Myrtus communis has been recommended for relief of insomnia in Ethiopian traditional medicine and aromatherapy. However, no pharmacological studies have yet evaluated its sedative-hypnotic like effect. The aim of this study was to determine if the essential oil of Myrtus communis has sedative-hypnotic like activity. The essential oil of Myrtus communis (500,600, 800, and 1000 mg/kg) were administered orally to Swiss albino mice of both sex, 60 minutes before pentobarbital injection (50 mg/kg). Latency to sleep and sleep duration were recorded. More over the effect of the EO on motor-coordination and muscle relaxation were evaluated using Chimney and Traction test 60 and 90 min after administration of the respective doses of the EO respectively. The essential oil prolonged pentobarbital-induced sleeping time at 600, 800 (comparable to diazepam 3mg/kg), and at 1000 mg/kg compared to vehicle-treated group. The 50% negative response was observed on the Chimney and Traction test at 800 and 1000mg/kg respectively. The essential oil of Myrtus communis possesses dose dependent sedative-hypnotic like activity and CNS depressant activity.

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-related illness characterized by high blood pressure (BP) and proteinuria after the 20th gestational week (GW). Platelet (PLT) parameter changes are the common hematological abnormalities observed in PE patients. The main aim of this study was to assess the role of PLT parameters for PE diagnosis among pregnant women. Methods:A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar Specialized Hospital. A total of 126 pregnant women (63 normotensive[NT] and 63 PE) were recruited using a convenient sampling method. Three milliliter blood was collected from each participant, and PLT parameters were determined using Sysmex XS-500i analyzer. An independent t-test supplemented with receiveroperating characteristics (ROC) were used for comparisons and diagnostic value of PLT parameters between the study groups.Results: Platelet count (PC) was significantly lower in the PE group compared to that in the NT group, whereas mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR), and platelet distribution width (PDW) were significantly higher in PE. MPV had the largest area under the curve (AUC) [0.91: 95% CI; 0.85-0.96] followed by PC [0.79: 95% CI; 0.72-0.87]. MPV can differentiate PE patients from NT pregnant women at cut-off value ≥12.10 fl (84.1% sensitivity and 87.3% specificity) while PC can indicate PE at a cut-off value ≤176.5 × 10 9 /L (65.1% sensitivity and 87.3% specificity). Conclusion:A decreased PC and an increased MPV, P-LCR, and PDW can be used as a simple, cost-effective, quick, and reliable method of PE screening. Of them, MPV is the best indicator of PE.

Background Currently, studies showed that eosinophil count had clinical significance in the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases. But, the clinical significance of eosinophil count in pregnancy specifically in preeclampsia (PE) is not well studied. The main objective of the present study was to assess the diagnosis value of eosinophils counts among pregnant women with PE. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 126 pregnant women at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, using a convenient sampling technique. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected by questionnaire and datasheet from patient’s charts, respectively. A total of six ml of blood was collected from each study participant; three ml for complete cell count analysis using Sysmex XS-500i hematology analyzer and three ml for liver function tests using Humastar 200 chemistry analyzer. The data were entered into Epi-data and exported to SPSS 20 for analysis. The independent t-test was used for normally distributed data and, the Mann–Whitney U test was used for non-normally distributed data. Binary logistic regression and receiver operative curve analyses were also done to assess the diagnosis value of eosinophils count. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The eosinophils count of PE pregnant women were significantly lower than the normotensive (NT) pregnant women (median (IQR): 50 (10—200) vs. 120 (60 – 270); (p = 0.002). The eosinophil count ≤ 55 cells/µL had an AUC of 0.66 (95% CI; 0.56—0.75) for diagnosis of PE with a sensitivity of 50.8%, specificity of 77.8%, and positive and negative predictive value of 69.6% and 61.3%, respectively. The abnormal AST and ALT results were significantly higher among PE pregnant women compared to NT pregnant women (AOR: 14.86; 95% CI: 4.97—44.4 and Fischer exact test p-value = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion The eosinophil count ≤ 55cells/µl had a reasonable/acceptable AUC which may use in the diagnosis of PE. AST and ALT were also significantly higher in PE pregnant women compared to NT pregnant women. Multicenter longitudinal studies with a large sample size are recommended to verify the role of eosinophil count in the diagnosis of PE.

Background Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific disorder characterized by endothelial dysfunction, and activation of the coagulation system. Alteration of PLT parameters is the common hematological abnormality observed in women with PE. The main aim of this study was to systematically review previous studies from around the world to generate evidence about the relationship between platelet count (PC) and PE, as well as mean platelet volume (MPV) and PE, by calculating the pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) of PC and MPV between PE and normotensive (NT) groups. Methods Relevant articles which were published in the English language from January 10, 2011, to January 10, 2021, were systematically searched through PubMed, Web of Science, and African journals online. In addition, reference probing of published articles searching was employed through Google Scholar and Google for searching grey literature. The methodological qualities of articles were assessed using Joana Brigg’s institute critical appraisal checklist. A random-effects model was used to estimate pooled WMD of PLT parameters between the two groups with the respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) using Stata version 11.0. The I2 statistics and Egger’s regression test were used to assess heterogeneity and publication bias among included studies, respectively. Results A total of 25 articles were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Of which, 23 studies were used in each PC and MPV analysis. The overall pooled WMD of PC and MPV between PE and NT groups were -41.45 × 109/L [95% CI; -51.8, -31.0] and 0.98 fl [95% CI; 0.8, 1.1], respectively. The pooled WMD revealed that PC decreased significantly in the PE group compared to the NT group while MPV increased significantly in the PE group. Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that there is a significant decrease in PC and a significant increase in MPV during PE development among pregnant women. As a result, a change in these parameters among pregnant women may indicate the development of PE.

Background Malaria is a major public health problem with the highest morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Hematological changes play a great role in malaria pathogenesis through platelets and platelet parameters. However, the changes in platelet parameters are not clearly described in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to compare platelet parameters and their correlation with parasitemia among malaria-infected adult patients and healthy adults. Methods An institutional-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted involving 186 (93 malaria-infected patients and 93 healthy adults) study participants using a convenient sampling technique at Jinella health center, Harar, Eastern Ethiopia, from July 10–August 10, 2022. Five milliliters of venous blood were collected from each study participant, and platelet parameters were analyzed using a Unicel (DxH 800) automated hematologic analyzer. A drop of blood was taken from malaria-suspected patients for blood film preparation. Results between two groups were compared using the Mann–Whitney U -test. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationships between two continuous variables. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Platelet, plateletcrit, and mean platelet volume of malaria-infected patients were significantly lower as compared with healthy adults (103 x10 3 cells/μL vs 268 x10 3 cells/μL, 0.13 fl vs 0.23 fl, and 9.6 fl vs 15.3 fl), respectively). Conversely, platelet distribution width and platelet large cell ratio were higher in malaria-infected patients than healthy adults (19.2% vs 15.3% and 0.35% vs 0.29%), respectively). Parasitemia levels had a moderately inverse correlation with platelet count (r= −0.419) and a weakly positive correlation with mean platelet volume (r=0.278). Conclusion The platelet, plateletcrit, and mean platelet volume of malaria-infected patients were significantly lower as compared with healthy adults. Malaria parasitemia had a moderate inverse correlation with platelet count and a weak positive correlation with mean platelet volume. Thrombocytopenia and alteration of platelet parameters should be considered in malaria patients.