Ifeoluwa T Oyeyemi

: Hoslundia opposita is an aromatic plant of the family Lamiaceae and the only member of the Hoslundia genus. It is traditionally for the treatment of HIV/AIDs related diseases, Breast cancer, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Appendicitis, Epilepsy and convulsion, Malaria e.t.c. A review of relevant literature on biology, folkloric uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology were done. The electronic databases searched included Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley and Springer. Sixteen bioactive compounds have been isolated from the plants namely; 3-O-benzoylhosloppone, 3-O-cinnamoylhosloppone, 3-O-benzoylhinokiol, 3-O-benzoylhosloquine, Euscaphic acid, 5,7-dimethoxy6-methylflavone, Hoslunddiol, Oppositin, 5-O-methylhoslundin, Tectochrysin, Hoslundin, Hoslunfuranine, 5-O-methylhoslunfuranine, Hosloppin, Hoslundal and Ursolic acid. The plant as its phytochemicals has shown various pharmacological effects such as antimalarial, antidiabetes, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and immunomodulatory effects. This review presented scientific findings on the therapeutic potential of Hoslundia opposita against several infectious and non-infectious diseases. There is a need for further investigation of the mechanism underlying the therapeutic potential of this plant against various diseases. There is also a need for clinical trials which will validate its efficacy and safety.

Aims: One of the ways to manage the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is monitoring of public knowledge, risk perceptions, adherence to preventive measures and preparedness behaviors. This is of utmost importance in resource limited countries. This study determined the knowledge and perception about COVID-19; adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures; as well as predictors of self-perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 among Nigerian adults.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Nigerian adults ≥ 18 years using an online survey. Participants were recruited using the authors’ social networks. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at 5% level of statistical significance.Results: Generally, a high proportion of respondents had correct knowledge about COVID-19. However, only about half (49.8% and 49.9%) had correct knowledge that obesity was a risk factor for COVID-19 and that antibiotics cannot be used to treat COVID-19. Most (8...

Curcumin and nisin have been widely reported for their antibacterial and anticancer potency. However, their therapeutic applications are hampered by several factors, which necessitate their development into nanosize ranges for improved delivery and activities. Their incorporation into a single nanosynthesized form may suggest desirable efficacy on parasites. The aim of the study was to assess the ovicidal activity of the curcumin-nisin polylactic acid (PLA) entrapped nanoparticle on the Fasciola eggs and its reproductive toxicity. The nanoparticle was formulated by double emulsion method. The eggs of the adult Fasciola spp. were exposed to different concentrations (0.3125-5 mg/mL) of the nanoparticle to monitor hatchability. Mice were exposed to 0.5 mL of the formulated drug at varying concentrations (10-20 mg/kg) and then sacrificed for sperm morphology assay. The mean particle size, polydispersity index, and drug entrapment efficiency of the formulated drug were 288.4±24.3 nm, 0.2...

This study investigated the protective effective of Sida acuta leaf extracts against the genotoxic effect of lead nitrate, a toxic heavy metal that easily permeate the ecosystem. The genotoxic and anti-genotoxic effects of the aqueous extract of S. acuta on onion cells (Allium cepa L.) was evaluated using the Allium cepa L. assay. Onion bulbs were exposed to 0.25 – 2.5 mg.mL-1 concentrations of the plant extract for analyses of induction of cytogenetic damage. There was observeda concentration-dependent decrease in mitotic index of the A. cepa roots cells compared to the negative control. Lead nitrate significantly induced chromosomal aberration in A. cepa root cells. This effect, however, was significantly ameliorated by the S. acuta leaf extract. This effect was demonstrated by the lower frequency of chromosome aberrations in lead nitrate treated root cells after exposure to the extract. Furthermore, the extract restricted the extent of lead-induced cytological aberrations in A. c...

Cryptosporidiosis is an important protozoan disease with serious public health implications. The contribution of Cryptosporidium to colorectal cancer is still vaguely studied, but little evidence from experimental and epidemiological studies has suggested a possible association. This review discusses the epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis and colorectal cancer and attempts to unravel the possible link between the two diseases using epidemiological, pathological, molecular, and immunological evidence. The review stressed the need to undertake more studies in this relatively neglected field.

