Degradation of pyrimidine ribonucleosides by extracts of Aspergillus terreus
March 2009
Cell-free extracts of nitrate-grown mycelia of Aspergillus terreus could catalyze the hydrolytic deamination of cytidine to uridine and ammonia followed by the hydrolytic cleavage of the N-glycosidic bond of the produced uridine to the corresponding base (uracil) and ribose. The same extracts could not catalyze the hydrolytic deamination of cytosine. Addition of inorganic arsenate to the reaction...
Effect of 50 Hz electromagnetic fields on acid phosphatase activity
March 2009
The effect of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic field (EMF) (50 Hz 0.5 mT) on the activity of acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2) was studied. In addition the factors affecting the enzyme activity such as the temperature, pH and substrate concentration were also investigated. The results show that ELF EMF have significant influence on enzyme activity. Upon EMF...
Lipid profile of a population of diabetic patients attending Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Clinic, Abuja
March 2009
This study was conducted to compare the lipid profile of diabetic patients and healthy controls. The lipid profiles and lipoprotein levels of 50 known diabetic patients and 50 healthy subjects were studied. Total cholesterol (TC), Triacylglycerols (TG), Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were assayed for each group using standard biochemical...
The effect of allelic variation on forage quality of brown midrib sorghum mutants with reduced caffeic acid O-methyl transferase activity
March 2009
Sorghum brown midrib (bmr) mutants have reddish-brown vascular tissues in their leaves and stems as a result of changes in lignin content and subunit composition. Past research at Purdue University has generated a set of bmr sorghum mutants via chemical mutagenesis and established some to be allelic to each other. More recently, we identified additional spontaneous mutants in true breeding lines with...
Isolation and preliminary characterization of conophor nut (Tetracarpidium conophorum) lipase
February 2009
Lipase in oilseeds helps to hydrolyze the ester bonds of storage triacylglycerols. The crude lipase from the conophor nut (Tetracarpidium conophorum) was isolated and assayed via quantification of the free fatty acids liberated by the hydrolysis of the oilseed triacylglycerols. Optimum pH and temperature for the enzyme activity of the conophor nut lipase was pH 8.0 and at 30°C with substantial lipolysis...
A study on the combined administration of chloroquine and insulin effect on serum transferases and phosphatases activity during increased dietary fat and calcium consumption
February 2009
Previous studies reported on relationship between chloroquine administration, insulin and glucose homeostasis, but the role of dietary fat and the combined effect of the drugs on liver function have not been exploited. The present study was set up to investigate the effect of combined administration of insulin and chloroquine on serum transferase and phosphates activity during increased dietary fat and...
Antinociceptive properties of Trigonella foenumgreacum seeds extracts
February 2009
Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (Leguminosae), known in Morocco as “Helba”, is used in folk medicine for its anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, cicatrizing activities and to treat various pain-related physiological conditions. In the present study, we attempted to verify the possible antinociceptive action of different extracts obtained from the seeds of this plant. Three experimental models...
Toxicological assessment of oral administration of some antisickling agents in rats
February 2009
This study investigated the toxicological effects of oral administration of hydroxyurea, tellurite and thiocyanate on some biochemical parameters in rats. The drugs were administered orally to rats daily at their therapeutic dose for 28 days after which some biochemical parameters were measured. All the drugs caused growth depression and significant elevation (P < 0.05) of serum alkaline...
Regenerative action of Cochlospermum tinctorium aqueous root extract on experimentally induced hepatic damage in rats
January 2009
The hepatoprotective effect of aqueous root extract of Cochlospermum tinctoriumon carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) on induced hepatic damage in rats was reported. The present study examined the curative action of the plant extract on experimentally induced hepatic damage in rats. Wistar rats were divided into normal control, induction control, extract and prednisolone treated groups. Hepatotoxicity was...
Efficacy of Dissotis rotundifolia on Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in rats
January 2009
The therapeutic potential of the crude extract of Dissotis rotundifolia was investigated in rats infected with Trypanosoma b. brucei. Animals were treated orally or intraperitoneally at 200, 600 and 800 mg/kg body weight. At 800 mg/kg, parasitemia was reduced by 66.7 and 78.4% after oral and intraperitoneal administration respectively. In vitro exposure of blood forms to...
