ml) were mostly predominant in the leaf oil. Spartein, anthocyanins and phytates were among the least phytochemicals in composition, for both samples. These chemical properties evaluated, suggest that Duranta repens seed oil is more suitable for industrial and therapeutic purposes.Keywords: fatty acids / micronutrient / phytochemicals / physicochemical / Duranta repens Résumé -Caractérisation des huiles de feuilles et graines de Duranta Repens. La connaissance de la composition chimique des sources d'huiles comestibles peu utilisées est devenue primordiale afin de compléter l'utilisation des huiles végétales plus largement connues. Dans cette étude, la quantification, par chromatographie en phase gazeuse, des acides gras et des composants phytochimiques a été effectuée, et la composition physicochimique et en micronutriments de l'huile de feuilles et de graines de Duranta repens a été évaluée à l'aide de méthodes classiques. Les huiles de feuilles contiennent des valeurs significativement plus élevées (p < 0,05) de peroxyde, d'iode et d'acide thiobarbiturique, tandis que la valeur de saponification, la densité, le point de fusion et le pH étaient significativement plus élevés dans l'huile de graines. Les huiles de graines contiennent des teneurs en Mg, K, Na et vitamine K plus élevées, tandis que l'huile de feuille contenait des teneurs supérieures en Fe, en vitamine A et en vitamine D. La concentration relative en acides gras était la suivante : palmitique > oléique > myristique > stéarique > caprique > linoléique > laurique > palmitoléique pour l'huile de graines, et linoléique > palmitoléique > oléique > sté arique > palmitique > myristique > caprique > laurique > myristoléique pour l'huile foliaire. Les principaux ...

No abstract

Our aim was to establish if the secretion of contactin 1 (CNTN-1), a widely researched pain biomarker correlates with the severity of dysmenorrhea and circulating levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and angiotensin II (ANG-II). This study was a longitudinal randomized clinical study that involved 95 female students between 17–25 years. The control participant group were students who, without medications, had not experienced dysmenorrhea, while the inclusion criteria were primary dysmenorrhea without medications. Data was collected using demographic questionnaires that also contained the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11), while blood samples were collected for analysis of CNTN-1, VCAM-1 and ANG-II by ELISA. The participants' mean BMI's across the four pain strata were between 16.60–38.43 kg/m 2 and in addition to age and menarche, showed no correlation to either the NRS-11 scale (r=−0.01214) or their CNTN-1 levels (r=0.009622). The severe dysmenorrhea group showed statistically higher (p<0.0001) and positive correlation to systolic (r=0.7304) and diastolic (0.6588) blood pressures. The contactin 1 levels (7.00-55.70 ng/mL) increased with higher menstrual pain and as the pain increased, so did the mean VCAM-1 and ANG-II levels (p<0.0001). A positive linear correlation (r=0.9691) was observed between the NRS-11 scale of the participants and their CNTN-1 activities while the CNTN-1 levels positively correlated with their VCAM-1 (r=0.9334) and ANG-II (r=0.8746) secretion. In summary, the severity of dysmenorrheal pain elevates the contactin 1 levels which affects their vascular health and blood pressure.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxic effects associated with the administration of aqueous extracts (AE) of Calliandra portoricensis (CP), Dracaena arborea (DA), Duranta repens (DR), Polytrichum juniperinum (PJ), Parmelia caperata (PC), and Nostartium officinale (NO) on Wistar rats. LD 50 for each plant was obtained prior to administration. Seven groups of six rats each were orally gavaged for 28 days as follows; group 1-7 received normal rat pellets and saline, in addition, group 2 received 20 mg/kg b.w CP, group 3 & 4 respectively received 8 mg/kg b.w DA and DR, group 5 & 6 respectively received 4 mg/ kg b.w PJ and PC, and group 7 received 100 mg/kg b.w NO. Liver enzymes; ALP, ALT, AST and GGT were significantly (p < 0.05) elevated by CP, DR, PJ and PC extracts. All the extracts caused significant alterations of the total protein, albumin and globulin levels. The urea levels were deranged by all the extracts while CP, PJ, PC, and NO extracts caused no significant effects on the creatinine levels. Both DR and NO deranged the serum electrolytes; Na, K, Cl, and HCO 3. Results for the lipid profile showed that all extracts significantly altered the phosphatidate phosphohydrolase and LDL levels while no significant effects were observed in the VLDL, TG, TC, HDL, cardiac risk ratio, arterogenic coefficients, and arterogenic index of plasma, of NO treated rats. For hematological parameters DR, PJ, and PC significantly deranged the RBC, HGB, MCHC, MCV, and MCH concentrations while the neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils were significantly altered on administration of all the extracts. No significant effects were observed on the platelets and plateletcrit level in rats gavaged with CP, whereas the MPV, PDW, and PCT concentrations were deranged by DR extracts. CP and NO caused no alterations in the MDA, GSH, and GST levels whereas the SOD, GPx, and xanthine oxidase levels were significantly deranged by all the plant extracts. Only NO treatment produced catalase, glutathione reductase, and xanthine dehydrogenase levels equivalent to the control group. This study has shown various degrees of deleterious effects on biochemical parameters associated with the consumption of these plants, thus raising serious concerns over their continuous applications as local medicaments.

Effect of caffeine on some selected biochemical parameters using rat model was investigated. Standard methods of analysis were used for the study. A total of sixty (60) rats divided equally into five groups of which one group served as the control, and the rest as test groups were used. The test rats were placed on different concentrations of caffeine for twenty-eight (28) days. Results obtained for the selected biochemical parameters revealed that AST and ALT levels of the liver increased significantly ( < 0.05) in test rats against the control. Creatinine and electrolyte ions of the kidney increased significantly ( < 0.05) in test groups when compared to the control. Haematological indices such as WBC, monocytes, lymphocytes, MCV, MCHC, and MCV levels were significantly altered ( < 0.05) in test rats against those of the control. It therefore becomes imperative for those that consume caffeine with believe that it does more good work than harm to take note of these findings. This study has revealed the effect of caffeine on some selected biochemical parameters using rat model.