Background: In the Mount Cameroon area, maternal anemia remains a major public health concern. We hypothesized that nutrient inadequacy may account for the level of anemia in pregnancy. Thus, this study examined the relative effect of dietary diversity on maternal anemia in the study area.Methods: A total of 1,014 consenting pregnant women were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Information on socio-demographic, antenatal characteristics, malaria and anemia control measures were documented. Dietary diversity (DD) was evaluated using the 24-h recall method and hemoglobin (Hb) levels (g/dl) measured using a portable Hb meter. Malaria parasitaemia was diagnosed by blood microscopy. Anemia status was trimester specific. Logistic regression analysis was used determine predictors of maternal anemia.Results: Among the pregnant women enrolled, the mean DD score was 3.5±0.8 SD and only 10.4% had adequate dietary diversity. Anemia prevalence was 40.9%. Majority of the women consumed starchy staples (99.3%) while least consumed foods were dairy (4.5%), eggs (8.3%), fruits and vegetable (vitamin A-rich) (8.6%). A significant lower prevalence of anemia was associated with intake of dairy (P < 0.001), animal protein (P = 0.006), vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables (P < 0.001). Furthermore, mean Hb levels were higher (P < 0.001) among women with diverse diets (12.39 ± 1.34) than in those with less diverse diets (10.85 ± 1.33). Predictors of anemia were as follows: study setting [Odd Ratio (OR) = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.07-1.94], occupation (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.16-3.43), number of clinic visits (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.27-2.91), trimester of pregnancy (OR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.45-7.38), malaria parasitaemia (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.33-2.68), out of home eating (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.03-2.13), and DD (OR = 9.8, 95% CI: 4.56-20.80). The attributable risk of anemia due to dietary diversity was 82.9%.Conclusion: In the study area, DD is a major risk factor for maternal anemia. This finding underscores the importance of content specific nutrition education during clinic visits to improve intake of protein and iron-rich food in anemia prevention.

It is known that the pathogenicity of Plasmodium induces the breakdown of haemoglobin, which leads to the induction of oxidative stress. This study aimed to identify the possible effects of oxidative stress and antioxidant defence systems in symptomatic and asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in children (1 -15 years old) in the Mount Cameroon vicinity. This cross-sectional study involved blood samples collected from 473 children and examined for malaria parasitaemia. Full blood counts were performed using an automated haemoanalyser. Serum oxidative stress status (malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and vitamin C (Vit C)) were each determined by colorimetric enzymatic assays. The prevalence of malaria parasite infection was 32.1% among the participants. Out of that, 62.5% of patients with parasitaemia were symptomatic. Anaemia prevalence increased significantly with parasite density. MDA levels were significantly higher in patients with malaria symptoms than in those without symptoms. A significant and positive correlation was detected between MDA (r = 0.831, P < 0.05), NO (r = 0.779, P < 0.05), and malaria parasite density while, a significant and negative relationship occurred between parasite density and GSH (r = −0.763, P < 0.05

Chrysanthellum americanum (L.) Vatke is a medicinal plant used by the traditional healers to treat epilepsy and associated memory impairment. This work aims at evaluating the anticonvulsant effects of Chrysanthellum americanum aqueous extract in mice pilocarpine model of epilepsy and associated memory loss. Mice were administered orally Chrysanthellum americanum aqueous extract (27.69, 69.22, 138.45, 276.9 mg/kg, prepared from the whole part) for test groups, intraperitoneally 300 mg/kg sodium valproate for the positive control group or orally 10 mL/kg distilled water for the negative control group, respectively, during a period of seven consecutive days. On the first day, temporal lobe epilepsy was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 360 mg/kg pilocarpine one hour after the administration of different treatment to mice, and the occurrence of status epilepticus was evaluated. On the second day, the anticonvulsant property was measured after the intraperitoneal injection of a sub-convulsive dose of picrotoxin (1 mg/kg). On the seventh day, the anti-amnesic properties of the extract were evaluated in the epileptic mice using the T-maze and open field paradigms. The results show that Chrysanthellum americanum extract significantly (p < 0.01) increased the latency to clonic and generalized clonic-tonic convulsions, and decreased the number and duration of seizures. The plant extract induced a significant

No abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Traditionally, Mimosa pudica Linn. (Fabaceae) is used for its anti-inflammatory, sedative, anxiolytic, antioxidant and antifatigue properties. Aim: To determine the antifatigue effects of Mimosa pudica aqueous extracts in experimental model of weight loaded force swimming test. Materials and methods: Mice were divided into seven groups and treated for 28 consecutive days as follows: groups one and two received orally distilled water (10 mL/kg) and served as normal group and negative control group, respectively. Groups three to six, (test groups) received orally graded doses of Mimosa pudica (20, 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg) and group seven (positive control) received vitamin C (50 mg/kg), respectively. One hour after the treatment, mice were subjected to the weight loaded force swimming test with tail load, except for the normal group; and the swimming duration, body weight, food and water intake were measured. Twenty-four hours after the last treatment the serum level of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin, and the relative organs weight were measured. Results: Mimosa pudica aqueous extracts significantly and dose-dependently increased the swimming duration and the weight of heart and lungs. The extracts did not induce a significant variation in the level of food and water intake, body weight, and serum of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. Conclusion: Pretreatment of mice with Mimosa pudica aqueous extracts was observed to have better antifatigue properties mediated via amelioration of swimming capacity and physical aptitude in the weight loaded force swimming model.