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Securidaca longepedunculata is a savannah shrub found growing in SouthWest Nigeria and some other areas in Africa. It has been reported to be used in the treatment of over a hundred ailments. Its root bark is included in several anti-cancer decoctions in Nigeria. Despite its reported use as an anti-cancer plant, there is a dearth of information on the anti-cancer potential of Securidaca longepedunculata in Nigeria. The aim of this research is to determine the cytotoxic and antimitotic activity of aqueous root bark extract of Securidaca longepedunculata. Securidaca longepedunculata aqueous root-bark extract was prepared and used for the study. Cytotoxic activity of S. longepedunculata extract was determined by the brine shrimp toxicity assay and Allium cepa assay was used to assess the anti-mitotic activity. Brine shrimp toxicity assay showed an LC50 of 25.1 µg/mL and the Allium cepa assay revealed that 100 mg/mL extract caused a reduction in mitotic index (MI) which was comparable to that of the standard drug, methotrexate. Securidaca longepedunculata has potential as a cytotoxic agent.

Thaumatococcus daniellii is an under-exploited, wild rhizomatous perennial herb from Africa that is classified as one of the non-timber forest products. The aril contains an intensely sweet and nontoxic protein used as sweetener in food and other related industries. This study evaluated the nutrient, antinutrient, minerals and sugars contents of T. daniellii seeds. The proximate analysis of the seeds in percent on dry basis revealed 9.18±0.04 ash, 10.52±0.10 moisture, 2.48±0.02 crude fat, 29.45±0.13 crude fibre, 6.67±0.05 protein, 41.70±0.73 carbohydrate and the energy value was calculated to be 213.29±0.11 Kcal/100 g. Minerals analysis of the seeds in mg/kg revealed the presence of sodium 113.00±0.

Securidaca longepedunculata is a savannah shrub found growing in tropical Africa. It is reputed to have more than a hundred medicinal uses and is a major component of anticancer decoctions in Nigeria. Despite its reported use as an anti-cancer plant, there is a dearth of information on the anti-cancer potential and mechanism of its anticancer activity. The present study is to identify the chemical constituents present in Securidaca longepedunculata  by quantitative Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and determine the cytotoxic effect of the plant on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells. Secondary metabolites in the extract were predicted using GC-MS. In vitro cytotoxic activity was determined using the trypan blue dye exclusion assay by incubating Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells with various concentrations of S. longepedunculata aqueous extract. Analysis by GC-MS revealed the presence of the following compounds: bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (90.99%), 1-decanol (4.17%) and cyclododecane (1.86%), phenol, 2, 21-methylene bis (1.32%), cyclopenten-4-one, 3-hydroxy-1, 2, 3, 5, 51-pentakis (trimethylsilyloxy)- (0.89%) and phenol, 2, 4-bis (1, 1-dimethylethyl)(0.78%). Securidaca longepedunculata aqueous extract (SL) was cytotoxic to Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in vitro. The IC50 of SL on EAC cells was 67 µg/ml. The aqueous root-bark extract of S. longepedunculata contains bioactive agents and was cytotoxic to Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in vitro.

