The effect of quinine commonly used for the treatment of Chloroquine resistant malaria and cerebr... more The effect of quinine commonly used for the treatment of Chloroquine resistant malaria and cerebral malaria on the population and transverse diameters of Purkinje cells in the cerebellar cortex was investigated. Twenty-seven adult male wistar rats weighing between 150 g and 190 g were separated into three groups, each containing nine rats. The rats in group I were injected intramuscularly with equivalent volume of physiological saline, while group II rats were injected intramuscularly with an initial 20 mg/kg body weight dose of quinine followed by a 10 mg/kg body weight dose given 8 hourly for 7 days. The group III rats received the same treatment as group II, but were subjected to a withdrawal period of one week. The cerebellum of each rat was removed and fixed in 10% formol saline for routine histological procedures. The Purkinje cell population reduced significantly (P < 0.05) from the mean value of 363 +/- 5.2 cells/mm2 in group I to a mean value of 239 +/- 9.5 cells/mm2 in ...
South African Helichrysum species are known for diverse medicinal use and treatment of different ... more South African Helichrysum species are known for diverse medicinal use and treatment of different illnesses. Ethnopharmacological studies have revealed the potential use of Helichrysum plants in drug discovery. Although some of these species have been documented, there is still paucity of information on most species. This review seeks to provide a compilation of documented traditional uses, reproductive potential, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, protective and antidiabetic activities and other therapeutic properties of some Helichrysum species of South Africa. Information on Helichrysum cymosum, H. foetidum, H. odoratissimum, H. patulum and H. petiolare were collected from such scientific databases as Google scholar, Scifinder, PubMed, Elsevier, Scopus, Science direct in the form of journal articles, scientific reports, theses and books from the Library of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Our findings show that these species have historic values in traditio...
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is mainly prevalent in ... more Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is mainly prevalent in the older population. Approximately fifty million people are diagnosed with dementia, with AD accounting for 60–70% of these cases. Amyloid beta (Aβ) is considered a pathological hallmark of AD. The shorter Aβ 25 – 35 peptide fragments, formed from the amyloidogenic Aβ 1–40 peptide, plays a crucial role in the peptide’s neurotoxic activity (Pike et al., 2002). Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as well as oxidative stress have shown to trigger Aβ formation and aggregation (Belluti et al., 2011; Cheignon et al., 2018). Previously, we synthesized multifunctional edaravone‐N‐benzyl pyridinium compounds that exhibited potent AChE inhibition and antioxidant activity as well as predicted to cross the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) using in silico models (Zondagh et al., 2020).
Some fermented foods are reported to possess anti-cancer properties. Fermented African locust bea... more Some fermented foods are reported to possess anti-cancer properties. Fermented African locust bean seeds is a condiment prepared from fermentation of Parkia biglobosa. It has been reportedly functional for various medicinal activities but not anti-cancer. The cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing properties of the aqueous extract of the condiment were investigated in human cancer - hepatocellular (Hep-G2) and cervical (HeLa) and noncancer cell lines. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and clonogenic cell survival assays. Apoptotic cell death and DNA fragmentation were also investigated. The results revealed cytotoxicity to both cell lines in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05) and selective activities between cancer and non-cancer cells. The IC50 values were 1.3 and 0.5 mg/mL for Hep-G2 and HeLa cells respectively. Furthermore, the extract induced apoptotic cell death in only Hep -G2 (73.03±0.73) cells. The morpholo...
Platelets and fibrin play an important role in the coagulation process, where they are involved i... more Platelets and fibrin play an important role in the coagulation process, where they are involved in the maintenance of hemostasis. Fibrin dysfunction is associated with the development of vascular complications, while proneness to the formation of tight and rigid fibrin networks is independently associated with thrombotic disease. Here we investigate the ultrastructure of human, rabbit, and mouse platelets and fibrin networks, using the scanning electron microscope. Human and rabbit fibrin and platelets, with regards to morphology as well as size of major and minor fibers compare well with each other. However, mouse fibers are much thinner and form a flimsy branching network. Platelet aggregate morphology of all three species compare well with each other. We conclude that rabbit platelet and fibrin networks could be used successfully when studying the effect of pharmaceutical products in preclinical trials, when looking at the effects of these products on morphology and ultrastructur...
