Journal of Scientific Research and Development

Ethnobotanical survey of plants used in treatment of female reproductive health disorders in selected Local Government Areas of Lagos State, Nigeria

Bolarinwa Khadeejah Subai, Omobolanle Elizabeth Ade-Ademilua — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Sexual and reproductive health problems account for about one-third of health challenges of women aged 15-44 years and may impair fertility. Urbanization adversely affects the knowledge and use of plant resources. Lagos is a large and complex urban area. This report is a survey of plants used in traditional medicines in Lagos State for treatment of female reproductive health disorders. Traditional medicine practitioners were interviewed to obtain information on the recipes used. Twenty-five recipes containing 48 plant species from 32 families were reported. Plants recorded are used in the treatment of infections (17), menstrual disorders (13), fibroid (10), sperm leakage (8) and female infertility of unknown causes (7). The family Euphorbiaceae recorded highest number of species (4). Zea mays had the highest relative frequency of citation (RFC) of 0.455 followed by Citrullus colocynthis and Elaeis guineensis each with RFC of 0.364. Piper guineense had the highest use value (UV) of 0.364 followed by Elaeis guineensis with UV of 0.273. Leaves are the most frequently (26%) used plant parts while stem and cob are the least (2%) used. Oral administration of the recipes, as decoctions, tinctures, macerates, soups and char, was the most adopted (92 %). Topical (8 %) as char for virginal wash was the only other mode of administration. Materials that are not from plants were reported to be used in the recipes and they include both organic and inorganic substances. This documentation is a means of conserving traditional medicine knowledge and a resource for future scientific evaluation.

Effects of counter electrojet on total electron content over the African equatorial/low-latitude ionosphere during the minimum phase of Solar Cycle 24

Imoleayo Deborah Adewoyin, Elijah Oyedola Oyeyemi, Andrew Oke-‘Ovie Akala — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the effects of Counter Electrojet (CEJ) on Total Electron Content (TEC) over the African equatorial/low-latitude regions during a solar minimum year (2009). TEC data were obtained from three Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. Horizontal magnetic field data that were used to determine CEJ values were obtained from two ground-based magnetometers. The magnetometers are located at Yaoundé: Geographic latitude (GLAT) 3.85°N, geographic longitude (GLON) 11.50°E, magnetic latitude (MLAT) 5.30^oS; and Ilorin: 8.50°N, 4.67°E, 1.82^oS; while the GPS receivers are located at Libreville: 0.35°N, 9.67°E, 8.05^oS; Yamoussoukro: 6.87°N, 5.24°W, 1.81^oS; and Rabat: 33.9°N, 6.85°W, 27.92^oN. We adopted the K planetary index criterion of Kp ≤ 3 to define the geomagnetically quiet days, in addition to the confirmation with the International Quiet Days (IQDs) listing. Out of all the quiet days of each month, ten days; five CEJ days and five days without CEJ (equatorial electrojet (EEJ) days) were selected. Our results showed that CEJ occurrences clearly suppressed the daily TEC variations. We attributed this suppression in TEC to the reversal of EEJ from eastward to westward direction. TEC enhancement was observed during days without CEJ, and the higher the strength of CEJ, the higher the extent of modification that it imposes on TEC variation. Generally, the extent of TEC variation during CEJ events is more significant in Libreville (near the southern Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) crest) and least significant in Rabat (outside the EIA band). Furthermore, CEJ-induced variations in TEC exhibit monthly characteristics; TEC suppression was observed 2-3 hours before CEJ onset time in February, March, April and August. However, the suppression in TEC in January, May, June, and July was observed at about 1-2 hours after the onset of CEJ.

Impacts of spent oil on growth potential of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) and soil biota

