Background Terminalia superba is a well-known medicinal plant used in folk medicine for the management of various diseases and swelling. Validation of its efficacy in standardized scientific models is lacking. This gap needs to be filled as a way of enhancing modern drug discovery. The aim is to evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of T. superba in known and established models. Also, to establish and possibly correlate the established activity with the phytochemicals identified using GC/MS and qualitative methods. Results The result showed a dose-dependent percentage inhibition of DPPH, HO•, and Fe3+ reducing activity. The antibacterial activity showed dose-dependent significant (p < 0.05) inhibition against all the organisms used. The anti-inflammatory activity of METS was confirmed in the carrageenan model with significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of paw volume when compared to control while significantly decreasing (p < 0.05) weight of xylene-induced ear. For instance, after 6 h, there was  a reduction of 42%, 33%, and 22% for diclofenac, 200 mg, and 100 mg, respectively, as against 4% in control. The significant (p < 0.05) increase in MDA was attenuated by the treatment with METS dose dependently. Phytochemical assay and GC/MS characterization showed that alkaloids, saponins, phenols, quinone, tannins, coumarins, proteins, flavonoids, and amino acids were dominant with fatty acids accounting for 53%. Others are esters (23%), organic compounds (12%), alkanes (9%), and carboxylic acids (3%). Conclusions T. superba possesses antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties which are believed to arise from the secondary metabolites observed in the GC–MS characterization. Graphical Abstract

Diarrhoea is characterized with frequent passage of liquid faeces and it involves both an increase in the motility of the gastrointestinal tract, along with increased secretion and decreased absorption of fluid, and thus a loss of electrolytes (particularly sodium) and water. 1 It is one of the main causes of infant mortality in developing countries, 2 causing about 5 to 8 million deaths a year, mainly among children under five years of age. 3 The use of antimotility agents, antibiotics, electrolyte and fluid replacement therapies are currently the mainstay in acute diarrhea management. Gastric ulcer is a common ailment throughout the world, in which the gastric mucosa becomes damaged and perforations lead to bleeding which affects about 10% of the world population. 4 Some endogenous and exogenous factors, including acid, pepsin, stress, and noxious agents such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Helicobacter pylori infection, smoking, and alcohol consumption are known to cause or aggravate gastric ulcer. 5 Despite advances, adequate remedy for the gastrointestinal disorders

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Background: Intermittent Preventive Treatment of malaria in Pregnancy (IPTp) is mostly issued in most antenatal clinics across the country but there have been reports of poor utilization of this prophylaxis. Objective: This study assessed the determinants of IPTp among pregnant women attending a tertiary hospital in southeast Nigeria. Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study in which a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 250 pregnant women receiving antenatal care in the study hospital. The data collected were analyzed with the aid of SPSS, using descriptive and inferential statistics. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A majority of the participants responded positively to most of the factors assessed, however, none was statistically significant. Conclusion: Based on these findings, pregnant women at a tertiary hospital in southeast Nigeria are aware of IPTp, nevertheless, most fail to commence the medication at the correct time.

Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic with a broad spectrum of activity used for the treatment of various bacterial infections and is characterized by poor aqueous solubility and low permeability. The aim of this study is to formulate and characterize ciprofloxacin solid dispersions using hydrophilic and lipophilic matrices for improved product qualities and drug delivery. Ciprofloxacin hydrochloride tablets were formulated as solid dispersions by melting and solvent evaporation in tablet moulds using varying concentrations of stearic acid (10-40 %w/w), Polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG 4000) (10-40 %w/w) and Soluplus® (10-20 %w/w as ethanolic solution) as components. The prepared tablets were evaluated for weight uniformity, friability, hardness, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), moisture uptake, swelling index, disintegration time and dissolution rate, using standard methods and optimization techniques. The results showed uniform solid dispersion weights with friability, hardness, moisture uptake and swelling index of 0.4-0.5%, 3.0-7.5 kgf, mostly <20% and 1-71%, respectively. The formulations were chemically stable with no transformational interactions between components. Formulations without stearic acid disintegrated within 30 min whereas those containing the lipid broke up after more than 1 h. Drug release studies showed high immediate release in tablets without stearic acid but with cumulative steady state release higher in formulations with 10 %w/w Soluplus and different concentrations of stearic acid and PEG 4000. In conclusion, ciprofloxacin was presented as solid dispersion tablets with modified physicochemical attributes for improved drug delivery. Keywords: Ciprofloxacin; solid dispersion; drug delivery