This study investigated the effect of malaria parasitaemia on Plasmodium falciparum infected human erythrocytes oxidative stress biomarkers and haemoglobin levels. Seventy (70) human subjects of fifty (50) P. falciparum positive and twenty (20) control subjects between the ages of 10-60 years were selected for this study. Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and microscopy were used to identify P. falciparum. The samples were matched based on age, sex and level of parasitaemia. Samples of blood were collected for the determination of P. falciparum, level of parasitaemia, anti-oxidant assay and haemoglobin levels; to assess the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), total protein (PRO), reduced glutathione (GSH), haemoglobin and Parasite density. Haemoglobin level was determined using a Coulter A-T Pierce haematology analyzer (Beckman Coulter, Inc. Fullerton, CA, USA). This study showed that the mean level of PRO, CAT, MDA and SOD was significantly higher among the P. falciparum positive patients to those in the control while GPx level was lower, also, the mean level of HGB was significantly lower in the P. falciparum positive patients to those in the control. MDA, SOD, GSH and PRO level were higher among age group (10-20) in the P. falciparum infected patients and lower in the control subjects when compared to other age groups. MDA, SOD and PRO level were higher in the males than the females in both the malaria positive and controls. This study indicates that high parasitaemic patients are at greater risk of anaemia and oxidative stress compared to low parasitaemic ones.

Increasing emergence of resistance to antibiotics by pathogenic microorganisms worldwide necessitates the need for finding new antimicrobial agents with minimal resistance and side effects. This study was carried out to investigate the phytochemical content and antimicrobial activities of two ethno-medicinal plants namely: Cymbopogon citratus and Ximenia Americana. Methanol and aqueous were used as solvent for a soxhlet and aqueous percolation extraction techniques to obtain the crude extracts of the named plant parts. Tannins, steroids, reducing sugars, tritapenoids and Flavonoids were found present in these plant extracts. GC-MS analysis done in this study indicates the presence of some basic phenolic compounds, such as; Cyclohexane-1-3,5-trione & 2-phenyl-1,4-benzopyrone, in the C. citratus extract and methyl guanidine & 3-meyhylheptyl acetate in the X. americana extract, which have been attributed with numerous antimicrobial effects onmicrobial pathogens. Using an agar well diffusion bioassay technique the C. citratus extracts shows; both the extracts are active against E. coli and P. aeroginosa. While X. americana extracts shows a higher activity against C. albican. However the MIC/MBC/MFC of all the extracts shows that known of the extracts has an active viability below 12.5µg/ml.

The present study was carried to determine the changes in haematological parameters in P. falciparum infected patients in Ajeromi Ifelodun area of Lagos, Nigeria. Seventy (70) human subjects comprising of 50 P. falciparum malarial infected and 20 non-infected (control) subjects between 10-60 years were selected for this study. RDT test and microscopy were carried out to ascertain the presence of P. falciparum. They were grouped based on age criteria and level of parasitaemia. This work was carried out in the Department of Biochemistry, Nigeria Institute for Medical Research Laboratory, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria between August 2016 and January 2017. Blood samples were collected for the determination of P. falciparum, level of parasitaemia and haematological parameters. Haematological parameters were determined using a Coulter A-T Pierce haematology analyzer (Beckman Coulter, Inc. Fullerton, CA, USA), P. falciparum was determined by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and Microscopy. There was a significant increase in the mean level of total white blood cells (WBC) and red blood cells distribution width (RDW), and a significant decrease in the mean level of haematocrit (HCT), haemoglobin (HGB), red blood cells (RBC), and platelets (PLT) in the malaria infected patients than in the controls (p<0.05). There was also a higher malaria parasite density among malaria infected patients for ages above 20 and a lower malaria parasite density for ages below 20 in this study. The findings of this study show that infection with P. falciparum produces changes in haematological parameters in those infected and tested positive for malaria. The most commonly affected parameters are haemoglobin, haematocrit, white blood cells and platelet count.

Cellulase is one of the most economically important enzyme, which aids in catalyzing cellulolysis, the decomposition of cellulose and other related polysaccharides. So the demand/importance of this enzyme in both domestic and commercial sectors cannot be over emphasized. In this research cellulase-producing bacteria were isolated from soil around sugarcane waste dumping area, which was identified to be P. fulorescens after numerous biochemical and microbiological analysis. The bacteria were then grown and used to ferment certain biomass, with the aim of using the organisms to produce the cellulase enzyme. The total protein/cellulase enzyme activity of the medium was ascertained. Optimization/characterization for maximum cellulase activity was done by varying the temperature, pH, enzyme concentration and substrate concentration, in which the optimum condition for cellulase production was ascertain to be at a temperature and pH of 40˚C and pH 7 respectively. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis was carried out to determine and reconfirm the presence and molecular weight of the isolated enzyme. The estimated extrapolated molecular weight of the enzyme was found to be 13.5KDa.

Issues related to snakebite has for long been of high economic and medical importance. Management and treatment of snake envenomation has always been an issue, especially in remote areas, where anti-snake venom and facilities for its storage are not available, coupled with the high specificity and instability of anti-venom. Venom enzymes are usually responsible for almost all the activity of snake venom after bite. This research was aimed at evaluation and characterization of Hyaluronidase and Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) Enzymes of Echis ocellatus and Naja nigricollis snake venoms. Isolation and purification of these enzymes were done using a two-step process which included gel filtration on Sephadex G-75, active fractions were applied to ion–exchange chromatography on DEAE (Diethylaminoethyl) cellulose. Individual active fractions of each venom, were then subjected to SDS–PAGE for molecular weight extrapolation. Enzyme characterization was done on the two isolated enzymes for the two snake venom used. N. nigricollis enzymes were revealed to have an optimum temperature of 35 oC and 55oC, while that of E. ocellatus had 37 oC and 40oC, with a pH of 3.5 and 8.0 for both the venom enzymes. Velocity kinetics carried out shows that N. nigricollis PLA2 has the highest Vmax value of 30.567mg/min, while E. ocellatus PLA2 however has the highest Km value of 4.5378mg/ml. Purification and characterization done in this research has revealed/confirmed that these venoms contains Hyaluronidase and PLA2 enzymes, giving a better perception on this enzymes which will aids in the management and treatment of snake envenomation from these snakes.