Ahmed Idowu Omotayo, Fouad Abidem Adetoro, Michael Olaniyan Akinlolu — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Pollution is a key factor impacting the distribution and abundance of plants in nature. It has led to differential selection of plants in various regions of the world. One major source of pollution in Nigeria is inappropriate disposal of spent engine oil. Spent engine oil is inappropriately disposed in all regions of Nigeria and this activity calls for concerns due to its impacts on plants and soil biota. Therefore, this study evaluated the impacts of spent engine oil on growth potential of fluted pumpkin (T. occidentalis) and soil biota. Five seeds of T. occidentalis were planted in three replicates in soil polluted with spent engine oil at different concentrations (0, 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90 mL/kg). Seed germination, number of leaves and leaf area, stem height, dry weight of leaf, stem and root of the different setups were examined at intervals. Also, number of earthworms in the soil at the beginning and end of the experiment were counted. Results showed that 100% germination was obtained in control, 10 mL/kg and 30 mL/kg spent oil treated-soil while germination was inhibited at different levelsin all other contaminated soil. Additionally, germination was delayed in 50 mL/kg, 70 mL/kg and 90 mL/kg spent oil treated-soil, while number of leaves, leaf area, stem height and dry weight were significantly lower P<0.05 at 50 mL/kg, 70 mL/kg, and 90 mL/kg spent oil treated-soil when compared with control. The number of earthworm was highest in the control and 10 mL/kg treatment followed by a significant reduction in their number with increasing concentration of spent oil. Heavy metals in the soils increased with increase in concentration of spent oil. Consequently, the study showed that soil contaminated with above 10 mL/kg spent engine oil hinders growth of T. occidentalis as well as normal activity of soil biota.

Aphrodisiac potentials of ethanolic root decoctions of Anthocliesta djalonensis, Cnestis ferruginea and Rhaphiostylis beninensis on paroxetine-induced sexual dysfunction in male Wistar rats

Ridwan Bello, Angela Ogbu, Richard Adewale, Joy Okpuzor — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Erectile dysfunction has been an important health issue that has posed a huge challenge to man’s well-being; though there has been advancement in this field, these have come with side effects as well as huge costs. Thus, the need to explore traditional medicine as this is readily available and with reduced adverse effects. This study delineates the effect of ethanolic root extracts of Anthocliesta djalonensis, Cnestis ferruginea, and Rhaphiostylis beninensis in paroxetine-induced sexual dysfunction in male Wistar rats. This study takes cognizance that Traditional medicine practitioners use a combination of herbs and plants in treating diseases. The dried roots of Anthocliesta djalonensis, Cnestis ferruginea, and Rhaphiostylis beninensis were soaked in 70% ethanol, filtered, and concentrated to obtain crude extracts. The ethanolic extracts were screened for chemical constituents. The result of the screening was then used to create two separate mixtures which were then administered to the paroxetine-induced rats every 48 hours for 7 days in different concentrations of 50 mg/kg, 75 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg. Thereafter, the rats were sacrificed, and the serum samples collected were used for hormonal and nitric oxide assays. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, phenols, and tannins. The quantitative evaluation revealed that flavonoids and alkaloids were the most abundant constituents of R. beninensis having a concentration of 20.56 +/- 0.13 mg/g and 23.62 +/- 0.39 mg/g respectively. The concentrations of saponin, tannin, and phenol in Cnestis ferruginea peaked at 13.22 +/-0.11 mg/g, 15.46+/- 0.26 mg/g, and 20.86+/- 0.19 mg/g, respectively. All the different concentrations of the extracts resulted in a statistically significant increase (P<0.05) in the concentration of nitric oxide and the hormones (luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, and testosterone) in the treated Wistar rats which competed favourably with Wistar rats that received only the standard drug (Sildenafil Citrate). This study, therefore, establishes that the decoction of ethanol root extracts of A. djalonensis, C. ferruginea, and R. beninensis may be beneficial in the management of erectile dysfunction in male Wistar rats. Accordingly, further research is needed to channel these plants towards drug development that would bring succour to men that are grappling with the problem of erectile dysfunction.

Evaluation of clear-sky solar spectral irradiance using radiative transfer model

Nald Erusiafe, Festus Akinboro — Sun, 22 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The amount of solar radiation incident on the Earth surface is important from the point of view of the environment and

energy generation. The objective of this work is to estimate the clear sky spectral and solar irradiance components based

on the framework of the Simple Model of the Atmospheric Radiation Transfer of Sunshine (SMARTS) radiative transfer

model. This model is used to analyze clear sky spectral distribution of solar irradiance and its components at wavelength

ʎ = 500 nm for Lagos area and Jos, Plateau state at air-mass two (AM2) for selected days that meet the criteria for clear

sky. Meteorological parameters such as air temperature, relative humidity, precipitable water among others, serve as

inputs to the model which calculates the spectral content, the atmospheric transmission parameters along with global solar radiation, direct (or beam) solar radiation and diffuse solar radiation. The results of the radiation parameters show good agreement with ground based measurements with percentage normalized root-mean-square-error of less than 10% for both locations (Akoka and Jos). The results show that the spectral content and the solar irradiance can be estimated with a good level of accuracy for application in the analysis of solar converters

Pathogenicity of Cronobacter sakazakii isolated from powdered infant formula retailed in Lagos metropolis, Nigeria

Sat, 21 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Cronobacter sakazakii has been implicated as the causative agent for disease such as sepsis, meningitis and necrotizing

enterocolitis in neonates. One of the routes of entry of the C. sakazakii is through the consumption of contaminated

powdered infant formula. Although powdered infant formula was assumed to be sterile, research has proven otherwise.