Background: The lack of empirical data on the malaria status of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), access to long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs), and knowledge about the disease can hamper the development of effective policies and programs to address their malaria-related needs. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge of malaria transmission and utilization of LLINs among OVC in Ondo metropolis, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ondo City, Ondo State, Nigeria, between January and March 2018. The study was carried out among 66 OVC (age 5–19 years) using questionnaires. Information on socio-demography, LLIN utilization, knowledge and risks of malaria transmission among OVC was sought. Results: The use of LLINs (80.9%) among OVC was significantly higher than the use of insecticide spray (6.1%) and mosquito coils (12.1%) (p <0.0001). Knowledge about malaria transmission was relatively high, and the majority of children...

Background:(NL) is an aquatic perennial plant used traditionally in the management of various liver diseases. In this study, the protective effect of methanol extract of NL against carbon tetrachloride (CClMethods:Male Wistar rats were assigned into six groups of five rats each. Group I received corn oil (0.5 mL p.o.) and served as control, group II received CClResults:The activities of alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and levels of total bilirubin (TB) in the serum, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione (GSH) in the liver, and histopathology of the liver were determined using standard procedures. NL significantly (p<0.05) lowered the levels of ALT, AST, and TB and exhibited antioxidant potentials in rats exposed to CClConclusions:The data suggest that NL exhibited hepatoprotective effects in CCl

Access to potable water is a major problem confronting most developing nations particularly with the overwhelming health burden posed by polluted water and its sources. In this review, studies on the level of contamination of drinking water sources in different geopolitical zones in Nigeria were assessed. The anthropogenic activities eliciting the pollutions were extensively discussed. Overall, the level of Nigeria preparedness in meeting the sustainable development goal number 6 (SDG no 6: to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) was evaluated. Cogent methods that could enhance the achievement of SDG no. 6 were suggested. From our analysis of published literature, pre- and post- SDG implementation in Nigeria, it is clear that no significant progress has been made in providing potable water for all in Nigeria. All implementing partners must therefore rejig the process to ensure the availability of potable water, in order to achieve the susta...

Moringa oleifera is a multipurpose plant with nutritional and medicinal value. Despite its widely acclaimed therapeutic benefits in traditional medicine, there are reports on its toxicity in living cells. Information is however, limited on toxic effect of the plant on the genetic component and male reproductive cells. We evaluated genotoxicity of aqueous extract of the leaves of M. oleifera using the Allium cepa chromosome aberration (CA) and mouse sperm morphology assays. Roots of onion bulbs were exposed to 0.5–20% of the extract for analysis of root growth inhibition, mitotic index (MI) and CA. Swiss male mice orally exposed to the aqueous extract (50–800 mg/kg) for 35 consecutive days were analysed for body and testes weight, testicular histology and sperm morphology. There was a significant (p < 0.05) root growth inhibition, decrease in MI and induction of CA compared to the negative control bulbs. The extract did not cause adverse effect on body and testes weight, but matur...

Aims One of the ways to manage the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is to monitor the public knowledge, risk perceptions, adherence to preventive measures, and level of preparedness behaviors. This is important in resourcelimited countries. This study determined the knowledge and perception regarding COVID-19; adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures; as well as predictors of self-perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 among Nigerian adults. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among Nigerian adults ≥18 years using an online survey. A convenience sampling method was utilized to recruit a total of 1022 study participants. The participants were recruited using the authors' social media networks. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at a 5% level of statistical significance. Results Generally, a high proportion of respondents had correct knowledge about COVID-19. However, only approximately half (49.8% and 49.9%) had correct ...

The combination of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs: lamivudine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and efavirenz is among the preferred first-line regimens for adolescents and adults infected with HIV. However, knowledge on in vivo genetic and reproductive toxicity of each of these drugs and their combination is limited. We evaluated the genotoxicity of lamivudine, TDF, efavirenz and their combination utilizing the mouse micronucleus (MN) and sperm morphology tests. Histopathological analysis of the testes of exposed mice was also carried out. 0.016, 0.032, 0.064 and 0.129 mg/kg bwt of lamivudine, TDF and the combination; and 0.032, 0.064, 0.129 and 0.259 mg/kg bwt of efavirenz corresponding to 0.125, 0.250, 0.500 and 1.000 x the human therapeutic daily dose (HTD) of each of the ARVs and their combinations were administered to mice for 5 consecutive days. Data on MN showed a significant increase (p ---lt--- 0.05) across the tested doses of TDF, efavirenz and the combination, with the co...