Lipid peroxidation and tyrosinase inhibition by lichen symbionts grown in vitro
December 2008
The symbionts of lichen species Arthothelium awasthii, Heterodermia podocarpa, and Parmotrema tinctorum were isolated and cultured on various nutrient media incubated in a growth chamber. Methanolic extracts of one year old symbiont cultures were taken for evaluating their potential to inhibit lipid peroxidation and tyrosinase enzyme activity. The extracts of all cultured...
Maytenus ilicifolia as source of antioxidants and anti-radicals agents and its action on neutrophils peroxidase (myeloperoxidase)
December 2008
Maytenus ilicifolia is an important plant with a great potential for cancer treatment and has a popular and diffused use, as tea, in Brazil and in other countries against gastric ulcers, dyspepsia and others gastric problems. In this paper, the antioxidant and anti-radical activities of this plant were compared with trolox and uric acid by their abilities as scavengers of DPPH·, ABTS·+,...
Effects of Landolphia owariensis leaf extract on the liver function profile and haemoglobin concentration of albino rats
December 2008
The effects of aqueous extract of Landolphia owariensis leaves on the biochemical indices of liver function were investigated in Wister strain of albino rats. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the plant leaves showed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins. Acute toxicity tests of the extract gave an LD50of 3370 mg/kg. Liver function tests revealed that the serum...
Two-stage anaerobic digestion of aerobic pre-treated sisal leaf decortications residues: hydrolases activities and biogas production profile
November 2008
A two-stage system was investigated for anaerobic digestion (AD) of aerobically pre-treated sisal leaf decortication residue (SLDR) with regard to hydrolytic enzymes and biogas production. The system consisted of a solid-bed bioreactor for hydrolysis connected to methanogenic bioreactor packed with sisal fibre decortication residues (SFDR) as biofilm carriers. Some of the enzymes produced by microorganisms to...
Study of sensitivity and ability of adenosine deaminase in response to pre-unfolding and especially pathological temperatures via changing the enzyme structure and activity
November 2008
Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is an important enzyme of the purine metabolic pathway, which catalyzes the conversion of adenosine and deoxyadenosine to their respective inosine derivatives plus ammonia, in a rapid and irreversible reaction. In this work, we studied the structural and kinetic properties of bovine ADA as a function of temperature in the range, 20 - 80°C by circular dichroism (CD) and...
Attenuation of N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced liver carcinogenesis in rats by naturally occurring diallyl sulfide
October 2008
The present study was aimed to investigate the chemopreventive effects of diallyl sulfide (DAS), organosulfur compounds present in high amounts in garlic, against N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. NDEA treatment to rats resulted in significantly elevated levels of serum aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and...
Some properties of extracellular protease from Bacillus licheniformis LBBL-11 isolated from “iruâ€, a traditionally fermented African locust bean condiment
October 2008
Twelve strains of Bacillus licheniformis isolated from traditionally fermented African locust bean (iru) were evaluated in respect to production of protease on skim milk agar. B. licheniformis LBBL-11 exhibited the highest proteolytic activity with a diameter of clear zone measuring 35.0 mm. Production of protease from B. licheniformis LBBL-11 was further studied by growing...
Protein profiles of adrenal gland of neonatal rat treated with monosodium glutamate
September 2008
Exposure to excessive monosodium glutamate (MSG) during neonatal life has been correlated with loss of function in stress response that might be involved in changes of adrenal activity. This study was designed to investigate the protein pattern and examine the mRNA level of proteins in the adrenal glands following MSG stimulation. Neonatal rats were subcutaneously administered with MSG at a concentration of 4...
Nicotinamide: A cytoprotectant against streptozotocin-induced diabetic damage in Wister rat brains
September 2008
Nicotinamide is being used in experimental and clinical trials examining the prevention of type-1 diabetes mellitus. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the antidiabetic and neuroprotective effects of nicotinamide require further analysis. Our goals are to evaluate the protective effect and the cellular and molecular mechanisms of nicotinamide against brain damage induced by type-1 diabetes in...
A 22-bp sequence of the core promoter from the Indica rice sucrose-phosphate synthase gene (sps1) is sufficient to confer basal transcription activity
August 2008
The 5’ region of the sucrose-phosphate synthase gene (sps1) of the Indica riceconsists of an atypical promoter which lacks TATA box but has a putative initiator sequence overriding a second transcription initiation site. Analysis of the transient expression of truncated versions of the sps1 promoter (from -148 to +21) fused to the uidA reporter gene was performed. The...
