Plant Products Research Journal

Tolerance study of aqueous extract of Mitracarpus scaber in rabbits

D Idrissa — 2013-12-02

The study was to evaluate the cardiac safety of Mitracarpus scaber (Rubiaceae) in rabbit. In this study, different batches of rabbits were injected with increasing doses of aqueous extract of Mitracarpus scaber (encoded) and changes in the activities of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), lactate deshydrogenase (LDH) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) measured. The statistical analysis of the serum activities of these enzymes indicate a significant variation (P<0.05) of the serum activity of CPK and LDH. But there is no significant change of serum activity of GOT (P>0.05). In conclusion, the aqueous extract of Misca at dose of 100 mg/kg body weight for 4 weeks induces no cardiac dysfunction and is therefore well tolerated by the heart.

Key words: Mitracarpus scaber, heart, GOT, LDH, CPK.

Evaluation of plasma electrolyte concentration in pregnant Nigerian women from Edo State, Nigeria

EC Onyeneke — 2013-12-02

The renal function status in relation to electrolyte homeostasis was evaluated in a total of one hundred pregnant Nigerian women (volunteers) and thirty non-pregnant controls. The volunteers were of varying maternal age, parity, trimester, weight, height, and social status while the non-pregnant women were of approximate age to serve as control. Analysis of the results revealed that sodium (136.21±0.39mmol/l), potassium (3.69±0.004mmol/l), calcium (2.17 ± 0.02mmol/l), and bicarbonate (20.39 ± 0.26mmol/l) were significantly reduced (P<0.05) when compared to the control (137.97±0.46mmol/l, 4.29±0.09mmol/l, 2.59±0.03mmol/l and 25.87±0.43mmol/l respectively). There was a significant decrease (P<0.05) in sodium, potassium, calcium and bicarbonate concentrations as pregnancy progressed. Maternal age is positively correlated with sodium (r=0.092) and potassium (r=0.100) but inversely correlated with calcium (r=-0.088) and bicarbonate (r=-0.051) concentrations. While parity is inversely correlated with sodium (r=-0.045), potassium (r=-0.155) and calcium (r=-0.175), it was positively correlated with bicarbonate (r=0.015) concentrations. All the electrolytes have positive correlation with gestation (Na+: r=0.249, K+: r=0.204, Ca2+: r=0.004 and HCO3-: r=0.056) while social status was inversely correlated to all the parameters (Na⁺: r=-0.151, K⁺: r=-0.075, Ca2⁺: r=-0.046 and HCO3-: r=0.023;P<0.05). Nutrition, environmental condition and child’s spacing may have influenced the parameters and their implications with respect to proper fetal development are discussed.

Key words: Pregnancy, electrolytes.

Comparative effect of Arachis hypogaea and Cajanus cajan diets on the lipid profile of female albino rats

AC Nwaka — 2013-12-02

The effect of Arachis hypogaea and Cajanus cajan diets on the serum lipid profile of 30 female albino rats were evaluated. The rats were separated into 5 groups of six rats each as follows: A- rats fed on normal feed, B – rats fed on 50% Arachis hypogaea diet, C- rats fed on 70% Arachis hypogaea, D - rats fed on 50% Cajanus cajan diet and E- rats fed on 70% Cajanus cajan. The study lasted for 28 days and at the end of the feeding experiment, the rats were bled and serum obtained used for total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triacylglycerol and VLDL assays using standard biochemical methods. The results of the study showed significant decrease (P<0.05) in total cholesterol, VLDL, LDL and triacylglycerol concentrations of rats feds on Cajanus cajan (groups D and E) when compared to those of the control (group A) and those fed on Arachis hypogaea diet (groups B and C). However, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) observed in the HDL levels of rats fed on Cajanus cajan and those of control (group A) and those fed on Arachis hypogaea diet. Results of the study suggest that Cajanus cajan diet could be useful in protecting against atherosclerosis and its associated diseases.

Key words: Atherosclerosis, Cajanus cajan, Arachis hypogaea and Lipid Profile.

