This study sought to characterize the phyto-oil extracted from an unexploited seed of African star apple (Udara) using soxhlet extraction method, normal hexane was used as the solvent at 67°C for 4 h. The percentage oil yield was 23.8%. The extracted oil was liquid at room temperature, pleasant sweet smell with honey-like colour. The oil physicochemical properties such as acid value, peroxide value and saponification value were 17.41 ± 0.43 mg/KOH/g, 57.74 ± 2.77 meq/kg À1 and 236.341 ± 6.80 mg/KOH/g, respectively. Also, free fatty acid of 8.75% and iodine value of 29 ± 0.16 mg/100g were obtained. The identified fatty acids present included n-hexadecanoic acid (7.55%), 13-hexyloxacyctri-dec-10-en-2-one (1.19%), oleic acids (30.21%), octadecanoic acid (5.28%), hexadecanoic acid (2.37%), undecylenic acid (40.33%), 9-octadecanal (7.09%), and 9, 17-octadecadienal (5.98%). The properties of oil extracted revealed that the seed is a good source of oil which could be employed for industrial purposes.Keywords: African star apple / fatty acid analysis / GC-MS / phyto-oil / unexploited seed Résumé -Caractérisation et analyse du profil en acides gras de l'huile extraite des graines non exploitées de l'African star apple (Udara). Cette étude visait à caractériser l'huile extraite d'une graine non exploitée d'un arbre appelé African star apple (Udara), par la méthode d'extraction au Soxhlet ; de l'hexane normal a été utilisé comme solvant à 67°C pendant 4 h. Le pourcentage de rendement en huile était de 23,8 %. L'huile extraite était liquide à température ambiante, de couleur miel et dégageait une agréable odeur. Les propriétés physicochimiques de l'huile telles que l'indice d'acide, l'indice de peroxyde et l'indice de saponification étaient respectivement de 17,41 ± 0,43 mg/KOH/g, de 57,74 ± 2,77 meq/kg À1 et de 236,341 ± 6,80 mg/KOH/g. Des acides gras libres à hauteur de 8,75 % et un indice d'iode de 29 ± 0,16 mg/ 100g ont également été mesurés. Les acides gras identifiés présents comprenaient l'acide n-hexadécanoïque (7,55 %), le 13-hexyloxacyctri-déc-10-ène-2-one (1,19 %), les acides oléiques (30,21 %), l'acide octadécanoïque (5,28 %), l'acide hexadécanoïque (2,37 %), acide undécylénique (40,33 %), le 9octadécanal (7,09 %) et le 9,17-octadécadiénal (5,98 %). Les propriétés de l'huile extraite ont révélé que la graine est une bonne source d'huile pouvant être utilisée à des fins industrielles.Mots clés : African star apple / analyse des acides gras / GC-MS / huile / semences inexploitées

More still needs to be learned regards the relative contamination of heavy metals and pesticide residues, particularly those found in widely consumed Nigerian food crops like cereals, vegetables, and tubers. In this current study, the heavy metals and pesticide residues detectable in widely consumed Nigerian food crops were respectively quantified using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and gas chromatography (GC). Specifically, the widely consumed Nigerian food crops included cereals (rice, millet, and maize), legume (soybean), tubers (yam and cassava), as well as leaf (fluted pumpkin, Amaranthus leaf, waterleaf, and scent leaf) and fruit vegetables (okro, cucumber, carrot, and watermelon). Results showed that the detected heavy metals included arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), and nickel (Ni), whereas the pesticide residues included Aldrin, Carbofuran, g-chlordane, Chlorpyrifos, DichloroBiphenyl, Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD), Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), Dichlorvos, Endosulfan, Heptachlor, Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), Isopropylamine, Lindane, t-nonachlor, and Profenofos. Across the studied food crops, the concentrations of heavy metals and pesticides were varied, with different trends as they largely fell below the established maximum permissible limits, and with some exceptions. Our findings suggest there could be a somewhat gradual decline in the concentration of the heavy metals and pesticide residues of these studied food crops when compared to previously published reports specific to Nigeria. To help substantiate this observation and supplement existing information, further investigations are required into the concentration of these heavy metals and pesticide residues specific to these studied food crops at other parts of the country.