The pathogenesis of C. sakazakii is an area of research that has been under explored. No data about the ability of C.

sakazakii to invade the intestinal tissue in Nigeria is available. In this study, two weeks old rats were housed in five per

cage. For each molecularly identified C. sakazakii strain isolated from powdered infant formula retailed in Lagos

metropolis, and serial dilutions (100, 10-1 , 10-2 , and 10-3 ) suspension was prepared in saline. Four groups of rats were

inoculated orally and intraperitoneally with 0.1 mL of either 100, 10-1 , 10-2 , or 10-3 dilution of bacterial. One group of the

rats was injected with normal saline and one group was not injected at all. The rats were observed for clinical signs and

mortality. Then, brain, caecum and liver were aseptically examined for hispathological changes. Sixty-five per cent of the

rats died before day seven; while the remaining 35% were euthanized and the caecum, brain, and liver were used for

histopathological analysis. Bacterial pathogenicity of mice was established with histopathological effects, varying from

moderate stunting of intestinal villi to various degrees of inflammation of the hepatic tissues and dilated vessel along with neutrophil vascularization of cranial tissue. This study indicates that C. sakazakii is a pathogenic organism of mice and can cause huge mortality within seven days of post infection. The infection also induces heamorrhagic lesion, vascular thrombosis and neuronal hyperplasia in cranial tissue of neonate mice, which indicate that the organism upon

gaining entry into the intestine of the mice find its way to the blood, liver, kidney and eventually to the brain.

Antibacterial effects of silver nanoparticles biosynthesised from aqueous extracts of Pleurotus tuber-regium Fr. Sing. (An edible mushroom)

Erute Magdalene Adongbede, Oluwatobi Deborah Okeowo — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Multi-drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria is a global health problem that needs urgent attention. Nanoparticles of biogenic origin have emerged as potential safe antimicrobial agents for treating multidrug resistant strains of bacteria. The current research focused on the production, characterization, and antibacterial effects of Pleurotus tuber-regium synthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). The synthesis of colloidal Ag-NPs was monitored and characterized using UV-Visible spectrometry and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometry. Antimicrobial effect of P. tuber-regium extracts, Ag-NPs and eight standard antibiotics against %

Bacterial profiling of powdered infant formula retailed in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Powdered Infant Formula (PIF) is a non-sterile environment but erroneously adjudged sterile in uninformed

populations where food safety is scarcely regarded. PIF becomes a potential medium for certain categories of

bacteria that may pose health hazards to weaning deprived infants as alternative to breast feeding. In this

study, bacteria taxonomy of 172 different infant formulas made up of 38 brands were determined, using

culture independent approach by targeting the V1-V3 regions of 16S rRNA genes. A total of 60,876 sequence

reads were obtained, comprising 2 dominant phyla: Firmicutes (85.2%) and Proteobacteria (14.8%). The

dominant classes of the two phyla include Bacilli (84%) and Gammaproteobacteria (14.5%), which majorly

comprised Bacillus (81.7%) and Enterobacter (12.8%) genera. Approximately 97% of the sequence reads

comprised 84 species, which include Bacillus amyloliquefaciens group (75.9%), Enterobacter asburiae group (6.9%)

and Enterobacter cloacae group (5.6%) as the dominant species. However, some potential pathogens including Cronobacter sakazakii, Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella enterica, and Alcaligenes faecalis were found in low abundance in the PIF, indicating that some of the PIFs may be unsafe for infant weaning. Therefore, the PIF available to infants in Lagos metropolis are not sterile as erroneously thought, containing low diversity of bacteria that

makes safety of the formulas questionable.