Introduction Globally a nutrition transition is occurring, as shown by swift and widespread shifts in food consumption patterns towards the western diet and lifestyle. Accompanying this is an increased prevalence of diet-related-diseases. Developing countries are gradually experiencing a shift from the utilization of indigenous snacks in favour of pastries and western type of snacks especially amongst urban and peri-urban dwellers. In Nigeria, there exist a variety of indigenous snacks such as "Aadun", a maize-based snack, "Ojojo" made from water yam, "Kulikuli" from groundnuts, and "Masa", a muffin-like snack made from cereals, among several others. The consumption of these and other snacks dates back several decades in the country's history, especially among the low-income populace, thus contributing to the overall dietary nutrient intake (Aletor and Ojelabi, 2007). However, some indigenous snacks are deficient in one or more essential nutrient. There is therefore a need to improve their nutritional quality thus providing a nutritious and healthier alternative to western snacks which can be acceptable by the consumers. Masa (waina) is a fermented puff battered rice, millet, maize or sorghum prepared in a frying pan with individual cuplike spaces. It resembles the Indian Idli in shape and dosa in taste. It is different from the maize maza used in Tortillas in Mexico and Central America. It is consumed in various forms by all age groups mostly in the Northern Nigeria and many other African countries (Mail, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Gana).It is principal ingredient of a variety of cereal-based foods and is a good source of income for the housewives who prepare the traditional product for sale. Masa serves as snacks or as a breakfast meal cake, (Nkama 1993). Protein-energy malnutrition has been identified as one of the most important problems in Africa. Attempts have been made to devise strategies for combating this nutritional problem. Nutritious foods of high protein and energy value based on cereal-legume combination have suggested. In Africa countries, traditional foods such as masa play a critical role in the nutrition of the population. Like other single-cereal-based foods, masa protein is deficient in the essential amino acid, lysine, threonine, and methionine. The masa contain about 80% of starch, with the mixture of amylase and amylopectin. However, masa is rich in B-complex vitamins; it has little quantity of vitamin A, D and C. Also it contains mineral like calcium, phosphorus and iron. It is a good source of protein, calories and vitamins, especially B-complex vitamins, compared to the raw unfermented ingredients. Taste of Masa depends upon the type and proportion of raw materials and the properties of batter.

Curcuma longa (tumeric) is listed in several therapeutic regimens used in the management of cancer. The present study investigated the potential cytotoxic effects of ethanol extract of Curcuma longa (turmeric) leaves on HepG2 (a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line), and MCF-7 (a human mammary gland adenocarcinoma cell line) cells. The HepG2 and MCF-7 cells were exposed to different concentrations; 2, 0.2, 0.02, 0.002, 0.0002, 0.00002, 0.000002 μg/ml, of the ethanol extract of C. longa leaves. The Water-Soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay was used to estimate the cell viability of the cells after which the percentage proliferation was computed. The results of this study indicated that C. longa had cytotoxic effect on the different cell lines, caused a decrease in proliferation and it is more selective to breast cancer cell lines based on the results of WST-1 analysis on the HepG2 and MCF-7 cells. These results suggest that C. longa leaf possesses cytotoxic properties, which can be exploited to develop novel cytotoxic drugs for cancer management. Keywords: Curcuma longa, turmeric, HepG2, MCF-7, WST-1, proliferation, cytotoxic, cancer

Abstract. This study was designed to investigate the hepatorenal protective effects of trévo, on cadmium-induced renal and hepatic injury in male Wistar rats. Methods. Fifteen healthy male Wistar rats were divided into three groups of five rats per group. Group I (control); group II (35mg/kg cadmium chloride (CdCl2); Group III (2 ml/kg trévo+ CdCl2. The rats were treated with trévo (2ml/kg orally) and administered CdCl2 3 hrs later. Twenty-four hours after the last administration rats were sacrificed and blood was collected via cardiac puncture and processed for hematological parameters and assessment of urea, creatinine (CREA), and uric acid (UA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and albumin (ALB). The liver and kidney were excised and processed for markers of oxidative stress. Results intraperitoneal administration of 35 mg/kg of CdCl2 caused a significant increase in serum concentration of urea, CREA, UA, AST, ALT, while the concentration of ALB was significantly lower (P<0.0001). CdCl2 caused a significant reduction in packed cell volume, hemoglobin while the total white blood cell count, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils were increased. Oxidative stress was significantly pronounced in the liver and kidney of rats exposed to CdCl2 as observed in the high concentration of malondialdehyde, decreased concentration of glutathione, the activity of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione-S-transferase. Pretreatment with trévo was able to significantly prevent the anemic, oxidative damage, renal and hepatic injury initiated by CdCl2. Conclusions. The study reveals that trévo is effective in attenuating cadmium-induced hepatorenal toxicity in male Wistar rats.