Summaryobjective To determine the prevalence of iodine deficiency in children in Eastern Province, Cameroon. method Urinary iodine (I) and thiocyanate (SCN) excretion levels were assessed in 158 children (62 boys and 96 girls) aged 7-19 years.results Mean urinary iodine excretion was 4.49 lg ⁄ dl for girls and 4.71 lg ⁄ dl for boys, lower than the 5.0 lg ⁄ dl minimal value defined by WHO. Overall 64.42% of subjects had urinary iodine excretion below the minimum, more than three times the population percentage (20%) at which a zone is declared endemic. Mean urine SCN concentration and mean I ⁄ SCN ratios of the study population were 2.57 ± 1.43 mg ⁄ dl and 2.21 ± 1.35 lg ⁄ mg for boys and 2.91 ± 1.57 mg ⁄ dl and 1.91 ± 1.1lg ⁄ mg for girls.

Background Diabetes is widely recognized as associated with several structural and functional liver, kidney, and heart abnormalities. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of peel extracts of Irvingia wombolu against diabetes complications. Methods Diabetes was induced by intravenous administration of streptozotocin (STZ) (50 mg/kg) through the right jugular vein on rats and animals with blood glucose values of at least 250 mg/dl received orally aqueous extract of peel (AEP), hydroethanolic extract of peel (HEP), tolbutamide and DMSO 10%. Their effects on the concentration of blood glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, malondialdehyde (MDA) and activities of catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in diabetic and normal rats were investigated using standard methods. Results Twenty-one days of treatment with AEP and HEP at a dose of 400 mg/kg significantly (P < 0,05) reduced the fasting blood glucose to a point of reaching normal value. The antihyperlipidemic assessment of extracts revealed a significant (P < 0,05) decrease in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL levels, and a significant (P < 0,05) increase in HDL level in the plasma of treated diabetic rats. Furthermore, plasma biomarkers of liver and kidney dysfunction were significantly reduced in treated diabetic rats. We also observed increased activities of catalase, SOD, and reduced glutathione in diabetic treated rats. Conclusion The present findings suggest that AEP and HEP have a protective effect on liver, kidney, and heart in experimental diabetic rats which can be beneficial in the management of diabetes and its complications.