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Background: Avocado (Persea americana) is one of the plants widely used in ethnomedicine in Nigeria. The present study was aimed at investigating effects of aqueous Avocado (Persea americana) leaf extract on total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, protein and haematological parameters in carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4)-intoxicated rats. Methods: We evaluated the possible effects of pre-treatment with aqueous extract of Persea americana (AEPA) on protein, total cholesterol (T-CHOL), triacylglycerols (TAGs) and haematological parameters in Wistar male albino rats intoxicated with CCl 4. Group 1 was the healthy control; group 2 rats were pre-treated with Reducdyn® (100 mg/kg/ day) as a standard drug, groups 4 and 5 rats were pre-treated with AEPA at a dose of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg per day respectively, the treatments were administered orally for 7 days. On the seventh day, rats in the treatment groups were injected with a fresh mixture of CCl 4 and olive oil (3 ml/kg, 1:1; sc). Results: Pre-treatment of rats with AEPA resulted in marked increase (p < 0.05) in total protein and reduction in T-CHOL (19-34%) compared to CCl 4 alone. Also, there was significant decrease (p < 0.05) in serum TAG concentration when rats were pre-treated with 100 mg and 200 mg kg − 1 b. wt. AEPA. Similarly, AEPA provoked (p < 0.05) a lowering of T-CHOL and TAG levels and an increase in liver protein concentration in the rats. Administration of AEPA at both concentrations restored (p < 0.05) WBC count and ameliorated neutropenia and lymphocytosis caused by CCl 4 intoxication. Conclusion: These results suggest that AEPA could be protective against the development of fatty liver and might also be exhibiting the potential to prevent alterations in haematological parameters caused by CCl 4 intoxication in rats.

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The present study aims to evaluate the protective effect of methanolic leaf extract and flavonoid-rich leaf extract of Synsepalum dulcificum on lead-acetate-induced toxicity in Wistar albino rats. Forty-five animals were distributed into nine groups with five animals apiece. Group 1 served as the control and was given only distilled water throughout the course of the study. Group 2 served as the lead-induced group and was administered 50 mg/kg lead-acetate. Groups 3-8 were co-administered 50 mg/kg lead-acetate and various doses of the extracts. Group 9 was administered 40 mg/kg vitamin C in addition to 50 mg/kg lead-acetate. The study lasted for 14 days. Standard procedures were used to evaluate the hematological indices, serum total protein, urea, creatinine, as well as marker enzymes in liver and kidney of the animals. Malondialdehyde levels, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione-s-transferase activities were also estimated in the tissues. The results showed that the extracts, especially the high doses, significantly (p < 0.05) ameliorated the harmful effects of lead administration in the liver and kidney as well as in the hematological indices. The extract could, therefore, be considered as having protective effect on lead-induced toxicity in Wistar albino rats.

Aim: Proteomic quantitative UV absorption spectrum analysis was used to study the effect of heat stress on protein extract from cowpea seeds (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp). Study Design: Protein extracts were obtained from 9 cowpea accessions obtained from GeneBank of International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in January 2014. Each protein extract was divided into four batches out of which three batches were subjected to different temperature treatments and incubation at 37°C, 60°C and 100°C for 1 hour and the remaining one batch served as control. Protein content in each control protein extract and 37°C, 60°C and 100°C treated protein extracts Original Research Articlefrom each of the 9 cowpea samples were determined at 280 nm using bovine serum albumin standard curve.

Introduction: Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) has been implicated in a wide variety of diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. Crassocephalum rubens is a leafy vegetable consumed in different parts of Africa for the management of symptoms of diabetes mellitus, inflammation, malaria, and blood pressure. The present study evaluated the modulatory effects of aqueous leaf extract of C. rubens (ACR) and gliclazide on MPTP in the pancreas of Wistar albino rats in vitro. Methods: Pancreatic mitochondria were isolated from experimental animals using standard protocols. Furthermore, MPTP was induced using various concentrations (15, 22.5, 30, and 37.5 mmol/L) of glucose and CaCl2 (3 µM). Alterations in MPTP and ameliorative potential of different concentrations of ACR (8, 24, 40, 56 μg/mL) and gliclazide (0.054 mg/mL) were monitored spectrophotometrically via changes in absorbance at 540 nm for 12 minutes, under sodium succinate energized condition. Results: It was observed that 30 mmol/L, 37.5 mmol/L D-glucose, and Ca2+ significantly induced MPTP opening by 0.635, 5.10, and 9.95 folds, respectively, an effect that was reversed by gliclazide and ACR, in a none-dose dependent manner. In addition, ACR at 56 μg/mL in conjunction with Ca2+ opened the MPTP. Conclusion: Data from this study suggest that gliclazide and ACR, especially at the lower concentrations, possess significant inhibitory effects against MPTP opening in the pancreas of male Wistar albino rats and, therefore, could be useful in protecting beta-cell death usually associated with diabetes mellitus, as well as other conditions in which MPTP opening is implicated.