Nicotinamide: A cytoprotectant against streptozotocin-induced diabetic damage in Wister rat brains
August 2008
Nicotinamide is being used in experimental and clinical trials examining the prevention of type-1 diabetes mellitus. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the antidiabetic and neuroprotective effects of nicotinamide require further analysis. Our goals are to evaluate the protective effect and the cellular and molecular mechanisms of nicotinamide against brain damage induced by type-1 diabetes in...
Comparative study on the determination of assay for laccase of Trametes sp.
August 2008
The aim of this work was to determine the sensitivity among compounds in common use for detecting laccase activity. In this study, three assay procedures to measure laccase activity of Trametes sp. were performed in Kirk’s basal salts mediums of three dyes. In the assay methods, three substrates were employed, which were 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), ο-dianisidine...
Nitric oxide scavenging ability of ethyl acetate fraction of methanolic leaf extracts of Chromolaena odorata (Linn.)
July 2008
The nitric oxide (NO.) scavenging activities of Chromolaena odorata (Linn) King and Robinson, was investigated and compared with standard Plant Phenolic antioxidant Quercetin. Disodium pentacyanonitrosyl ferrate (2- ) dihydrate (sodium nitroprusside) was used as a nitric oxide donor. On disintegration at a physiological pH (7.2), 5 mmol/l of sodium nitroprusside generated a time dependent nitric...
Algal extracts improve antioxidant defense abilities and salt tolerance of wheat plant irrigated with sea water
July 2008
Effect of irrigation bread wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Giza 94) with sea water (10 and 20% v/v), spraying with microalgae extracts obtained from Chlorella ellipoida and Spirulina maxima (5 gL-1 dry weight in 0.1% Tween solution) cultivated under normal and stress conditions were studied. Some plant bioregulators (BRGs, ascorbic acid and benzyl adenine, at 200...
Effect of administration of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Enantia chlorantha stem bark on brewer’s yeast-induced pyresis in rats
July 2008
The phytochemical screening of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the stem bark of Enantia chlorantha Oliv as well as the antipyretic effect of the solvent extracts at 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight was investigated in albino rats. Phytochemical analysis of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of E. chloranthastem bark revealed the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides...
Acid phosphatase from snail heamolymph: a cheap and convenient source of enzyme for kinetic parameters determination
June 2008
The study of enzymes occupies a very important position in biological, medical and industrial research. Also, the satisfactory performance of an enzyme assay provides a good introduction to biochemical techniques. This experiment presents a good introductory project to students for the estimation of the kinetic parameters of an enzyme. The spectrophotometric/colorimetric assay of acid phosphatase is very...
Influence of nitrogen application on grain yield and end use quality in segregating generations of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L)
June 2008
Variation in bread making quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L) is a major consideration for suppliers and bakers. Grain protein concentration, protein quality, ash content and carbohydrates are major quality attributes of bread wheat. Breeders and their cereal chemist colleagues use predictors of these end use quality factors in the early generations to develop improved cultivars. Six populations of bread...
Hepatoprotective effect of Cichorium intybus on CCl4-induced liver damage in rats
June 2008
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of hydroalcholic extract of Cichorium intybus (Cichorium intybus) using a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) - induced liver injury in rats. The leaf extract at oral dosage of 200, 400 and 500 mg/kg exhibited significant (P<0.05) protective effect against CCl4 induced hepatoxocity. Level of serum markers such as aspartate...
Hepatotoxic and hemolytic effects of acute exposure of rats to artesunate overdose
May 2008
Hepatotoxic and hemolytic effects of artesunate overdose were examined in rats. Forty (40) rats were grouped randomly into four designated as A, B, C, and D. and were given oral administration of artesunate as follows: 0 mg/kg (control), 1 mg/kg (Under-dose), 2 mg/kg (Normal dose) and 4 mg/kg (Overdose) respectively. The administration was continued for 5 days. Hepatotoxicity was monitored in the rats...
Effect of aerobic pre-treatment on production of hydrolases and volatile fatty acids during anaerobic digestion of solid sisal leaf decortications residues
May 2008
The effect of aerobic pretreatment on the production of hydrolases and volatile fatty acids during anaerobic digestion of solid sisal decortications leaf residue (SLDR) was investigated. Batch solid waste bioreactors with working volume of 2 litres were used in this study. Batch loads of aerobically treated or untreated sisal leaf residue inoculated with activated sludge mixed culture were packed into...