AbstractScience always strives to find an improved way of doing things and nanoscience is one such approach. Nanomaterials are suitable for pharmaceutical applications mostly because of their size which facilitates absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of the nanoparticles. Whether labile or insoluble nanoparticles, their cytotoxic effect on malignant cells has moved the use of nanomedicine into focus. Since nanomedicine can be described as the science and technology of diagnosing, treating and preventing diseases towards ultimately improving human health, a lot of nanotechnology options have received approval by various regulatory agencies. Nanodrugs also have been discovered to be more precise in targeting the desired site, hence maximizing the therapeutic effects, while minimizing side-effects on the rest of the body. This unique property and more has made nanomedicine popular in therapeutic medicine employing nanotechnology in genetic therapy, drug encapsulation, enzyme manipulation and control, tissue engineering, target drug delivery, pharmacogenomics, stem cell and cloning, and even virus-based hybrids. This review highlights nanoproducts that are in development and have gained approval through one clinical trial stage or the other.

ABSTRACT:In this study, we investigated the effect of orally administered crude oil contaminated diet on some biochemical parameters of wistar rat. Twenty four (24) wistar rats weighing between 125-180g were randomly grouped into four (4) of six animals each. Each group was fed with different concentrations of crude oil contaminated diet for 21days. At the end of each week, blood sample (2ml) was drawn from the median cantus vein of the eyes of the rats with the aid of a capillary tube and the plasma samples prepared for the biochemical tests. Also, one animal from each group was sacrificed and dissected every week; their livers were collected, weighed, washed with normal saline and later homogenized in a mortar and the isolate used for biochemical analysis. The results obtained showed the there was an increase in the weight of wet liver, lipid peroxidation and plasma protein concentration. Similarly, a time dependent increase in cholesterol concentration was obtained, with a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the mean body weight and percentage inhibition of superoxide dismutase. These results suggest that there was a negative alteration of the biochemical parameters examined which could have been induced by the contaminated feed they consumed. ©JASEM http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jasem.v20i4.4

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The geometrical increase in diabetes mellitus (DM) and the undesirable side effects of synthetic drugs have intensified efforts to search for an effective and safe anti-diabetic therapy. This study aimed to identify the antioxidant and anti-diabetic agents in the ethanol extract of Leptadenia hastata (EELH). The phytochemicals, antioxidant vitamins, and minerals present in EELH were determined using standard procedures to achieve this aim. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy and flame ionization detector (GC-MS/GC-FID) was employed to identify bioactive compounds. An e-pharmacophore model was generated from the extra precision, and energy-minimized docked position of standard inhibitor, acarbose onto human pancreatic amylase (HPA, PDB-6OCN). It was used to screen the GC-MS/GC-FID library of compounds. The top-scoring compounds were subjected to glide XP-docking and prime MM-GBSA calculation with the Schrodinger suite-v12.4. The Adsorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity (ADMET) prediction of the best-fit compounds was made using SwissADME and PROTOX-II webservers. Further validation of the docking results was performed with the in vitro analysis of the α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. EELH contains appreciable amounts of antioxidant and anti-diabetic phytoconstituents. The top-4 scoring compounds (rutin, epicatechin, kaempferol, and naringenin) from the EELH phytochemical library interacted with amino acid residues within and around the HPA active site. The ADMET prediction shows that epicatechin, kaempferol, and naringenin had favorable drug-likeness, pharmacokinetic properties, and a good safety profile. EELH demonstrated good inhibitory actions against α-amylase and α-glucosidase with 1C50 values of 14.14 and 4.22 µg/mL, respectively. Thus, L hastata phytoconstituents are promising novel candidates for developing an anti-diabetic drug.

The effect of two parameters: inhibitors (potassium cyanide, salicylic acid and urea) and heat on peroxidase from the infected Solanum aethiopicum grown within the Nsukka Area of Enugu State, Nigeria was studied. The inhibitory and heat studies were carried out using standard procedures. The thermal stability of the enzyme was monitored using thermodynamic parameters after heating the enzyme over a temperature range of 30-70°C for 90 min. Potassium cyanide and salicylic acid and urea inhibited the enzyme in a concentration dependent manner. The inhibition of the enzyme by salicylic acid was an indication that the enzyme is a heme-protein. A high half-life of 64.78 mins was observed when the enzyme was heated at 50 °C for 90 mins. The free energy change (∆G)

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is a well‐known drug target for the treatment of inflammation‐related diseases. In this study, we reported the synthesis and biological screening of a series of new carboxamides bearing sulfonamide functionality for PLA2 inhibitory potency and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity. Also, computational technique was employed to characterize the binding poses of top‐ranking derivatives. The biological assay shows that all the compounds inhibited the enzyme at percentage inhibition ranging from 5.3 to 66.4 %, while only six compounds inhibited more than 60.0 % of PLA2 activity. The six derivatives also scavenge more than 60 % of the free radical which indicates they are both potential anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidant candidates. Analysis of the compounds’ theoretical binding poses reveals unique binding interactions exploitable in developing enhanced PLA2 inhibitors.