The effect of quinine commonly used for the treatment of Chloroquine resistant malaria and cerebr... more The effect of quinine commonly used for the treatment of Chloroquine resistant malaria and cerebral malaria on the population and transverse diameters of Purkinje cells in the cerebellar cortex was investigated. Twenty-seven adult male wistar rats weighing between 150 g and 190 g were separated into three groups, each containing nine rats. The rats in group I were injected intramuscularly with equivalent volume of physiological saline, while group II rats were injected intramuscularly with an initial 20 mg/kg body weight dose of quinine followed by a 10 mg/kg body weight dose given 8 hourly for 7 days. The group III rats received the same treatment as group II, but were subjected to a withdrawal period of one week. The cerebellum of each rat was removed and fixed in 10% formol saline for routine histological procedures. The Purkinje cell population reduced significantly (P < 0.05) from the mean value of 363 +/- 5.2 cells/mm2 in group I to a mean value of 239 +/- 9.5 cells/mm2 in ...
South African Helichrysum species are known for diverse medicinal use and treatment of different ... more South African Helichrysum species are known for diverse medicinal use and treatment of different illnesses. Ethnopharmacological studies have revealed the potential use of Helichrysum plants in drug discovery. Although some of these species have been documented, there is still paucity of information on most species. This review seeks to provide a compilation of documented traditional uses, reproductive potential, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, protective and antidiabetic activities and other therapeutic properties of some Helichrysum species of South Africa. Information on Helichrysum cymosum, H. foetidum, H. odoratissimum, H. patulum and H. petiolare were collected from such scientific databases as Google scholar, Scifinder, PubMed, Elsevier, Scopus, Science direct in the form of journal articles, scientific reports, theses and books from the Library of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Our findings show that these species have historic values in traditio...
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is mainly prevalent in ... more Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is mainly prevalent in the older population. Approximately fifty million people are diagnosed with dementia, with AD accounting for 60–70% of these cases. Amyloid beta (Aβ) is considered a pathological hallmark of AD. The shorter Aβ 25 – 35 peptide fragments, formed from the amyloidogenic Aβ 1–40 peptide, plays a crucial role in the peptide’s neurotoxic activity (Pike et al., 2002). Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as well as oxidative stress have shown to trigger Aβ formation and aggregation (Belluti et al., 2011; Cheignon et al., 2018). Previously, we synthesized multifunctional edaravone‐N‐benzyl pyridinium compounds that exhibited potent AChE inhibition and antioxidant activity as well as predicted to cross the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) using in silico models (Zondagh et al., 2020).
Some fermented foods are reported to possess anti-cancer properties. Fermented African locust bea... more Some fermented foods are reported to possess anti-cancer properties. Fermented African locust bean seeds is a condiment prepared from fermentation of Parkia biglobosa. It has been reportedly functional for various medicinal activities but not anti-cancer. The cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing properties of the aqueous extract of the condiment were investigated in human cancer - hepatocellular (Hep-G2) and cervical (HeLa) and noncancer cell lines. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and clonogenic cell survival assays. Apoptotic cell death and DNA fragmentation were also investigated. The results revealed cytotoxicity to both cell lines in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05) and selective activities between cancer and non-cancer cells. The IC50 values were 1.3 and 0.5 mg/mL for Hep-G2 and HeLa cells respectively. Furthermore, the extract induced apoptotic cell death in only Hep -G2 (73.03±0.73) cells. The morpholo...
Platelets and fibrin play an important role in the coagulation process, where they are involved i... more Platelets and fibrin play an important role in the coagulation process, where they are involved in the maintenance of hemostasis. Fibrin dysfunction is associated with the development of vascular complications, while proneness to the formation of tight and rigid fibrin networks is independently associated with thrombotic disease. Here we investigate the ultrastructure of human, rabbit, and mouse platelets and fibrin networks, using the scanning electron microscope. Human and rabbit fibrin and platelets, with regards to morphology as well as size of major and minor fibers compare well with each other. However, mouse fibers are much thinner and form a flimsy branching network. Platelet aggregate morphology of all three species compare well with each other. We conclude that rabbit platelet and fibrin networks could be used successfully when studying the effect of pharmaceutical products in preclinical trials, when looking at the effects of these products on morphology and ultrastructur...
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Papers by Okobi Ekpo