Objectives Ethno-botanical surveys uncovered the use of Datura stramonium in the management of mental health abnormalities. Antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like activities of hydroethanol leaf extract of D. stramonium (HLDS) in mice and its possible mechanism of action were investigated in this study. Methods The hole-board test (HBT), open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze test (EPMT), and social interaction test (SIT) were used to investigate the anxiolytic-like activity while forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) were employed for the antidepressant effect. Mice were pre-treated orally with purified water (10 mL/kg), bromazepam (1 mg/kg), fluoxetine (20 mg/kg) and D. stramonium (25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg). One hour post-treatment, mice were subjected to the various tests. Results In HBT, D. stramonium increased the head dips and sectional crossings turnover. D. stramonium increased the number of square crossed and rearings/assisted rearings in OFT. DS increased the time spent in open arms of EPM. In SIT, D. stramonium increased the frequency/duration of interactions. In FST and TST, D. stramonium decreased the duration of immobility which were reversed by doxazosin (α1 adrenoceptor antagonist) and ondasentron (5-HT3 receptor antagonist). Conclusions HLDS has anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like activities through modulation of serotoninergic and adrenergic neurotransmissions.

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Background Antibiotics have been the bedrock of modern medical care, particularly bacterial infections. However, globally, antimicrobial resistance has become a well-recognized public health threat in recent years, and interventions to reduce its burden have been launched worldwide. Objectives The present study evaluated antibiotic utilization in both hospitalized patients and outpatients in a University Hospital in Nigeria. Methods In a 3 year retrospective study between January 2017 and December 2019, 246 case files of patients were selected for the study based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. In addition, the antibiotic consumption rate for hospitalized and outpatients was determined. Results The total antibiotic consumption for hospitalized patients in this study was 260.9 DDD/100 bed-days, while the outpatient department’s patients were 72.3 DDD/1000 inhabitants per day. Peptic ulcer disease was the most frequent indication for antibiotic use for outpatients, with the fluoroquinolones and macrolides being the most prescribed antibiotic class and antibiotic class with the highest DDD, respectively. The most frequent indication for antibiotic use for hospitalized patients was chronic kidney diseases, with the fluoroquinolones and second-generation cephalosporins being the most prescribed antibiotic class and antibiotic class with the highest DDD, respectively. DDD per 100 bed-days and DDD per 1000 patient-days were highest in 2018. The P values for the years were 0.019, 0.195 and 0.001 for 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. Conclusions Our findings revealed irrationality in antibiotic use. Therefore, antimicrobial stewardship programmes should be implemented.

Background & Aims:The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 from its inception created a need for phyloepidemiological approaches to provide unanswered questions regarding the viral emergence and evolvement of various mutated strains. Unfortunately, there is an absolute dearth of information on the evolution of the delta variant strain in Nigeria. This study investigated the phyloepidemiology of the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Nigeria. Materials & Methods:A total of 33 complete genomic sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant (B.1.617.2) from Nigeria, India, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United States of America (USA), Canada, United Kingdom (UK), China, and the reference sequence were retrieved from the GISAID EpiFlu™ on the 11 th of August 2021. The sequences were selected based on the most visited tourist destinations of Nigerians (USA, UK, China, UAE, India, and Canada). The evolutionary history was inferred using the maximum likelihood method based on the general time-reversible model. Finally, a phylogenetic tree was constructed to determine the common ancestor of each sequence. Results:The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the delta strain in Nigeria clustered in a monophyletic clade with other Nigeria strains with its root from the reference Wuhan sublineage. Nucleotide alignment also showed a 99% similarity indicating a common origin of evolution. Conclusion:Our findings revealed that the current outbreak of the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Nigeria stemmed from a genetic mutation that shared a consensus similarity with the reference SARS-CoV-2 human genome from Wuhan and was not imported from other countries as widely reported.