Toxoplasmosis is a global health threat in which occurrence in pregnant women poses grave consequences to fetal wellbeing. Studies on prenatal Toxoplasma gondii infection are generally limited in sub-Saharan African countries, including Nigeria. The risk of transmission of toxoplasmosis is very high in Nigeria due to the favourable climatic conditions and prevailing behavioural and socio-economic factors that could aid transmission. Currently, there are no systematic and organized procedures for diagnosis and treatment of maternal toxoplasmosis in Nigeria. These conditions forecast possible unabated transmission in many areas and exponential impact on associated adverse events of the disease during pregnancy. This paper highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment during pregnancy which may forestall subsequent development of infection in children delivered by infected mothers. Inclusion of toxoplasmosis control policy in the routine antenatal care of pregnant women is...

Aflatoxins are a major class of fungal toxins that have food safety importance due to their economic and health impacts. This pilot aflatoxin exposure biomonitoring study on 84 individuals was conducted in a rural (Ilumafon) and a semi-urban community (Ilishan Remo) of Ogun state, Nigeria, to compare aflatoxin exposures among the two population cohorts. First morning urine samples were obtained from the participants, and the urinary aflatoxin M (AFM) levels were measured by a quantitative Helica Biosystems Inc. ELISA kit assay. About 99% (83 out of 84) of the urine samples had detectable AFM levels in the range of 0.06 to 0.51 ng mL (median: 0.27 ng mL). The mean urinary AFM levels were significantly (p = 0.001) higher in the semi-urban population (0.31 ± 0.09 ng mL) compared to the rural population (0.24 ± 0.07 ng mL). There were, however, no significant differences in mean urinary AFM levels of males and females, and among children, adolescents and adults. This study indicates hig...

A – research concept and design; B – collection and/or assembly of data; C – data analysis and interpretation; D – writing the article; E – critical revision of the article; F – final approval of article. Abstract Background: The growing desires to combat antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria necessitate the need to search for new antimicrobials agents from other sources such as plants. Objectives: The present study investigated the antibacterial activities and bioactive components of Nymphaea lotus and Spondias mombin against selected clinical bacteria Material and Methods: Extracts of N. lotus and S. mombin were prepared by 72 hours maceration in 70% methanol. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Citrobacter freundi and, Klebsiella oxytoca against the two extracts was carried out by disk diffusion method while minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) was by agar-well dilution and broth dilution method, respectively. The bioactive compounds of the plants were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Results: Extracts of N. lotus showed better antimicrobial activities than S. mombin against all the clinical bacterial isolates with an MIC range of 3.13 – >12.5mg/mL compared to S. mombin with MIC range of 6.25 – >12.5mg/mL. The GC-MS results revealed the presence of 21 and 25 compounds for N. lotus and S. mombin respectively. Benzoic acid derivatives were in abundance in both plants with approximately 71.5% and 82.1% in N. lotus and S. mombin respectively. Conclusions: The findings from this study provided further evidence on their ethno-botanical claims and additional information on the potentials of the studied plants as effective medicinal plants with antimicrobial activity against clinical bacteria. This highlights the need for continuous exploration of medicinal plants for novel compounds with better antimicrobial property as option for the treatment of resistant bacterial infection

Background: Nymphaea lotus (NL) is an aquatic perennial plant used traditionally in the management of various liver diseases. In this study, the protective effect of methanol extract of NL against carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4)-induced chronic hepatotoxicity in rats was investigated. Methods: Male Wistar rats were assigned into six groups of five rats each. Group I received corn oil (0.5 mL p.o.) and served as control, group II received CCl 4 (1 mL/kg i.p., 1:3 in corn oil), group III received NL (200 mg/kg), and groups IV, V, and VI received CCl 4 + NL (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively) for 6 weeks. Twenty-four hours after the last exposure, rats were bled and killed. Results: The activities of alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and levels of total bilirubin (TB) in the serum, thiobarbituric acid reac-tive substances (TBARS), superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione (GSH) in the liver, and histopathology of the liver were determined using standard procedures. NL significantly (p < 0.05) lowered the levels of ALT, AST, and TB and exhibited antioxidant potentials in rats exposed to CCl 4 relative to the control values. Specifically, NL at 100 and 200 mg/kg significantly (p < 0.05) increased CCl 4-induced decrease in hepatic GSH and GPx and also decreased the level of hepatic TBARS in CCl 4-intoxicated rats. Histopathological

