Nerve growth factor (NGF) combined with oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) induces neural ischemia tolerance in PC12 cells
September 2011
Ischemic cerebrovascular disease is a major disease in humans. To better study this disease, a good ischemia model of nerve cells is needed. Nerve growth factor (NGF) could induce PC12 cells to become neurons. Oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) could lead to hypoxia and neuronal ischemia. In this study, we used NGF and OGD to stimulate PC12 cells and converted them into neurons in order to establish an ischemia model....
Kinetic study of different flavonoids as inhibitors of beta-lactamase enzyme
September 2011
The phenotypic study of the clinical strain Escherichia coli K18 showed that it is resistant to penicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate, but susceptible to the combination of piperacillin-tazobactam and the cephalosporins 3rd generation and meropenem. The isolated β-lactamase, using ion-exchange chromatography on resin Mono-Q, gave a yield of 56%, a purification factor equal to 5.9, a molecular weight...
In vitro biochemical investigations of the effects of Carica papaya and Fagara zanthoxyloides on antioxidant status and sickle erythrocytes
August 2011
Various works have identified a number of herbal applications that have ameliorating effects on sickle cell disorders. The antisickling activities of dried Carica papaya leaves and roots of Fagara zanthoxyloides are being investigated in this study to determine the antioxidant properties of the plant extracts and their effects on homozygous sickle cell (SS) erythrocytes in vitro. The...
Biochemical effects of drinking Terminalia catappa Linn. decoction in Wistar rats
August 2011
The biochemical effects of drinking Terminalia catappa Linn. decoction in place of water using weanling wistar rat (Rattus norvegicus) models of both sexes was studied. In folklore, the decoction is taken as a medicine by sicklers. Some of the phytochemical and chemical constituents detected in the decoction included tannins, flavonoids, saponins, β-carotene, thiocyanates, cardiac glycosides,...
Effects of weaning formulae and electrolyte quality of water on rats administered with contaminated water sources
August 2011
The study was aimed at correlating the protein quality of weaning formula with the amelioration of heavy metal toxicity. Wistar albino rats were variously administered borehole water samples, Aba River water samples, simulation experiment (deionized water incorporated separately with lead, cadmium and arsenate) water samples (negative control) and deionized water (positive control). Two weaning formulae viz: SGMC...
Toxicological and antioxidant effects of ethanolic extract of Baphia nitida on diazepam induced oxidative stress in rats
August 2011
The toxicological and antioxidant effects of the ethanolic extracts of Baphia nitida on diazepam induced oxidative stress in rats were investigated. Forty Sprague Dawley albino rats divided into eight groups of five animals each were employed in the study. Group one or control was not administered diazepam or ethanolic extract of B. nitida but received saline while group two received diazepam only....
Changes in physiological and biochemical indicators associated with salt tolerance in cotton, sorghum and cowpea
August 2011
The aim of this study was to evaluate the interaction between salinity, growth, and enzymatic antioxidants in cotton, cowpea and sorghum. Salt stress significantly reduced plant growth, especially in cowpea. Na+ and Cl- concentrations increased in leaves and roots of these three species, especially for cotton at 4.0 and 8.0 dS/m, in relation to control. Salinity significantly increased...
Angiotensin-converting enzyme genotypes relationship with blood pressure, C-reactive protein and selected physical tests in Zulu South African cricketers
July 2011
Zulu cricketers (n=14) and students (n=17) as controls were genotyped (blood spots) for angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), gene by PCR amplification followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) and grip strength (kg), knee extension and flexion (Nm/kg) were measured, systolic tension time (STT) and metabolic rates (MR) were calculated. After ANOVA, the association...
Altered protease activity due to heat shock in the whole organism Bombyx mori L.
July 2011
The domesticated insect Bombyx mori respond well to environmental fluctuations that govern the success of cocoon production due to its piokilothermic nature. Since, the interaction between heat shock proteins and proteases in the whole organism that complete larval life in natural environment remain obscure, we have employed zymography technique to examine different classes of proteases and its activity under...
Anti-plasmodial activity of aqueous root extract of Acacia nilotica
July 2011
Acacia nilotica, of family Fabaceae, is a thorny tree commonly used in Northern Nigeria for the treatment of cough, diabetes and malaria. Aqueous root extract of A. nilotica was analyzed for antiplasmodial activity in mice. Acute toxicity of the extract was studied using Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guideline 423. Suppressive activity, curative and prophylactic effect...
