ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIPLASMODIAL ACTIVITIES OF A QUATERNARY COMPOUND FROM RITCHIEA CAPPAROIDES VAR. LONGIPEDICELLATA

Ritchiea capparoides var. longipedicellata (Capparidaceae) leaves are used in ethnomedicine in Western-Nigeria to treat infectious and parasitic diseases. This study was aimed at identifying the compound(s) that are responsible for the antimicrobial and antiplasmodial activities of the leaves and also to contribute to the chemistry of the plant species. A 70 % aqueous ethanolic extract of the leaves of R. longipedicellata was subjected to repeated liquid chromatographic methods on silica gel, Lobar RP-18 column and Sephadex LH -20 to isolate a Draggendorf positive compound. The compound was identified by 1H and 13C NMR, ultra-violet spectroscopy and polarimetry. The antimicrobial activity of the compound was evaluated using the microbroth dilution method while the antiplasmodial activity was carried out according to Trager and Jenson (1976). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was expressed in mg/ml. The isolated compound, leavo-isomer of stachydrine, inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli NCTC 8196 and Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 6571 at the MIC of 5 mg/ml. In the anti-malaria assay, the compound had inhibitory activity with the concentration required to cause 100% lethality being 0.667 mg/ml. Conclusion: The antibacterial and antiparasitic effects of quaternary ammonium compounds are well documented. However, this study is the first report of the presence and biological activities of this compound in this plant species which may justify the ethnomedicinal uses of the leaves

EVALUATION OF ANTITRYPANOSOMAL AND ANTI INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES OF SELECTED NIGERIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS IN MICE

The extracts of nine selected Nigerian medicinal plants were investigated on Trypanosoma brucei brucei infected mice. The anti-inflammatory properties of hexane fraction of the most promising U. chamae extract was assessed by acute oedema of the mice paw model while the modulatory effect of the extract on Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity (DTH) resp onse on in vivo leucocytes mobilization was evaluated. ‘Dose- probing acute toxicity tests’ established an oral and intraperitoneal LD50 for T. ivorensis stem bark as >1600 5000 mg/kg. Extracts of Khaya senegalensis, Harungana madagascariensis, Terminalia ivorensis, Curcuma longa, Ocimum gratissimum and Alcornea cordifolia showed weak anti-trypanosomal effect and did not exhibit significant clearance in parasitemia at the test dose administered compared with the positive control (Diminal®). However, the leaf extract of U. chamae and its hexane fraction demonstrated a significant response (P < 0.01). The fraction at 1000 mg/kg inhibited oedema by 107%. Uvaria. chamae demonstrated both anti-trypanosomal and anti-inflammatory properties by increasing the survival time of infected mice due to reduction in parasitemia caused by T. brucei brucei

A Comparative Study of School Based Violence and Strategies for Control in Public and Private Secondary Schools in Osun State

Background: Violence is universal; it occurs in schools (both public and private). The study aim was to assess the rates of violence as well as existing violence prevention strategies in public and private schools in Osun state. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted among 800 secondary school students (599 in public and 201 in private schools) selected by multi&shy;stage sampling technique using quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Results: The mean age for all the respondents was 14.26 years &plusmn;2.00. Males make up about 51% of the respondents in both public and private schools. Respondents from public schools assaulted other students and staff with a weapon more than their colleagues in private schools (24.7% and 9.7% against 12.9% and 6.5% respectively). The commonest violence 'prevention' strategy in both schools was punishment for violent acts (&gt;90%). Conclusion: Respondents in public schools perpetrated and experienced virtually all forms of school-related violence more than those in private schools. There were mild differences in existing violence prevention strategies in both schools. School connectedness seems to be a major factor in the differential rates of violence between both groups of schools. Keywords: School, violence, public, private, preventio

A cosmetologist with systemic sclerosis

Scleroderma is a rare disease. This case report highlights its occurrence in a cosmetologist raising the possibility of exposure to organic solvents as a cause as well as the myriad of clinical presentations in such patients. The diagnosis was made using the 2013 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for scleroderma. The essential features were those of widespread hypo and hyperpigmented (‘salt and pepper’) skin lesions, healed digital ulcers, proximal myopathy, gastrointestinal manifestations, extensive skin fibrosis and tendon friction rub. She tested positive to anti nuclear antibodies with a nucleolar pattern and antibodies to Scl-70 was positive. Her lung function test revealed a restrictive pattern.Keywords: Scleroderma, Cosmetologist, 'salt and pepper appearance

Archetypal Personalized Recommender System for Mobile Phone Users

The process of mobile phone selection, for several reasons, depends on a number of common individual features possessed by the manufacturers. The recent advance in these products’ functionalities is identified as a key factor for the growing number of brands and models that compete in its fierce market and thus leads to the problem of product selection. Product comparisons, as a result, are becoming more difficult thus favoring the use of computer-based decision systems to assist consumers in scouting for information on mobile products that can best satisfy their needs. This study proposes an archetypal personalized recommender system that can intelligently mine information about the features of mobile phones and provides professional services to potential buyers. Consumer preferences and product features are technically expressed with the aid of Triangular Fuzzy Numbers while Fuzzy Near Compactness is employed to measure the feature-need similarities in order to recommend optimal products that best satisfy the needs. Finally, an experimental study is performed to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed system.</p

ANTIPLASMODIAL ACTIVITIES OF ETHANOL AND ETHYL ACETATE STEM-BARK EXTRACT/FRACTION OF Blighia sapida K.D. KOENIG ON MICE INFECTED WITH Plasmodium berghei

Reduction and probably eradication of future occurrence of resistance in malarial parasite demand urgent attention towards the development of alternative antimalarial drugs with new mechanisms of action. In view of this, the study investigated the in vivo antiplasmodial activities of ethanol stem-bark extract and ethyl acetate fraction of Blighia sapida against Plasmodium berghei in mice, to provide scientific support for the ethnomedicinal uses of the plant. Ethanol extract (EE) and ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) of B.&nbsp; Sapida stem bark were evaluated for in vivo antimalarial activity, using mice model. EE at doses of 250, 500, 1000 mg/kg, and EAF at doses of 125, 250, 500 mg/kg body weight were administered orally. Pyrimethamine, Chloroquine, and Artemether served as positive controls while 0.9% normal saline was given to the negative control group. At doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg, EE produced chemosuppression of 90.72, 85.62, and 94.06% in prophylactics, 59.33, 75.33, and 82.89% in suppressive and in the curative model on Day 7, 59.46, 59.91, and 56.70% respectively. At doses of 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg, EAF produced chemosuppression of 45.95, 50.74, and 69.12% in prophylactics, 57.97, 66.11, and 81.06 in suppressive and in curative model 71.13, 74.52, and 82.80 % respectively. Results obtained were compared with the standard antimalaria drugs (89.46, 75.37, and 95.54% for pyrimethamine, chloroquine, and artemether, respectively). Results showed that the extract and fraction of B. Sapida possessed potent antiplasmodial activities at different doses considered, which supports its use as antimalarial ethnomedicinally. &nbsp