In vivo antioxidant and antihyperglycaemic properties of aqueous extract of herbal cocktail

VN Ogugua — 2013-12-02

The antioxidant and antihyperglycamic effects of herbal cocktail namely: Vernonia amygdalina, Gongronema latifolium, Allium sativium, Ocimum gratissmun and Aloe barbadensis were studied on alloxan-induced diabetic rat. Twenty (20) albino Wistar rats were equally divided into five groups. Groups 1 and 2 served as normal and untreated Diabetic controls. Test groups 3, 4 and 5 were treated with 10mg/kg glibenclamide, 200mg and 400mg/kg of extract for 28 days. The result showed a dose dependant significant increase (P<0.05) in serum concentrations of vitamin C, glutathione and catalase activity in test groups when compared to untreated diabetic control. Similarly, the extract significantly reduced (P<0.05) glucose concentration of diabetic rats at both concentrations when compared to untreated diabetic Rats. The results confirmed the already established use of these plants in traditional medicine and equally established their useful synergistic effect in reducing blood sugar and in relieving oxidant stress.

Key words: Antioxidant, catalase, glutathione, alloxan, antihyperglycaemia

Production and properties of fungal cellulase from native isolates using orange bagasse as carbon source

VA Ogwuche — 2013-12-02

Orange bagasse was employed as the sole carbon source for production of cellulase having adapted the organisms on cellulose and on orange bagasse. The extracellular cellulase produced by Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus species were partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation in a single step and dialyzed. Cellulase activity of partially purified cellulase from Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus species were determined. Cellulase from both fungi had optimum temperature at 45°C but different pH optima of pH 7 and 6.5 respectively. Thermo stability study of the partially purified cellulases carried out over a temperature range of 35°C -70°C show that the enzymes lost stability with increasing temperature. Carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) and Filter paper unit (FPU) activities of the partially purified cellulase show a higher specific activity for cellulase from Aspergillus niger than that from Rhizopus species.

Key words: Cellulase, CMCase, Aspergillus niger, Orange bagasse

Kidney function status in Nigerian human malaria patients

JC Anionye — 2013-12-02

Malaria is now known to affect over 500 million persons worldwide, killing about 1 to 3 million of them annually. Plasmodium falciparum is the species mostly implicated in the causation of severe malaria. This study was carried out to investigate the kidney function status of malaria patients in Benin metropolis, Southern Nigeria, to ascertain if there is renal dysfunction/impairment in them. Plasma levels of sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, urea, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were assayed in a total of 152 subjects (112 malaria patients infected with Plasmodium falciparum and 40 controls) of both sexes, with their age ranging from 8 to 42 years. The results observed irrespective of age or sex, reveal a statistically significant (p<0.05) increase in plasma levels of potassium, urea, BUN and creatinine (4.49±0.95 mmol/L;5.88±0.13mmol /L;16.39±0.36mg/dl and 135.05±2.69ìmol/L) when compared to their controls (4.05±0.34mmol/L;3.73±0.12mmol/L;10.34±0.36mg/dl and 80.71±1.69ìmol/L, respectively) and also a statistically significant (P<0.05) reduction in plasma levels of Na+ and HC03- (128.50±0.77 and 19.98±0.28mmol/L) when compared to their controls (l38.58±0.29 and 24.70±0.36mmol/L, respectively). The hyponatraemia and metabolic acidosis observed in the malaria patients are negatively correlated with the degree of parasitaemia (r=-0.241 and r=-0.019, respectively), while the elevated plasma potassium and creatinine levels are positively correlated with the degree of parasitaemia (r=0.153 and r=0.407, respectively). The elevated plasma Urea and BUN levels are also positively correlated with the degree of parasitaemia (r=0.371 and r=0.375, respectively). The results of this study indicate that there is significant renal dysfunction/impairment in patients in southern Nigeria infected with plasmodium falciparum.

Key words: Malaria infection, Kidney function status.