Evaluation of different matrices for production of alkaline protease from Bacillus subtilis –K 30 by entrapment technique
July 2011
The present investigation evaluates the suitability of different matrices such as calcium alginate, polyacrylamide, agar-agar and gelatin for production of alkaline protease from Bacillus subtilis-K 30 using immobilization approach. Calcium alginate was found to be an effective and suitable matrix for higher alkaline protease productivity compared to other matrices studied. All the matrices were selected for...
Direct electron transfer of hemoglobin on nickel oxide nanoparticles modified graphite electrode
June 2011
Direct electron transfer of hemoglobin, immobilized on a nickel oxide nanoparticles modified graphite electrode, was studied. Nickel oxide nanoparticles synthesized by electrochemical methods. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The resulting electrode displayed an excellent redox behavior for the hemoglobin. The hemoglobin...
Investigating structure-activity relationships within Enterococcus faecalis 2-deoxyribose aldolase
June 2011
The 2-deoxyribose aldolase (DERA) is an enzyme used for the synthesis and decomposition of carbohydrates. The DERA has been shown in previous studies to be utilized in an alternative metabolic pathway during stress. This article uses the Enterococcus faecalis DERA as a model system to study the structure-function relationship of amino acids towards DERA activity in hopes of garnering a better understanding of...
Thermostable, alkaline tolerant lipase from Bacillus licheniformis using peanut oil cake as a substrate
June 2011
Thermostable alkaline tolerant lipase producing Bacillus licheniformis isolated from marine environment. Peanut oil cake was used as substrate for enzyme production and purified to 3.6 fold with a specific activity of 148.4 U/mg of protein with molecular weight of 35 kDa. The enzyme was 100% stable at 60°C, it retains more than 80% activity after 1 h incubation at 70°C and pH 9-11.5. Metals like Ca2+,...
Changes in the amino acids contents of selected leafy vegetables subjected to different processing treatments
June 2011
Changes in the amino acids contents of Veronica amygdaline, Gnetum africana, Gongronema latifolium and Ocimum gratissimum subjected to different processing treatments were investigated. The processing treatments employed include fresh milling, sun drying, oven drying, steaming and a combination of these while the amino acids evaluated include isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, cysteine,...
a1–Antitrypsin: Anti-inflammatory roles in exercise and atherosclerosis
May 2011
a1-Antitrypsin, also known as serum trypsin inhibitor, is an acute phase protein that is upregulated in response to tissue damage and infection. More specifically this glycoprotein affords the host protection against enzymes that are released by immune inflammatory cells. The most notable of these enzymes is neutrophil elastase. Neutrophil elastase has the ability to damage vasculature and in doing so may contribute to...
Variation in antioxidant and aroma compounds at different altitude: A study on tea (Camellia sinensis L. Kuntze) clones of Darjeeling and Assam, India
May 2011
Plants at high altitude are subject to enhanced oxidative stress due to high UV fluence (resulting from air rarefaction) compared to places at low altitude. For survival, plants have developed specific cell protective compounds viz. the flavonoids. Flavonoid derivatives (viz. flavonoid glycoside) may also serve as precursor of aroma producing compounds and are thus relevant in studies on plant quality under varying UV...
The effects of mannan-oligosaccharides on cecal microbial populations, blood parameters, immune response and performance of broiler chicks under controlled condition
May 2011
A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) on cecal microbial populations, immune responses to phytohaemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) and sheep red blood cell (SRBC) and performance (weight gain and feed conversion ratio) of broiler chicks under strict controlled condition. Sixty four day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 12 battery cages pens of 4 chicks each and were fed...
Radio-protective chelating agents against DNA oxidative damage
April 2011
The present study aims to investigate the strong neuro and radio-protective activity of chelating agents through inhibition of metal catalyzed Fenton reaction and aims to explore the potential of PCR-RFLP as biomarkers. Polymorphisms of rat brain angiotensin II subtype 2 receptor gene (AT2RG) were investigated as a biomarker for the effect of 6 Gy irradiation with or without prior carnosine and dimercaptosuccinic...
Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from human umbilical cord: Potential differentiation of germ cells
April 2011
Previous controversy exists as to whether umbilical cord (UC) can serve as a source of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with their characteristics. Different methods and reagents have been used to induce the differentiation of UC-MSCs into functional cells. We investigated the isolation of UC-MSCs and their potential differentiation into neurons, cardiomyocytes and germ cells in vitro. The phenotypes,...
