Apple Cider Vinegar, (APCV) has been locally associated with a number of health benefits, including protection against oxidative stress and related ailments. It is on this background the present study assessed its protective effects... more
Apple Cider Vinegar, (APCV) has been locally associated with a number of health benefits, including protection against oxidative stress and related ailments. It is on this background the present study assessed its protective effects against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced oxidative damage in kidneys of rats. Methods Twenty four adult rats of Wistar strain were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 6). While group I animals served as control; kidney oxidative damage was induced in groups II and III animals using a single intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (100%, 1.73 mL/kg body weight, BW). Group II animals were left untreated and groups III and IV counterparts were administered APCV (1.56 mL/kg BW) once daily for a period of 7 days. Thereafter, the animals were fasted over night, and sacrificed by cervical dislocation, and samples (blood and kidney tissues) were collected for biochemical …
Petroleum exploration and production activities pose great threat worldwide in the marine environment with numerous occurrences of spills every year. Ubeji Creek in Nigeria suffers environmental pollution attributable to petroleum... more
Petroleum exploration and production activities pose great threat worldwide in the marine environment with numerous occurrences of spills every year. Ubeji Creek in Nigeria suffers environmental pollution attributable to petroleum exploration. The hydrocarbons in petroleum encompass a large number of toxicants such as BTEX, which are frequently discharged into water bodies during spillage. In terms of scope, this study assessed for the first time BTEX levels in surface water, sediment, and biota of the Ubeji Creek. Environmental samples were collected at designated sampling locations along the Ubeji Creek quarterly for 2 years. Water quality was determined in situ, while BTEX levels in water, sediment, and biota were assessed in the laboratory using GC-FID. The physico-chemical characteristics of water were within the acceptable WHO limits with the exception of DO of 3.01±0.25 mg/L. Organic pollution load …
Petroleum exploration and production activities pose great threat worldwide in the marine environment with numerous occurrences of spills every year. Ubeji Creek in Nigeria suffers environmental pollution attributable to petroleum... more
Petroleum exploration and production activities pose great threat worldwide in the marine environment with numerous occurrences of spills every year. Ubeji Creek in Nigeria suffers environmental pollution attributable to petroleum exploration. The hydrocarbons in petroleum encompass a large number of toxicants such as BTEX, which are frequently discharged into water bodies during spillage. In terms of scope, this study assessed for the first time BTEX levels in surface water, sediment, and biota of the Ubeji Creek. Environmental samples were collected at designated sampling locations along the Ubeji Creek quarterly for 2 years. Water quality was determined in situ, while BTEX levels in water, sediment, and biota were assessed in the laboratory using GC-FID. The physico-chemical characteristics of water were within the acceptable WHO limits with the exception of DO of 3.01 ± 0.25 mg/L. Organic pollution load could have contributed to the depression of DO level below the limit. BTEX of 5.57 ± 0.62 mg/kg in sediment samples was higher than the level in control sample. The BTEX levels in fish, shrimps, pawpaw fruit, pineapple tissue, bitter leaf, and cassava were 0.37 ± 0.05, 0.39 ± 0.01, 0.56 ± 0.02, 1.35 ± 0.04, 0.46 ± 0.06, and 0.22 ± 0.01 mg/kg, respectively. Accumulation of BTEX in this biota can affect their nutritive quality and consequently pose threat to humans who daily consume them.
Background Apple Cider Vinegar, (APCV) has been locally associated with a number of health benefits, including protection against oxidative stress and related ailments. It is on this background the present study assessed its protective... more
Background Apple Cider Vinegar, (APCV) has been locally associated with a number of health benefits, including protection against oxidative stress and related ailments. It is on this background the present study assessed its protective effects against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced oxidative damage in kidneys of rats. Methods Twenty four adult rats of Wistar strain were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 6). While group I animals served as control; kidney oxidative damage was induced in groups II and III animals using a single intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (100%, 1.73 mL/kg body weight, BW). Group II animals were left untreated and groups III and IV counterparts were administered APCV (1.56 mL/kg BW) once daily for a period of 7 days. Thereafter, the animals were fasted over night, and sacrificed by cervical dislocation, and samples (blood and kidney tissues) were collected for biochemical/histopathological examinations. Kidney function markers including urea, creatinine...
Background Apple Cider Vinegar, (APCV) has been locally associated with a number of health benefits, including protection against oxidative stress and related ailments. It is on this background the present study assessed its protective... more
Background Apple Cider Vinegar, (APCV) has been locally associated with a number of health benefits, including protection against oxidative stress and related ailments. It is on this background the present study assessed its protective effects against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced oxidative damage in kidneys of rats. Methods Twenty four adult rats of Wistar strain were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 6). While group I animals served as control; kidney oxidative damage was induced in groups II and III animals using a single intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (100%, 1.73 mL/kg body weight, BW). Group II animals were left untreated and groups III and IV counterparts were administered APCV (1.56 mL/kg BW) once daily for a period of 7 days. Thereafter, the animals were fasted over night, and sacrificed by cervical dislocation, and samples (blood and kidney tissues) were collected for biochemical/histopathological examinations. Kidney function markers including urea, creatinine...