Spondias mombin (Linn), Nymphaea lotus (Linn) and Luffa cylindrica (Linn) (syn Luffa aegyptiaca Mill) are plants traditionally used as food ingredients and in the management of diseases, including cancer, in Nigeria. Despite the therapeutic potentials attributed to these plants, reports on their genotoxicity are scanty. In this study, the genotoxicity of the aqueous and hydro-methanol extract of these plants was evaluated using mouse bone marrow micronucleus and sperm morphology assays. Antigenotoxicity was assessed by the bone marrow micronucleus test. The highest attainable dose of 5 000 mg/kg according to OECD guidelines was first used to assess acute toxicity of the aqueous and hydro-methanol extracts in Swiss albino mice. For each extract, there were five groups of mice (n=4/group) treated with different concentrations of the extract as against the negative and positive control group for the genotoxicity study. In the antigenotoxicity study, five groups of mice were exposed to five different concentrations of the extracts along with 60 mg/kg of methyl methane sulfonate (MMS), which was used to induce genotoxicity. The mice were administered 0.2 mL of extract per day for 10 days in the genotoxicity and antigenotoxicity groups. Administration of each of the extracts at the concentration of 5 000 mg/kg did not induce acute toxicity in mice. At the concentrations tested, all the extracts, except aqueous S. mombin, increased micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes. The aqueous and hydro-methanol extracts of N. lotus increased the frequency of aberrant sperm cells. All the extracts were also able to ameliorate MMS induced genotoxicity in bone marrow cells of the exposed mice. The results showed the potential of the extracts to induce somatic and germ cell mutation in male mice. The extracts also ameliorated the genotoxic effect of MMS.

Trichomoniasis poses public health threat to pregnant women and neonatal health. This study evaluated Trichomonas vaginalis and other common sexually transmitted diseases status in pregnant women, and risk factors associated with them. The study was cross-sectional and descriptive and a total of 198 pregnant women were recruited for T. vaginalis screening by microscopic examination. Questionnaires were also administered to 108 pregnant women to access information related to socio-demography and other factors associated with sexually transmitted diseases transmission. The overall prevalence of T. vaginalis was 18.7%. While prevalence of T. vaginalis was neither age nor parity dependent (p &amp;gt; 0.05), women in their first trimester however showed significant higher prevalence of trichomoniasis compared to women in second and third trimesters (p &amp;lt; 0.05). The frequency of sexually transmitted diseases was least (18.2%) and highest (71.4%) in age groups ≥ 39 and 15-20 years respectively. Low levels of education, multiple sexual partners, lack of knowledge on partners&amp;#39; sexually transmitted diseases history, and having sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs are the risk factors of sexually transmitted diseases (p &amp;lt; 0.05). There is a high prevalence of T. vaginalis in pregnant women with those in early gestational age at greater risk. Proper education of women on safe sex and the need to know partners&amp;#39; sexually transmitted diseases status are advocated.

ABSTRACT Hemoglobin variants, ABO and Rhesus blood groups vary from one population to another. The study was designed to sample pregnant women population from Ayetoro community of Ogun state, Nigeria, for the purpose of updating information on the prevalence of abnormal hemoglobin variants, ABO and Rh blood groups and compare the results with previously published data. Hospital records of recruited pregnant women were sorted out for the determination of the prevalence of hemoglobin variants, ABO and Rh blood groups. Blood group O were the most prevalent (59.1%) followed by groups A.0%) were reported in this study. The occurrence of the hemoglobin variants and the different ABO blood groups varied significantly (p&amp;amp;lt;0.05). The frequency of ABO and Rhesus blood groups from this study is consistent with reports from previous studies in Nigeria. The study helps in the formulation of genetic counseling policies to help prospective mothers make informed decisions before and after giving birth.