Comparison of peroxidase activities from Allium sativum, Ipomoea batatas, Raphanus sativus and Sorghum bicolor grown in Burkina Faso
April 2011
Current applications of peroxidase in various areas of biotechnology and clinical biochemistry show the interest for further screening for peroxidase. Thus, peroxidase activities were screened in higher plants such as Allium sativum, Ipomoea batatas, Raphanus sativus and Sorghum bicolor grown in a tropical environment. The enzymes were investigated for their specific activities and best...
Levels of two oxidative stress indicators of human sickle erythrocytes incubated in aqueous extracts of Anacardium occidentale, Psidium guajava and Terminalia catappa
April 2011
The present in vitro study investigated the levels of oxidative stress indicators, namely, malondialdehyde (MDA) and methaemoglobin (mHb) when sickle erythrocytes were incubated in aqueous leaf extracts of Anacardium occidentale, Psidium guajava and Terminalia catappa for 12 h. At regular time intervals of 3 h, portions of the incubation mixture were withdrawn and spectrophotometric...
Utilization of dietary therapies in the alleviation of protein energy malnutrition in kwashiokor-induced rats
April 2011
The utilization of diets prepared from available and affordable plants (soya bean, groundnut, maize, and fluted pumpkin green leaves) and animal sources (milk, catfish, and crayfish), in the alleviation of protein energy malnutrition (PEM) was studied, to determine comparative dietary efficiencies of some fortified weaning formulae. The therapeutic diets used in alleviating PEM in the kwashiorkor-induced rats were...
Incomplete laboratory request forms as a contributory factor to preanalytical errors in a Nigerian teaching hospital
March 2011
That most laboratory errors occur in the preanalytical phase has been demonstrated in the past. There is paucity of data on the contribution of incomplete request forms to preanalytical errors in Nigerian hospitals. We examined our laboratory request forms for the frequency of incomplete data. Request forms received at the laboratory in a three- month period were examined for some parameters. The completeness of...
Activities of some enzymes, enzyme inhibitors and antinutritional factors from the seeds of sponge gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca M.)
March 2011
Activities of some of the enzymes; enzyme inhibitors and antinutritional factors of the seeds ofLuffa aegyptiaca were investigated. Enzymes were extracted and their activities determined using standard procedures. The activities of trypsin and amylase inhibitors were also determined using standard procedures. While antinutritional factors were detemined using the AOAC method as well as standard procedures. The...
Extraction and application of dye extracted from eriophyid leaf galls of Quercus leucotrichophora-A Himalayan bluejack oak
March 2011
Oaks (Quercus sp.) are susceptible to a wide diversity of gall-forming insects. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a dyestuff. Kalamkari unit’s method (India) was followed for the extraction of dye. A dark brown dye was obtained from the leaf gall of Quercus leucotrichophora caused by Eriophyes sp. Three different types of cloths and three different types of yarns...
Characterization of the polysaccharide material that is isolated from the fruit of Cordia abyssinica
March 2011
Treatment of aqueous extracts of the fruit of Cordia abyssinica, containing 0.25% sodium chloride with three volumes of ethanol produced an acidic polysaccharide with a 2% yield, on a fresh weight basis. Upon precipitation of the polysaccharide with acid, the yield of the polysaccharide decreased to 1.2% and the polymer showed some level of degradation. With protein content between 2.6 and 4.6% for the acid and...
Trace metals and oxidative metabolic changes in malignant prostate cancer patients
March 2011
Metabolic derangement commonly associated with prostate cancer (PCa) has not been well researched in Nigerian malignant PCa patients yet. The present study was designed to assess the levels of selected trace metals (Zn, Cu, Cr, Fe, Co, and Se) and markers of oxidative stress,such as total plasma peroxide (TPP), total antioxidant potential (TAP), oxidative stress index (OSI) and free malondialdehyde...
Molecular and biochemical novel cancer biomarker for early detection of breast cancer
March 2011
Publisher's Retraction
Polymerization of human sickle cell haemoglobin (HbS) in the presence of three antimalarial drugs
February 2011
To study the capacity of antimalarial drugs to interfere with polymerization of sickle cell haemoglobin (HbS), in vitro polymerization was induced by incubating erythrocyte haemolysate of HbS with 2 g% sodium metabisulphite (Na2S2O5) in the presence of 2 mg% concentration of three (3) separate antimalarial drugs (CoartemTM, Quinine, and Chloroquine phosphate). Spectrophotometric method was used to ascertain...
