Aims: To evaluate anti-diabetic and liver enzymes activities of aqueous extracts of Moringa oleifera and Bridelia ferruginea leaves in alloxan induced diabetic albino rats. Study design: Diabetes was induced in three groups of rats, one group was not treated while two groups were treated orally with M. oleifera and B. ferruginea extracts at 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight of rats twice for 1 week respectively. One group was not induced and received distilled water only. The anti-diabetic and liver enzymes activities were determined from blood glucose and transaminases activities of the rats.

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Background Traditional medicine intervention has been used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment due to limitations of conventional drugs. Objective This study aimed at evaluating the anti-arthritic potentials of ethanol and aqueous extracts of stem bark of Cleistopholis patens (SBCP) in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced rheumatoid arthritis in rats. Materials and methods Rheumatoid arthritis was induced in groups 2 to 9 by intradermal injection of 0.1 mlkg −1 chicken type II collagen in CFA into the left hind paw of the rats. Group 1 served as normal control. Group 2 (negative control) received 5 mlkg −1 body weight normal saline while group 3 (positive control) received 10 mg/kg body weight standard drug (indomethacin). Groups 4 to 9 received varied doses of the extracts. After 10 days of RA induction, rats were treated with ethanol and aqueous extracts of SBCP orally at a dose of 400, 600 and 800 mgkg −1 for 21 days. The paw size, body weight changes, inflammatory parameters, lipid peroxidation maker and malondialdehyde (MDA) were assessed. Results Rheumatoid arthritis induction caused marked (p < 0.05) increase in paw size, inflammatory makers and MDA while significant (p < 0.05) reduction was observed in body weight relative to normal control. Treatment with extracts analogous to indomethacin markedly (p < 0.05) decreased the paw size and caused weight gain while the altered inflammatory parameters and MDA were reversed relative to negative control. Conclusion The findings suggest that the extracts of SBCP have good antiarthritic potentials comparable to indomethacin and hence could be used in rheumatoid arthritis management.

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The antirheumatoid arthritis potential of ethanol and aqueous extracts of seed pod of Copaifera salikounda (SPCS) was evaluated using the chicken collagen/complete Freund's adjuvant‐induced arthritic rats model. Adjuvat‐induced rats were treated with varied doses of the extracts (400, 600, and 800 mg/kg body weight) and with reference drug, indomethacin for 21 days. Antiarthritic evaluation was done through measurement of body weight, paw size, inflammatory makers, hematological parameters, cytokines, antioxidant enzymes, reduced glutathione, lipid peroxidation as well as histopathological examinations. Treatment with the ethanol and aqueous extracts of SPCS markedly inhibited the paw size and caused weight gain. The extracts considerably modulated the hematological as well as the antioxidant parameters. Likewise, the extract restored the altered lipid peroxidation, pro‐inflammatory mediators, and inflammatory factors which further accentuate the implication in adjuvant‐induced arthritis. Thus, the ethanol and aqueous extracts of SPCS showed a significant antiarthritic activity that was statistically analogous to that of indomethacin. Practical applicationsCopaifera salikounda (Heckel) has been used in treatment of different ailments including rheumatoid arthritis in folklore medicine. This is the first reported proof of the antiarthritic potential of the seed pod. Oxidative stress has been implicated in rheumatoid arthritis. Ethanol extract of SPCS has been shown to be predominantly rich in phenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids which are natural antioxidant. The present study has demonstrated that ethanol and aqueous extracts of SPCS can exert antioxidative and antiinflammatory effects, thus strengthening its antiarthritic potentials.

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Environmental contaminations by heavy metals are currently an increasing public health concern globally. One key challenge of these toxic metals is the extremely difficulties involved in their detoxification from the environment and effluents because of their non-degradability. An efficient biologic agent with potentials of remediating these toxic metals may ease these ever-increasing problems. We reported toxic metals tolerance and bioremediation potentials of novel bacteria sp. Strains USL2S, USL4W and USL5W isolated from Uburu salt lake, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The phenotypic characteristics and the 16S rRNA gene analyses revealed that USL2S strain belongs to the genus Klebsiella, whereas USL4W and USL5W strains belong to the genus Pseudomonas. The bacteria isolates grew well in media containing 5-15 % of sodium chloride. The bacteria isolate showed capacity to tolerate 50.0 mM Hg þ2 and Pb þ2 , 17.0, 12.50 and 4.0mM Ni þ2 , Cd þ2 , and Zn þ2 respectively in solid media. Pseudomonas putida A4W Strain also tolerated 16.0 mM Cu þ2 , while Klebsiella sp. Strain USL2S, Pseudomonas putida USL5W Strain tolerated 4.0 mM each.