Explant age, auxin concentrations and media type affect callus production from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) embryo axes

HO Shittu — 2013-12-02

The effects of explant age of oil palm (Elaeis huineensis) embryo axes, 15 and 18 weeks after anthesis (WAA), media type (Eeuwens and Murashige and Skoog) supplemented with various concentrations of 2,4-D on callus production employing standard in vitro techniques were investigated. The results of the study showed that the type of response, time of initiation of callus, percentage germinating explants or percentage callusing explants were greatly affected by the age of explants, the concentrations of the growth regulator and type of media. It was found that callus generation was best in the 18 WAA embryo axes culture in Eeuwens’ medium supplemented with 2,4-D. The optimum concentration of the hormone was found to be 50 mgl-1 which initiated callus within 35 days in culture. The percentage callusing explants was 80%.

Key words: In vitro, callus, explant, auxin, culture, embryo axes.

Production and characterization of pectinases obtained from Aspergillus fumigatus in submerged fermentation system using pectin extracted from mango peels as carbon source

AL Ezugwu — 2013-12-02

Pectinase was obtained from Aspergillus fumigatus in a submerged fermentation system using pectin extracted mango peels as a carbon source and subjected to a two step purification system of 80% ammonium sulphate saturation and dialysis. Pectin was also extracted from mango peels and its extraction yield was found to be 17% at pH 2.2, temperature of 70¢ªC and extraction time of 1h. The protein concentration in the crude enzyme was found to be 1.372mg/ml. The specific activity of crude enzyme is 11.20¥ìmole/min/mg. After 80% ammonium sulphate precipitation and dialysis, the specific activities were 11.78¥ìmole/min/mg and 34.60¥ìmole/min/mg respectively. The maximal activity of A. fumigatus pectinase was at 40¢ªC, pH 5.5 and was heat stable up to 40¢ªC.Vmax and Km values were found to be of 625¥ìmole/min and 45.5mg/ml respectively. The pectinase was used to degrade pectins extracted from orange and pineapple peels and its specific activities were found to be 30U/mg and 28.39U/mg respectively as compared to 34.60U/mg which is the specific activity obtained when pectin extracted from dry mango peels was used.

Key words: Mango peels, pectinase, pectin, Aspergillu fumigatus, submerged fermentation.

Preliminary evaluation of the synergistic effects of methanol extracts of garlic and some conventional antimicrobial agents on bacterial isolates from HVS

CI Nnamchi — 2013-12-03

The emergence of multiple drug resistant organisms has made the treatment combinations of conventional drugs with medicinal plants against resistant microorganisms necessary. Therefore, this work aimed to discover how the potency of some conventional antimicrobial drugs can be increased by combining them with the natural antimicrobial potentials of garlic. This was carried out using ethanolic extracts of garlic in combination with the drugs against clinical bacterial isolates obtained from high vaginal swab (HVS) using the agar overlay inoculum susceptibility disc method. A total of 24 clinical bacterial isolates obtained after successive sub-culturing were tested against the antibiotics alone and after their combinations with garlic extracts. The number of the clinical isolates reduced upon identification to just six different bacterial species: Escherichia coli, Enterococcus sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter sp., Citrobacter sp. and Klebsiella sp. Result obtained showed that when only antibiotic sensitivity discs alone was used, the isolates showed resistance to them in varying degrees. For example, isolate 2B, a Citrobacter sp. showed resistance to 9 of the 10 antibiotics, followed by isolate 4, Klebsiella sp. which resisted 8 antibiotics and isolates 3 (Escherichia coli) and 7 (Enterobacter sp.) which resisted 5 antibiotics each. In terms of antibiotics, resistance was shown most to nitrofurantoin, with 16 out the 24 isolates resisting it and ampicillin, 12 isolates. However, combinations of the antibiotics with methanolic extracts of garlic reduced the incidence of resistance to significant levels, reaching 100% reductions in resistance in many cases. Thus the use of garlic extract in combinations with antibiotics positively increased the killing abilities of most of them. These are clearly positive results that should be adequately exploited for humanity’s benefit.

Key words: Antibiotics, garlic, extract, synergism, resistance, antagonism.