Purification and biochemical characterization of a xylanase purified from a crude enzyme extract for the determination of active site residues
February 2011
This paper describes the purification of a thermostable xylanase (Xyn) from a commercially available xylanase stock (Buzyme 2511 from Buckman Laboratories International, South Africa).The purified enzyme showed a Mr. of 66 kDa, and presented a dimeric form with two similar molecular weight chains of 33 kDa. The optimum pH and temperature were found to be 6.0 and 50°C, respectively. The enzyme was active over a broad...
Iodine and inorganic mineral contents of some vegetables, spices and grains consumed in Southeastern Nigeria
February 2011
Selected vegetables, spices and grains which serve as staples in Southeastern Nigeria were analyzed for their iodine and some essential minerals. Our results showed that the mean iodine concentration of the vegetables were of 94.61 ± 15.28 µg/100 g, with Uha leaves (Pterocarpusspp.) having the highest with 117.66 ± 3.00 µg/100 g iodine, cowpea (Vigna...
Iodine nutrition for pregnant women in three major villages of Ohafia local government area in Abia State of Nigeria
February 2011
Median urinary iodine concentrations of three hundred pregnant women in three major villages in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, South-Eastern Nigeria were determined. This is to help determined whether iodine nutrition was sufficient or not in pregnant women. The analysis of iodine in urine was by spectrophotometric reaction in which specimens were manually digested with ammonium persulfate. The median...
In vitro biodegradation of keratin by dermatophytes and some soil keratinophiles
January 2011
The present investigation was aimed to evaluate the in vitro biodegradation of keratin by clinical isolates of dermatophytes and soil fungi. Ten fungal species, out of which, six (Chrysosporiumindicum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Scopulariopsis sp., Aspergillus terreus, Microsporumgypseum and Fusarium oxysporum) were isolated from soil and four clinical...
ACTN3 and TNF gene polymorphism association with C-reactive protein, uric acid, lactate and physical characteristics in young African cricket players
January 2011
The genotyping of α-actinin-3 (ACTN3) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) genes of 31 Zulu South African males aged 20 to 27 years (14 cricketers and 17 controls) was performed by PCR amplification followed by restriction digestion. After ANOVA the associations with C-reactive protein (CRP), uric acid (UA), lactate (LA) and physical characteristics were examined using Chi2maximum likelihood test and...
Comparative effects of the leaves of Vernonia amygdalina and Telfairia occidentalis incorporated diets on the lipid profile of rats
January 2011
The study compared the effects of the leaves of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) and Telfairia occidentalis(TO) incorporated diet on the lipid profiles of rats. The rats were fed for 28 days on diets specially formulated to contain 5, 15 and 30% by weight respectively of the leaves of each plant while the control group was fed standard rat diet. The serum total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), high-density...
Antioxidative activity and catechin content of four kinds of Uncaria gambir extracts from West Sumatra, Indonesia
January 2011
Gambir cubadak (GC), gambir udang (GU), gambir riau mancik (GRm) and gambir riau gadang (GRg) are popular cultivars of Uncaria gambir in Siguntur, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The aqueous extract of gambir has been used as traditional medicine to treat diarrhea, sore throat and some studies have attributed it to the presence of antioxidant properties. The purpose of this study was to characterize the...
Enrichment methods for revealing lower molecular weight biomarkers in human breast plasma proteome
January 2011
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, comprising about 18% of all female cancers. The most important tools in screening and early detection are imaging techniques: mammography, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. However, up to 20% of new breast cancer incidents cannot be detected by these methods. Up to now, poor diagnosis of breast cancer is due to a lack of specific biomarkers....
Correlation between moderate Plasmodium falciparum malarial parasitaemia and antioxidant vitamins in serum of infected children in South Eastern Nigeria
December 2010
The levels of antioxidant vitamins were estimated in Plasmodium falciparum malarial infected children aged 0 to 12 years. 113 children with P. falciparum infection were selected based on laboratory evidence and clinical symptoms. 87 apparently healthy children with no malarial parasitaemia were included as the control subjects. P. falciparum parasitaemia and serum levels of antioxidant...
The use of cholinergic biomarker, cholinesterase activity of blue mussel Mytilus edulis to detect the effects of organophosphorous pesticides
December 2010
The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of organophosphorous pesticide on thecholinesterase activity of different organs of Mytilus edulis. The mussels were exposed to serial dilutions of the pesticides (0, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 µg/l) for 96 h. A significant inhibition of the cholinesterase activity from gill occurred at the lowest concentration, which indicated that gill was the...