Effects of aqueous leaf extract of Jatropha curcas with Vitamin C co-treatment on haematological parameters in Wistar rat

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Evaluations of haematological parameters are used in the assessment of the clinical entities related to various diseases. Leaf extract of Jatropha curcas has been hypothesized to have a potent anti-anaemic property. Also, vitamin C has been linked with antihypertensive activities. The present study aimed at evaluating the combined effect of aqueous leaf extract of Jatropha curcas and vitamin C on red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, haemoglobin and packed cell volume in Wistar rats. Twenty (20) adult Wistar rats (185 – 200 g) were randomly sorted into four groups (n=5); CTRL (distilled water), J. curcas (200 mg/kg of aqueous leaf extract of Jatropha curcas), Vit. C (100 mg/kg vitamin C) and both for J. curcas + Vit. C All substances were administered orally for 21 days. Blood samples were collectedvia the retinal vein using capillary tubes for haematological analyses such as RBCs, WBCs and PLTs count using hemocytometer, Hb concentration using colourimeter and PCV using haematocrit reader. The result showed a significantly (P < 0.05) increased red blood cells, platelets, haemoglobin and packed cell volume, as well as a significantly (P < 0.05) decreased white blood cells in Jatropha curcas + vitamin C group compared to the control. These results demonstrate the potential of Jatropha curcas and vitamin C to improve vital haematological parameters. In conclusion, this study revealed that extract of Jatropha curcas and vitamin C possess the properties of improving physiological status of blood.

Diversity and antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and skin of house wall geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus)

Ayodele Elizabeth Omotayo, Adetiba Precious Durojaye — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Animals maintain complex relationships with diverse microorganisms living in their gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) and skin as normal flora. This work investigated the bacterial composition of the GIT and skin of house wall geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) and their susceptibility to antibiotics. The samples were captured from residential areas in Oworo, Lagos and cultured on different nutrient media. The isolates were biochemically identified and subjected to susceptibility tests using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Seventy-one (71) bacteria species were isolated from both GIT and skin of 20 geckos (8 males and 12 females). They belong to 14 genera.; Staphylococci, Bacillus, Listeria, Corynebacterium, Shigella, Yersinia, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, Serratia, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Escherichia and Proteus. Staphylococcus spp. (33.79%) were the most prevalent followed by Pseudomonas spp. (15.45%) and Salmonella spp. (9.86%). The bacterial population was higher in male (56%) than the female (44%) geckos, and in the GIT (63%) than on the skin (37%). The Gram-positive isolates were a 100% resistant to Gentamicin (30 µg/disc), Oxacillin (1 µg/disc) and Vancomycin (30 µg/disc). They were susceptible to Chloramphenicol (30 µg/disc) (54.5%) and Doxycycline (30 µg/disc) (66.67%). There was a 100% resistance in Gram-negative bacteria to Aztreonam (30 µg/disc), Cefotaxime (30 µg/disc) and Rifampicin (5 µg/disc), with a 100% sensitivity to Meropenem (10 µg/disc). According to the findings, the gastrointestinal tract harbours more bacteria than the skin of geckos and both are reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria.

GC-MS analysis and antimicrobial activity of methanol extract of Hallea Ciliata: A preliminary investigation

Selina Omonmhenle, Osaro Iyekowa — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This study was carried out to screen the phytochemical constituents, analyze the chemical constituents by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and determine the antimicrobial activity of methanol extract of Hallea ciliata on some pathogens. The H. ciliata leaves were collected, dried, pulverized and extracted with methanol using cold extraction method. The crude extract was concentrated via a rotary evaporator (model RE, 200) to obtain a syrupy fraction. Phytochemical screening was conducted on the methanol fraction according to standard method, preliminary characterization by GC-MS and antimicrobial activity by the agar well diffusion method. The phytochemical analyzed in methanol extract of H. ciliata leaves indicated the presence of glycoside, saponins, eugenols and alkaloids among others. The major compound detected in the GC-MS analyses was oleic acid (retention time (Rt), 12.032, 18.76%) an unsaturated fatty acid while the minor component among others was glycerol-palmitate (Rt. 18.299, 0.82%). The antimicrobial results indicated a higher zone of inhibition as the concentration of the extract increases for Escherichia coli (13.0 mm) and Klebsiella pneumonia (16.6 mm) while 12.5 mm zone of inhibition was reported against Penicilium notatum. This work corroborates the local use of the plant in the traditional treatment of microbial infection.

