Coccidiosis is a disease of economic importance in poultry causing morbidity and mortality. Reports show that Azadirachta indica and Khaya senegalensis have been used individually in the treatment of avian coccidiosis. We thus investigated the efficacy and safety of the combined aqueous extracts of these plants for the treatment of experimentally induced coccidiosis in broiler chickens using oocyst count, oxidative stress biomarkers, serum biochemistry, histology, and haematological parameters. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, and steroids in both extracts. In addition, alkaloids and flavonoids were present in Azadirachta indica. There was significant (p < 0.05) dose dependent decrease in oocyst count across the treatment groups with 400 mg/kg of the combined extract being the most efficacious dose. Immunomodulatory and erythropoietic activity was observed. There were decreased intestinal lesions and enhanced antioxidant activity across the treatment groups compared to the negative control. Administration of the combined extract did not cause damage to the liver as ALT, AST, and ALP levels were significantly reduced in the uninfected chickens treated with the extracts compared to control suggesting safety at the doses used. The combined aqueous extracts of K. senegalensis stem bark and Azadirachta indica leaves were ameliorative in chickens infected with coccidiosis.

Background: Most blood transfusion centres in Nigeria including the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, Abuja use rapid test kit for screening blood donors. Though it is simple, robust with speedy results, it has some limitations. This cross-sectional study determined the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies by the currently used rapid detection assay among blood donors tested positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and described the HCV risk factors and socio-demographic characters among the blood donor participants. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 365 blood donors attending UATH blood bank, screened for HCV antibodies using ELISA kit (CTK Biotech, USA). Positive samples were retested using Aria rapid test kit. Structured questionnaires were used to collate subjects' socio-demographic data and risk factors of infection. Results: Out of 365 blood donors tested, 55 (15.1%) were positive for HCV antibodies. Of the 55 ELISA positive samples, 9(16.4%) samples were negative by Aria rapid test kit. Sociodemographic data showed that females had a higher prevalence (16.3%) than males (14.9%) (p= 0.81). The age group with the highest rate of infection was 31-45 years (p<0.0001). Marital status of the blood donors was significantly associated with HCV seropositivity, as singles were more infected than married blood donors (p<0.0001). The most predictive risk factors associated with the HCV infection among blood donors at UATH included lack of knowledge of HCV, sharp and needle injury and tribal marks. Conclusion/Recommendations: The study revealed the superiority of ELISA over Aria rapid test kit in the detection of HCV antibodies. The missed positive cases by the currently used rapid test could pose a risk to blood transfusion safety and necessitates for preventive measures to be intensified, as blood donors with high risk factors be deferred from blood donation to reduce HCV transfusion risk in Nigeria.

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Aims: This study presents baseline data on the In-vitro and In-vivo evaluation of anti-trypanosomal activity of Carica papaya seed extracts and fractions in Albino Wister rats. Study Design: Mention the design of the study here. Place and Duration of Study Sample: Department of Biochemistry, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, between June 2009 and July 2010. Methodology: 56 Wister rats of both sexes were randomly divided into 8 groups (I – VIII) of 7 rats each were used for this study. Four concentrations (100, 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg) of different extracts of seed carica papaya were screened for trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma brucei In vitro and In vivo. The effect of the extracts was evaluated for trypanocidal activity in rats infected and not infected with the parasite. Administration of the extract and the drugs was orally daily for 5 consecutive days from day 7 of post infection. Level of parasitemia and body weight was taken daily for 21 days. Results: The extracts inhibited parasite motility and totally eliminated the organisms at the concentrations used In vitro. The extract also showed promising in vivo trypanocidal activity. The observed In vitro and In vivo trypanocidal activities may be due to the presence of bioactive compounds present in the extracts as seen in this study. The extract also improved the observed decreases in haematological parameters of the treated rats, which may be due to their ability to decrease parasite load. The LD50 was estimated to be ≥2,000 mg/Kg (v/v) for acute oral toxicity test (because all the rats survived at the end of the 14-day observation period). This is an indication of very low toxicity, implying that the extract could be administered with some degree of safety. A significant decreased (p<0.05) were observed in weight of rats at 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg 400 mg/kg 800 mg/kg negative control and prophylactic at four to eight days of infections, while significantly increased (p<0.05) were observed in weight of rats for berenil control and normal control. Conclusion: The decrease in weight of rats could be as a result of loss of appetite due to severe fever and also the trypanosome.