Biochemical profile of sodium selenite on chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis in male Sprague-Dawley rats
December 2010
Despite the success of experimental, clinical and epidemiological studies on selenium as an anti-cancer agent, basic studies on the effects of selenium are still scanty. This study was designed to investigate the biochemical effects of sodium selenite using preventive and therapeutic approaches on chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. Rats were divided randomly into 6 groups: negative control, positive...
Betaine reduces hyperhomocysteinemia and enhances 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in ethanol-induced hyperhomocysteinemia in rabbits
November 2010
Hyperhomocysteinemia is a hypothesis for the association of homocysteine with cerebrovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and depression of mood. Thus, we examined whether oral betaine can act as a preventive agent in ethanol-induced hyperhomocysteinemia on the monoaminergic system. A total of 32 New Zealand White rabbits were divided into four groups (n=8); the Control group (C). The Ethanol group (E) was...
Biochemical markers in semen and their correlation with fertility hormones and semen quality among Sudanese infertile patients
November 2010
Several biochemicals in semen are secreted by the accessory glands in the reproductive tract. This biochemical can be used as diagnostic predictors for the disorders in the male reproductive system. To assess the level of biochemical markers in semen, their relation to fertility hormones and spermogram among Sudanese infertile patients were studied. The biochemical markers studied were fructose, citric acid, zinc...
Effects of vitamin E and folic acid on some antioxidant enzymes activities of female Wistar rats administered combined oral contraceptives
October 2010
In this study, the effects of vitamin E and folic acid on the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA) production and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities in female wistar rats treated with combined oral contraceptives (COC) containing ethinyl estradiol in combination with levonorgestrel were determined. Twenty female rats were divided into four groups: group A (control) received distilled...
The prevalence of malaria infection in pregnant women living in a suburb of Lagos, Nigeria
October 2010
Malaria during pregnancy continues to be a major health problem in endemic countries with clinical consequences including death of both mother and child. In Nigeria, statistics shows that as many as 300,000 lives especially those of children and pregnant women are lost annually to malaria. This study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of malaria among pregnant women living in Ojo local council, a suburb of Lagos...
Alpha-amylase inhibitor of amadumbe (Colocasia esculenta): Isolation, purification and selectivity toward α- amylases from various sources
September 2010
Two proteins (A-1 and B-2) with a-amylase inhibitor activity were extracted and partially purified from Colocasia esculenta tubers through 80% ammonium sulphate fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel and gel-chromatography on Sephadex G-100. The molecular weight of A-1 and B-2 were estimated to be about 17000 and 19000 daltons, respectively. The inhibitors inactivated a-amylases of...
Influence of sub-chronic oral exposure to high monosodium glutamate on some serum markers of the renal functions in male Wistar rats
September 2010
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancing food additive that may be present in packaged food without appearing on the label. This could increase the possibility of its inadvertent consumption in high concentration. The study investigated the effects of MSG on some serum markers of renal functions in adult male Wistar rats by daily oral exposure to 3 ml kg-1 dose distilled water (DW) and 15 mg kg-1 MSG...
Adsorption, metabolism and degradation of erythromycin in giant freshwater prawn and tilapia aquaculture in Mekong River Delta
September 2010
Adsorption, metabolism and degradation of erythromycin in freshwater prawn and tilapia aquaculture in Mekong River Delta were monitored and evaluated. They were fed practical diets medicated with erythromycin (50 and 100 mg. kg-1 body weight for 7 days). Erythromycin residues in their muscle were determined by the liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry/ mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Our study provided...
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of free radical scavenging potential of ethanolic extract of Podophyllum hexandrum
August 2010
The study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of rhizome of Podophyllum hexandrum under in vitro and in vivo situations. The extract was found to contain a large amount of polyphenols and also exhibit an immense reducing ability. At a concentration of 250 µg/ml, 48% of H2O2 radicals could be scavenged by the extract. The extract also inhibited...
Expression of chitosanase gene from Aspergillus fumigatus JXSD-97 in Pichia pastoris
August 2010
In this study, the plasmid pPIC9K-CSN was transformed into Pichia pastorisstrain GS115 by electroporation and the high expression transformants with G418 resistance were obtained. The expression conditions for CSN in P. pastoris, such as the expression time, pH value and methanol concentration in the BMMY were optimized. The maximum activity of CSN is about 100 mg/L under optimized condition (96 h of 0.5%...
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