Monitoring and understanding the trend and dynamics of insecticide resistance is very key to devising efficient control strategies. This study was carried out to characterize the mosquito population, its insecticide resistance profile, and the physicochemical properties of their breeding sites in Sharada and Wailari of Kano State, Nigeria. Six breeding sites from the 2 study areas were sampled and their physicochemical parameters determined. Mosquito larvae were sampled from the sites and reared to adult. The emergent adults were morphologically and molecularly identified to species level. The World Health Organization (WHO) susceptibility assay was carried out on the adult mosquitoes using different classes of insecticides in WHO discriminating concentrations. kdr-mutation was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method using the permethrin (pyrethroid) resistant and susceptible adult mosquitoes. Most of the determined physicochemical parameters were significantly higher in the industrial area, Sharada. Morphologically, the mosquitoes from the 2 sites were identified as Anopheles gambiae and 100% of the randomly sampled population were found to be Anopheles coluzzii by PCR-based molecular technique. The WHO susceptible assay revealed a graded level of resistance to bendiocarb, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and permethrin with mortalities of 78.36%, 75.74%; 43.44%, 56.96%; and 37.50%, 37.50% in both Sharada and Wailari, respectively. Pre-exposure to piperonyl butoxide (PBO) resulted in a significant but minor recovery of susceptibility to permethrin. The kdr mutation frequency was higher in Sharada (45.71%) relative to Wailari (31.43%). Higher kdr mutation frequency was also observed in the resistant population (48.56%) relative to the susceptible (28.54%). The kdr mutation frequency was weakly associated with the resistance status (odds ratio [OR]: 5.9, χ2:3.58, P = .058) and the breeding sites (OR: 3.46, χ2:2.90, P = .088). In conclusion, the study revealed a highly pyrethroid-resistant A coluzzii population with low PBO recovery rate. Furthermore, the data suggested the involvement of kdr mutation, detoxification enzyme, and possibly abiotic factors of the breeding sites.

The present study evaluated the antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of the methanolic extract/solvent fractions of the leaves of Dacryodes edulis using a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Albino Wistar rat model. The fasting blood glucose/insulin levels and inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase were determined. Antioxidant activity was assessed in vitro by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyl, superoxide scavenging, reducing power, and total antioxidant capacity assays and in vivo by monitoring catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. The aqueous-methanol fraction exhibited the highest and significant ( P < .05) reduction in fasting blood glucose (FBG; 54.03%) with a concomitant inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities. The ethyl acetate fraction also exhibited a significant ( P < .05) reduction in FBG and an increase in insulin levels in the treated diabetic Wistar rats. A significantly ( P < .05) higher reducing power and radical scavenging activity was observed in the aqueous-methanol and ethyl acetate fractions. The aqueous-methanol and ethyl acetate fractions also significantly ( P < .05) reversed the alterations in oxidative stress markers (GSH, MDA, CAT, and SOD) observed in the diabetic control group. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the methanol extract of Dacryodes edulis ameliorates hyperglycemia and the associated oxidative stress in STZ-induced diabetic Wistar rats. These observed activities are largely due to the compounds that partitions into the aqueous-methanol (55:45) solvent fraction. This provides scientific evidence for the use of this plant extract in folk medicine and also a baseline data for its further characterization. Further work should be carried out to characterize the aqueous-methanol solvent fractions for the active compounds.

This study evaluated the hepato-renal toxicological indices following 21 days administration of ethyl acetate leaf extract of Vitex simplicifolia in Wistar rats. Acute toxicity studies with very high concentrations of the crude extract was carried out followed by sub chronic toxicities studies involving administration of 250mg/kg, 500mg/kg and 1000mg/kg body weight of the ethyl acetate extract to the experimental animals for 21 days. Liver and Kidney toxicological indices were evaluated from the sera as well as e tissues of the experimental animals after the 21 days period of administration. The results of acute toxicity studies indicate that this extract is well tolerated at doses as high as 5000mg/kg body weight. The results of sub-chronic toxicity studies indicate that there was a significant increase in the activities of ALP , while AST activities was significantly lower (p<0.05) compared to the control. There was no significant changes in (P<0.05) ALT and Unconjugated bilirubin levels in the test groups compared to the control. Similarly, the result of kidney toxicological indices showed that the levels of urea, Na + , HCO 3 2-and Cl-were significantly higher in the test animals compared to the control while K + and creatine levels showed no significant change in the extract administered groups compared to the control (p<0.05). Histopathology examination of the liver and kidneys showed mild hepatic damage at the highest dose (1000mg/kg body weight).

Objective: The study was designed to investigate the effects of continuous exposure of dichlorvos (DDVP) on hepatic function and hepatic histomorphology, with the possible antidotal efficacy of Nigella sativa oil (NSO).Methods: Twenty four Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups, with each group comprising of six rats. The groups were labelled as Sunflower oil (SFO), DDVP, DDVP+NSO and NSO. After 14 days of treatments, blood samples were collected, centrifuged and levels of ALP (Alkaline phosphatase), ALT (Alanine aminotransferase), AST (Aspartate aminotransferase) and GGT (γ-glutamyl-transferase) concentrations were estimated in the serum. The livers were removed and prepared for histopathological examinations and evaluation. Results:The findings of the study shows significant increase in the serum concentration of ALT, ALP, AST and GGT with a marked distortion in the hepatic architecture in rats administered with DDVP. However, Nigella sativa oil (NSO) was observed to ameliorate the levels of impairment in the assessed hepatic function parameters and relatively restoration in the hepatic architecture in DDVP+NSO treated animals when compared to the control and group administered with DDVP only. Conclusion:The study concludes that impaired liver functions and histomorphological tissue distortions observed in the experimental rats following DDVP exposure were ameliorated following the administration of NSO.

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