A comparative study on the atheroprotective potential of heparin and atorvastatin in hypercholesterolemic rats
May 2008
The present study is to evaluate the effect of standard drug heparin and atorvastatin on the atherogenic disturbances in hypercholesterolemic atherogenic animals. Six groups of male Wistar rats were employed in this study, of which three groups received atherogenic CCT diet (rat chow supplemented with 4% cholesterol, 1% cholic acid and 0.5% thiouracil) for 17 days. Two groups were treated with...
Oxidative injury and enzymic antioxidant misbalance in schizophrenics with positive, negative and cognitive symptoms
April 2008
With its hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, and cognitive deficits, schizophrenia affects the most basic human processes of perception, emotion, and judgment. Evidence increasingly suggests that schizophrenia is a subtle disorder of brain development and plasticity and oxidative injury contributes largely to pathophysiology of schizophrenia, indicated by the increased lipid peroxidation products in...
Characterization of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) from Echis ocellatus venom
April 2008
Phospholipase A2 (EC. 3.1.1.4) was isolated and partially characterized from the venom of Echis ocellatus. The enzyme was purified 13.5-fold with a yield of 86.69% on DEAE-Sephadex G-75 column. The PLA2 from E. ocellatus venom had broad pH and temperature ranges with optima of 7.5 and 40oC respectively. Initial velocity studies for the determination of kinetic constants with...
Decreased cardiovascular risk and resistance to hyperlipemia-induced hepatic damage in rats by aqueous extract of Urtica dioica
April 2008
Hyperlipemia and Hepatic metabolism was studied in hyperlipemic albino rats maintained on a high fat diet. Aqueous extract (100, 200, 300mg/kg/day) of Urtica dioica corrected dyslipidemia and restored hepatic chemistry in hyperlipemic animals. The extract was effective in normalizing the atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype. Total cholesterol (CHOL), Triglyceride (TG), Low density lipoprotein...
RNA interference: a pathway to drug target identification and validation in trypanosome
March 2008
RNA interference (RNAi) is a phenomenon through which double stranded RNA (dsRNA) induces potent sequence-specific degradation of homologous transcripts. Besides its function in cellular defense and developmental regulation, it has emerged as an invaluable tool for elucidation of gene function and drug target validation. This is particularly useful when substantial genome sequence data are...
Study of the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of evening primrose oil in adjuvant arthritis
March 2008
The present study was carried out to evaluate the anti-arthritic nature of evening primrose oil (EPO) rich in γ-linolenic acid (GLA), on adjuvant-induced arthritic rats. Results were compared to those of diclofenac sodium, a reference standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Arthritis was induced by subcutaneous injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) in the right hind paw of male...
Diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats: possible chemoprevention by blueberries
March 2008
Nitrosamine compounds are known hepatic carcinogens. This study was designed to study the efficacy of dietary supplementation with blueberries (BB) on diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-initiated hepatocarcinogenesis in male wistar rats. Rats were divided into three groups. The first group served as normal control group, the second group received DEN at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight five times a week for 15 weeks. The...
Effects of intraperitoneal administration of vitamins C and E or A and E combinations on the severity of Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in rats
March 2008
The effects of intraperitoneal administration of combinations of vitamins C and E (100mg/Kg b.w each) or vitamins A and E (10,000i.u/Kg, 100mg/Kg b. w., respectively) on Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in rats were compared. The rats were infected intraperitoneally with the same parasite load and the experiment lasted for 17 days. The two vitamin combinations significantly (P<0.05) and...
Mineral and phytochemical contents in leaves of Amaranthus hybridus L and Solanum nigrum L. subjected to different processing methods
February 2008
Mineral and phytochemical contents of leaves of Amaranthus hybridus L. andSolanum nigrum L. Subjected to different processing methods were evaluated. Processing procedures adopted include shredding, sun–drying, oven–drying, steaming and a combination of these. Minerals examined are Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, P, and Zn while the phytochemicals are alkaloids, flavonoids, hydrocyanic acid, phenols,...
Trypanocidal potential of methanolic extract of Bridelia ferruginea benth bark in Rattus novergicus
February 2008
Full Length Research Paper Trypanocidal potential of methanolic extract of Bridelia ferruginea benth bark in Rattus novergicus J. T. Ekanem1, *O. M. Kolawole2, O. C. Abbah1 1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Health Sciences,...
