Increasing concern has been expressed about the declining sperm count of humans and the potential environmental effects of both synthetic and natural estrogenic endocrine disruptors (EEDs) on human reproductive health in the last few decades. However, due to paucity of knowledge, we evaluate the chronic reproductive toxicity of sesame phytoestrogenic lignans on the male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats' testis. Thirty adult male SD rats weighing 150-200g were divided into three groups. Two treated groups received a daily dose of aqueous leaves extract of Sesamum radiatum at 14.0 mg/kg bw and 28.0mg /kg bw respectively via gastric gavage, while equal volume of normal saline was administered to the control group for six weeks. Seminal analysis and hormonal assay study were analyzed using SPSS software and P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results showed significant (P< 0.05) body weight gains observed in all the animals with significant (P< 0.05) weight increase in their raw testicular weights compared to control. The relative testicular weight per 100g bw was significantly (P< 0.05) higher in control than treated. However, theweight gain was dose related with a reversal in their relative testicular weight. The cauda sperm count including the motility and morphology of the treated were significantly (P< 0.05) higher than control in a dose related manner. In addition, significant (P > 0.05) increases in testosterone and a significant decrease in FSH in the high dose (treated) compared to control. Sesame phytoestrogenic lignans improves spermatozoa quality in a dose related manner.

Intensive studies on extracts and biologically active compounds isolated from medicinal plants have doubled in the last decade worldwide. However, as a result of paucity of knowledge and folkloric claim on the effectiveness of sesame leaves in infectious disease treatments, we aimed to determine the synergistic antimicrobial activity of essential oils and lignans present in the crude leaves extracts of Sesame radiatum and Sesame indicum. Ethanolic, methanolic and aqueous extracts of both leaves were studied for their in-vitro synergistic antimicrobial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative microorganisms , and Yeast using Agar diffusion method. The GC-MS phytochemical screening of methanolic extract showed that the major compounds in essential oils are of carboxylic acids and phenolic groups especially, the most potent antioxidants known to man like sesamol, sesamolin and sesamin among others. Methanolic and ethanolic extracts have broad spectrum antimicrobial effect against all the tested pathogenic microorganisms except Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus respectively, while the aqueous extract exhibited inhibitory activity on Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Candida albicans. The result confirmed the folkloric claims of the antimicrobial effectiveness of locally consumed sesame leaves extracts especially against bacterial and common skin infection in many areas of Nigeria .

Incidence of testicular cancers is still low in this environment and may not account for major contributory factors in male infertility in Ilorin.

There is a dearth of knowledge on the level of agreement between all the various assessment tasks on the same content area, in order to test this hypothesis we adopted the concept of convergent validity and also to isolate area of academic weakness among the students and to readjust the curriculum content to balance the weakness. A blinded cohort retrospective study was carried out on a total of sixty-six third year medical students who had sat for their first professional examination in anatomy in the new medical college of Lagos State University. Using records of their grades in the various assessments parameters-the average end-in course assessment, short essays question (SEQ), multiple-choice questions (MCQ), and practical (Steeple-chase). The mean + S.D. Pearson's correlation with students t-test (p< 0.05 being significant) were analyzed using the computerized SPSS 11 (SPSS inc. Chicago, Illinois) software package. The practical was significantly correlated with overall performance (r = 0.89, p< 0.01); with the student t-value of 6.15 (p< 0.01). Although, the SEQ showed significant correlation to overall performance (r =0.72; p<0.01), the t-value of 0.4 was non-significant, but, within an acceptable range. The practical, MCQ, SEQ and end-incourse showed an overall rank order of relative performance in assessment tasks, therefore indicates that, in general, students performance in the Professional examination was better than in the end-incourse examination and hence, the need to reappraise this pattern and emphasize the role of incourse assessment in the curriculum.

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Development of novel natural dietary adjunct/agent with significant therapeutic effects on metabolic disease conditions such as obesity and heart disease raises concern in recent times. We studied chronic toxicity of the combined active ingredients present in the sesame leaves and their interaction on the fasting serum lipid profiles with their ratios in thirty adult male non-obese Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Such that, both treated groups received 14.0 and 28.0 mg/kg body weight doses of aqueous leaves extract of Sesamum radiatum respectively on a daily basis via gastric gavage, while, the control received equal volume of normal saline daily for six weeks. Significant (P < 0.05) weight loss observed in the treated groups was associated with significant (P < 0.05) reductions in both serum cholesterol and triglycerides (TG). The effect on the serum lipoprotein cholesterol components and ratios were significant in a dose related manner, such that increase in HDL accompanied a corresponding decrease in both LDL and LDL/HDL ratio. In addition, to increased in TG/HDL ratio. However, no significant differences in the relative reduction level of VLDL and triglycerides in the treated groups were found compared to control. Thus, LDL/HDL ratio is significantly a better indicator than the TG/HDL ratio in assessing the impact of sesame treatment with evidence of weight loss and hypolipidaemia especially in hypertensive heart diseases.