Performance evaluation of machine learning models for detection of Mirai infection in IoT devices

Ifeoluwa Akanmu, Victor Odumuyiwa — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The Internet of Things (IoT) brought in a new age of data connectivity and has vast applications in a wide range of industries. As a result of the upsurge of IoT devices, there has been a rise in IoT-based botnet attacks. IoT devices are particularly vulnerable to the Mirai malware; the botnet that was behind the severest Distributed Denial-Of-Service (DDoS) attacks ever recorded. Due to the massive scale and heterogeneity of IoT deployments, traditional security solutions have proven ineffective. However, Machine Learning approaches can provide the optimal approach needed for IoT security. In this research, Random Forest (RF), Decision Trees (DT), Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Logistic Regression (LR) Machine Learning (ML) models were used to detect the presence of Mirai in IoT devices. Data was extracted from the N-BaIoT dataset, which contained benign and malicious traffic from IoT devices infected with Mirai. This research compares these models based on their precision, recall, accuracy and F1-scores. The results showed that the performance of Decision Tree and Random Forest models were very high, while that of the SVM was above average and the Logistic Regression (LR) model was average. For the three IoT devices of interest in this paper, Logistic Regression and Support Vector Machines had average F1 scores of 0.63 and 0.80 respectively, while Decision Trees and Random Forests both had an average F1 score of 0.99. Using ML models based on decision trees and random forests will be an effective way to reliably detect Mirai in IoT devices

Anti-diabetic potential, biochemical and histopathological changes in alloxan-induced diabetic rats treated with Carica papaya extract

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The toxicity of oral antidiabetic drugs differs widely in clinical manifestations, severity, and treatment. Alternative medicines particularly herbal medicines are available for the treatment of diabetes. This study investigated the anti-diabetic, biochemical and histopathological changes of Carica papaya extract in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Rats were randomly grouped into negative control, positive control and experimented (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight). Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of 160 mg/kg body weight of alloxan. Blood glucose levels were measured using blood glucose test strips with AccuCheck Advantage II glucometer at 1, 3, 6, and 24 h on the first day and 1 h after treatment on days 3, 5 and 7. Phytochemical and histopathological analysis of Carica papaya extract and pancreas tissues were also carried out respectively. Blood samples were collected and centrifuged to separate serum for estimation of biochemical parameters. The phytochemical screening revealed that alkaloids, reducing sugar, anthraquinones, flavonoids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, and steroids were present while only tarnins and phenols was absent. Histopathological study on pancreas in the treatment group indicates the presence of pancreatic islet cells and increased number of islet of Langerhans. Daily oral administration of Carica papaya extract (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg body weight) showed beneficial effects on blood glucose level at (p<0.05). Biochemical profile and hematological reductive effect was observed in the groups treated with the aqueous stem extract of Carica papaya. This study showed that Carica papaya extracts possess anti-diabetic activities as well as improve liver and renal profile and total lipids levels.

Plants and chicken organs: Important pathways of human exposure to potentially toxic elements from e-waste recycling site in Lagos, Nigeria

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Disposal and recycling of electronic wastes (e-waste) in developing countries such as Nigeria are carried out using informal techniques. This results in human exposure and contamination of environmental and biotic systems with potentially toxic elements (PTEs). This study reports concentrations of five PTEs (Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in aquatic and terrestrial plants as well as the organs (skin, liver, kidney, meat and gizzard) of chicken samples collected in the oldest and largest e-waste recycling site in Nigeria, Alaba e-waste recycling site, Lagos. The concentrations of PTEs in the samples were quantified with Atomic Absorption Spectrometer after appropriate digestions with acids. Furthermore, the health risk assessment through consumption of local foods as a dietary exposure to PTEs for populations in the vicinity of the e-waste recycling site was estimated using the USEPA model. In the plant samples, the concentration range of the PTEs were 0.1 – 2.75; BDL - 0.1; 0.65 – 12.6; 0.2 – 6.85 and 2.35 – 56.9 mg/kg for Cd, Co, Cu, Pb and Zn respectively. The concentration of PTEs in the chicken organs ranged from 1.88 – 16.9; 4.38 - 28.1; 0.630 – 122 and 101 – 443 mg/kg for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn respectively, while Co was found to be below detection limit of 0.08 mg/kg in all the chicken organs. The concentrations of PTEs in some terrestrial plants and all the chicken organs greatly exceeded WHO permissible limits whereas, the concentration in aquatic plants were below permissible limits. Based on the hazard quotient, chicken organs may pose the highest health hazard especially to children. The maximum hazard quotient of the chicken organs for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were 113; 4.7; 41.7 and 9.8, respectively for children and 36.2; 1.5; 13.4 and 3.2 respectively for adults. It is recommended that animals from such recycling sites should not be consumed