Antihepatotoxic potential of Sargassum polycystum (Phaeophyceae) on antioxidant defense status in D-galactosamine-induced hepatitis in rats
February 2008
We have examined the protective effect of ethanol extract of Sargassum polycystum on hepatic antioxidant status in D-galactosamine-induced hepatitis in rats. Levels of diagnostic marker enzymes [alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK)] in plasma, lipid peroxides, reduced glutathione and the activities of glutathione...
Relationship between somatic cell counts, dairy cattle milk yield and composition in Burkina Faso
February 2008
The study was carried out on ten local dairy cows called Zebu at a research centre located in the west part of Burkina Faso. Dairy cows were supplemented 53.8 MJ metabolized energy and 735.7 g Crude Protein and were free access to natural pasture. Milk yield recording and individual milk sample collection took place within one month. Milk samples were analyzed for composition with the method of mid infrared spectroscopy...
Hepatoprotective activity of Bi - herbal ethanolic extract on CCl4 induced hepatic damage in rats
February 2008
The combined hepatoprotective effect of Bi- herbal ethanolic extract (BHEE) was evaluated against carbon tetra chloride (CCl4) induced hepatic damage in rats. Ethanolic extract from the leaves of Eclipta alba and seeds of Piper longum at a dose level of 50 mg/kg body weight was administered orally daily once for 14 days. The substantially elevated serum marker enzymes such as SGOT, SGPT, ALP, LDH,...
Effects of lipids and (n-3) highly unsaturated fatty acids compositions of three artificial foods on survival, growth and body composition of common dentex’s fingerlings (Dentex dentex, L)
January 2008
Dentex juveniles of initial live weight 5 - 6 g and 108 days old after hatching, were fed three different diets for ten weeks (moist pellet (MP), imported dry pellet (IDP) and locally dry pellet (LDP)) containing three different lipid levels (26, 21 and 10% respectively) and crude protein levels (46, 45 and 47% respectively). Fatty acid composition showed that, DHA and EPA contents of moist pellet are...
Gangliosides as potential inhibitors of Naja naja venom PLA2 (NV-PLA2) induced human erythrocyte membrane damage
January 2008
We determined the ability of mixed gangliosides (16% GD1b, 19% GT1b, 21% GM1, and 40% GD1a) and individual gangliosides GM1 and GD1b to modulate the NV-PLA2 induced human erythrocyte ghost membrane damage. CM-Sephadex purification of crude Naja naja venom yielded eight peaks of which peak VII, a major phospholipase A2 (NV-PLA2) accounted for 22% of the total protein recovered and 8% of the total...
Trans-resveratrol as phenolic indicator of somatic embryogenesis induction in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cell suspensions
January 2008
Trans-resveratrol is a phytoalexin which was found in some grapes and in many other plants. This phenolic compound has gained much attention, as it was indicated to be associated with fungus and disease resistance. Also, it has been shown that phenols compounds could play an important role in somatic embryogenesis induction of various plants. In cotton, embryogenic structures take place in cell suspension cultures....
Allethrin-induced biochemical changes and properties of human erythrocyte membrane
January 2008
Erythrocyte membranes from twelve human volunteers exposed regularly to allethrin, a mosquito repellent of type-I pyrethroid, were analyzed for cholesterol (C), phospholipids (P), and individual phospholipid classes to assess changes induced by this toxicant. A decrease in C and P moieties with no change in C: P ratio was observed with allethrin exposure. A significant reduction in the amount of phosphotidyl serine (PS)...
Aeration as a factor in textile dye bioremoval by Aspergillus niger
January 2008
Experiments were done to study the bioremoval/ biosorption of dis-azo dye byAspergillus niger strain 20 in two concentrations using 5 liter bioreactor at five aeration rates. The experimental results are compared for various operating conditions. The dye used was direct brown and the inlet air flow rate was: 1/8, ¼, ½, 1, 2 v/v/min. The aeration rate of ½ v/v/min yielded 9.2 g fungal...
Status of the levels of lead and selected trace elements in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Abeokuta, Nigeria
December 2007
The study investigated the status of lead and selected mineral elements (copper, zinc and chromium) in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients, so as to establish the possible interactive connections of these metals with the disease and with each other in diabetic patients. Thirty-one patients (15 male and 16 female), clinically diagnosed for...
Molecular studies on the immobility of genomic construction in the random mating population
December 2007
Random population studies are very important to estimate the environmental factors in nutritional, physiological and breeding experiments. Studying the quantitative traits, consisting of genetic, environmental factors and interaction between them is very important as well. In a random population study, the genetic variation for 50 chicken individuals...
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