Associated gas flaring has several consequences on the environment. This study was aimed at assessing the impact of gas flaring on soil enzymes and plant antioxidant activities from gas flare-bearing communities in Nigeria. Soil and plant samples were obtained from farmlands in Ukwa West and Izombe gas flaring sites, as well as unpolluted site from Olokoro (used as control). The level of activities of soil urease, dehydrogenase, phosphatases, plant antioxidant enzymes and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of selected plants (Gnetum africanum [GA], Piper guineense [PG], Gongronema latifolium [GL], Pterocarpus mildbraedii [PM]) were evaluated using standard methods. The results showed that the activities of urease were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in soil from Ukwa site than Izombe and the control soil. Dehydrogenase (DHA) and phosphatases recorded higher activities (P < 0.05) for Izombe soil than in Ukwa compared with the control. For plants, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) recorded a significant (P < 0.05) higher activities in all the plants assayed from Ukwa site than Izombe and the control site. The activities of GPx from GA and PG plants at Izombe site were not significant (P > 0.05) when compared with the control, except for PM and GL which recorded a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in GPX and SOD activities, respectively. The activities of catalase enzyme also decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in all plants grown at Ukwa, while an increase was seen for GA and PM grown at Izombe compared with control. The overall variability in enzymes activities is an indication that soil ecosystem and plants are altered significantly by the stress load from the gas flaring pollutants which could serve as bio-indicators for assessing ecological risks and bioremediation.

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Background: Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related disease characterized by enlargement of the prostate gland and its associated complications. Objectives: Phytochemicals responsible for hypolipidemic and antioxidants effects of leaf extract of Laportea aestuans in androgen-induced BPH Wistar rats were evaluated. Methods: Thirty (30) male Wistar rats were divided into five groups of 6 rats each. BPH was induced by subcutaneous injection of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol-valerate (10:1) daily for 28 days. The diseased control and drug control groups were given subcutaneous olive oil and oral finasteride (5 mg/kg.bw) respectively after induction of BPH. Rats in the test groups were given 50 and 100 mg/kg.bw of the extract orally for 28 days respectively, following disease induction. The lethal dose LD50 and antioxidants activity of plant extracts, lipid profile and prostate specific antigen (PSA) level of the rats were assayed using standard biochemical tests. Results: Secondary metabolites detected were alkaloids (20.11±0.07 mg/kg), tannins (1.32±0.21), and saponins (11.41±0.14). PSA level was significantly decreased (P<0.05) when compared with the diseased control. The lipid profile assay revealed a significant (P<0.05) reduction in Triacylglycerol (62%), Cholesterol (27%) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) (19%) but high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration increased by 41%. The extracts also improved SOD (26%), catalase (38%) and reduced glutathione (36%) levels but reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) level by 28%. Conclusion: These findings therefore provide a scientific evidence for the traditional use of L. aestuans in the management of complications associated with BPH which could be a function of the various phytochemicals detected in the plant.