Background: Estimating the changes in the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers are vital in identifying stress related disease in living organism. This study examined changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidase level in female Wistar rats exposed to stressors of different nature were examined. Methods: 88 apparently healthy rats within the ages of 8-12weeks and weighing between 120-180g were utilized for the study. Rats were acclimatized for 2weeks and fed with rat chaw and water ad libitum. Animals were stressed at the rate of 1hr, 3hr or 5hr per day for 1, 2 or 3weeks respectively. After the experimental protocol of stress induction, the rats werekilled via cervical dislocation and some vital organs were carefully harvested for tissue homogenates in assessing SOD, CAT and MDA antioxidants. Data collected were analyzed using Mean±SEM, ANOVA was used to compare means and LSD was used for post hoc. Results: SOD activity of the different tissues examined were significantly (p<0.05) altered irrespective of the stressor applied especially in the restraint or intruder stressors. CAT activity were significantly (p<0.05) reduced in all stressors irrespective of the rate of exposure. The study also revealed that lipid peroxidase levels were significantly (p<0.05) increased in all tissues irrespective of the rate of exposure and type of stressor applied. Conclusions: The findings validate the ability of the stressors to increase production of free radicals, thus, changes in antioxidant enzymes activities and lipid peroxidase level implies compromised cellular activity in tissues of stress-induced rats.

Background and Objective: Infertility and maternal stress studies have become major public health problems in most societies and this has attracted urgent global attention. This study examined the modulatory role of restraint-induced stress and clomiphene citrate (CC) administration on the reproductive programming of Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: A total of 119 healthy Wistar rats weighing between 150-200 g were used and assigned into four major groups. Stress was induced for 1, 2, 4 and 6 hrs daily by exposure of the rats to a restraint plastic chamber for 1 and 2 weeks, respectively. At the end of each experimental protocol, the animals were euthanized by cervical dislocation and serum samples were collected for hormonal assay. The average gestational length, litter size and pup weight were examined. Data were expressed as Mean±SEM and mean differences were analyzed using One-way (ANOVA) and LSD post hoc Test with SPSS 23 at p<0.05 level of significance. Results: These findings showed that restraint stress caused a significant elevation in corticosterone level, while estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone were significantly reduced when compared with control. Gestation length and litter size were also significantly reduced by stress while pup weights were not significantly affected. The CC increased litter size in unstressed rats when compared to litters of stressed rats that were significantly reduced, although, CC was able to increase the litter size of stressed rats towards normal. Conclusion: Evidence indicated that stress alters reproductive potential in female rats and also, reduces the effectiveness of CC in inducing ovulation.

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Food-borne diseases remain a major public health problem across the globe. This challenge is more severe in developing countries because of lack of proper personal hygiene and food safety measures. It is as a result of the intake of food or water contaminated with bacteria and/or their toxins, or with parasites, viruses, or chemicals. One way of avoiding food-borne illness is to practice proper personal hygiene and safe steps in food handling, cooking, and storage. Treatment of food poisoning includes use of antidiarrhoea, anti-emetic and antimicrobial therapy. Electrolyte replacement is also important to ensure dehydration does not occur. This review intends to explore information on the causative agents of food poisoning, as well as how drug therapy could be applied.