ABSTRACT Ubeji Creek in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria suffers environmental pollution attributable to petroleum exploration. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) levels in... more
ABSTRACT Ubeji Creek in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria suffers environmental pollution attributable to petroleum exploration. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) levels in locally sourced staple foods and dietary BTEX exposure of residents of the Creek from consumption of these foods. Fish, shrimps, pawpaw, cassava, pineapple, and bitter leaf were collected quarterly in a year at designated sampling locations along the creek. The food samples were collected, processed and analysed for BTEX using gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection. Dietary exposure assessment for the Ubeji Creek residents due to BTEX in the foods was conducted based on food consumption data from a food frequency questionnaire survey completed by 530 residents. Mean, maximum, and percentiles BTEX dietary exposures were estimated by both probabilistic and deterministic analyses methods using the @RISK® software through a first-order Monte Carlo simulation at 50,000 iterations. The food samples contained BTEX levels with pineapple tissue having the highest concentration (1.35 ± 0.11 mg/kg). Fish and shrimps have the highest consumption rates of about 120 g/person/day and 90 g/person/day, respectively. The deterministic and probabilistic assessments indicated that fish and shrimps were the highest contributors to the intakes of total BTEX compared to other foods. The deterministic and probabilistic analyses of dietary intakes of benzene revealed that total dietary intakes of benzene exceeded benzene oral reference dose (RfDo), minimum risk level (MRL), and maximum permissible risk (MPR) level. This indicates that the residents who consume the studied foods are potentially at risk of BTEX dietary exposure.
Artemisia annua is widely used for the treatment of malaria and other disorders. In a previous study, the artemisinin concentration in the dry leaves of A. annua grown under humid tropical conditions was determined to be 1.098% using... more
Artemisia annua is a Chinese antimalarial herb that has been used for more than 2000 years. The maternal and foetal safety of the ethanolic leaf extract of therapeutically active Artemisia annua (EAA), with previously determined... more
Among the artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) regimens, artemisinin derivative, artemether in combination with lumefantrine (artemether-lumefantrine, AL) has achieved excellent results in the fight against malarial scourge. In... more
Among the artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) regimens, artemisinin derivative, artemether in combination with lumefantrine (artemether-lumefantrine, AL) has achieved excellent results in the fight against malarial scourge. In this study, we evaluated the toxic potential of these drugs at the therapeutic doses in female Wistar rats. Animals were randomly divided into four groups: those administered 1% Tween 80 (control), those administered artemether (4 mg/kg body weight), those administered lumefantrine (24 mg/kg body weight), and those coadministered artemether (4 mg/kg body weight) and lumefantrine (24 mg/kg body weight). The drugs were orally administered twice daily for 3 days by gastric intubation after which selected plasma biochemical indices, and erythrocytes antioxidant defence and lipid peroxidation markers were evaluated. Coadministration of artemether and lumefantrine raised liver and renal function markers and increased atherogenic index. While reduced glutathione, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and catalase activities were reduced, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-s-transferase activities increased in all the treated groups compared to the control group. The drugs caused significant (p < 0.05) elevation of malondialdehyde (MDA) levels compared to the control group. These results imply that coadministration of artemether and lumefantrine may increase the risks of atherosclerosis as well as liver and renal function impairments in the users. In addition, the drugs may also promote oxidative stress in the erythrocytes.
Artesunate–amodiaquine is among the most widely available artemisinin combination therapy used as treatment regimen for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Our aim was to evaluate clinical routine markers of liver and renal... more
The indiscriminate use, abuse and patients’ noncompliance to normal prescription of artemisinin and its derivatives are a common practice during the treatment for drug-resistant malaria parasites in most developing countries. This study... more
The indiscriminate use, abuse and patients’ noncompliance to normal prescription of artemisinin and its derivatives are a common practice during the treatment for drug-resistant malaria parasites in most developing countries. This study investigated the influence of artemisinin on the testicular and epididymal sperm antioxidant systems as well as on the plasma levels of hormones from the pituitary and thyroid components of the brain–pituitary–testicular axis. Oral exposure of rats to 0, 7 and 35 mg kg−1 artemisinin for 7 days showed that the testicular antioxidant status at both therapeutic dose (7 mg kg−1) and overdose (35 mg kg−1), and the sperm antioxidant status at therapeutic dose of artemisinin remained unaffected compared with control. However, increased hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation levels were accompanied by a concomitant decrease in glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase activities as well as glutathione level in spermatozoon of rats administered with overdose of artemisinin. While plasma levels of all the hormones investigated remained unaffected, severe epididymal degeneration with concomitant decrease in sperm quantity and quality was observed in rats treated with overdose of artemisinin compared with control. Overall, induction of oxidative stress in the epididymis, but not in the testes, could cause reproductive deficits in individuals unduly undergoing artemisinin therapy.