<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic virus classified as category A priority pathogen. Rift Valley fever (RVF) has been poorly investigated in Nigeria with the infection among Nigerians last reported in 1996. Two hundred (200) febrile subjects with symptoms of malaria attending local hospitals in Ilorin, Nigeria were investigated for malaria, malaria positive subjects were investigated for the presence of RVF. Malaria screening was done using <italic>Carestart</italic>TM malaria HRP2(pf), while RVF antibodies were tested for using anti-RVF IgM ELISA. Molecular identification of the viral genome was carried out using RNA extraction (QIAGEN) and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). Of the 200 subjects tested for malaria infection, 93 (46.5%) were positive, while 20 (21.5%) of the 93 subjects were seropositive for RVF. RVF virus genome was found in 5 (25%) of the 20 positive subjects. The high prevalence of RVF among malaria positive subjects show that there is a risk of a RVF outbreak if its prevalence remains unchecked.</abstract>

Prevalence of Rift Valley Fever Virus in Febrile Malaria Patients using Serological and Molecular-based Evidence

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Genetic diversity in nineteen strains of <italic>Pleurotus</italic> was studied using morphometric traits and growth factors. Ability of the isolates of these strains to tolerate different ranges of temperature and pH were evaluated. Highest mycelial growth rates were obtained at 25 °C (mutants and hybrids) and 30 °C (wild type), while LAU 90 (mutant) performed satisfactorily at all evaluated temperature ranges (15-35 °C). Highest mycelial yields (dry weight) were produced by LAU 90 at different pH regimes (4.0 - 9.0), while hybrids LN 97 and LN 98 maximally produced mycelial yield at pH 5.0 and 7.0, respectively. Analysis od Principal component (PC) revealed that components of these strains accounted for 86.1% of total variations among the strains with first PC recording 44.6%. The dendrogram discriminated nineteen <italic>Pleurotus</italic> genotypes into two major genetic groups with mutants and hybrid strains in Cluster A, separated distinctly from wild parents in Cluster B, indicating genetic diversity. The expression of heterosis can be maximized by information obtained among the hybrid strains and mutant (LAU90) strain. The hybrid (LN98) strain with superior performance may be selected for adoption in commercial mushroom production.</abstract>

Genetic Diversity Among Strains of <italic>Pleurotus</italic> species (oyster mushroom) Using Morphometric Traits Under Varied Temperature and pH

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Flocculants are chemicals that mediate flocculation process, by aggregating colloids from suspension to form floc. Chemical flocculants are hazardous to the environment, which inform the search for safer and eco-friendly alternatives from microorganisms. Bacterial strains were isolated from water and sediment samples collected from Sodwana Bay, South Africa, and physiological properties of the bacterial strains were observed. Flocculation test using kaolin clay suspension was done on all isolates and the ones that showed flocculating activity were identified molecularly using 16 rRNA gene sequence analysis. Forty marine bacteria isolates were gotten from sediments and water samples collected from Sodwana Bay. Most of the isolates exhibited a range of colony pigmentation (pink, creamy, yellow, and white). After purification of individual isolates, they were screened for their potential to produce bioflocculant. The result revealed that isolates marked SOD3, SOD10, SOD12, SOD26, SOD27, SOD28, SOD32, SOD33 and SOD34 produced bioflocculants as shown by the flocculating activities from their crude extract. All these isolates showed good flocculation of kaolin clay suspension above 60% (flocculating activity) except SOD12. These bioflocculant producing isolates were identified as <italic>Pseudoalteromonas sp</italic>, <italic>Alcaligenes faecalis</italic>, <italic>Bacillus subtilis</italic>, <italic>Bacillus cereus</italic>, <italic>Bacillus stratosphericus</italic>. The results showed Sodwana Bay, South Africa as a reservoir of bacteria with potential to produce flocculants. However, further studies on the optimisation of culture conditions for bioflocculant production, extraction, characterisation and application of isolates is on the way to underscore the biotechnological importance of these microbes as producers of substitutes to harmful chemical flocculants commonly used in water and wastewater treatment.</abstract>

Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology

Screening for Bioflocculant-Producing Bacteria from the Marine Environment of Sodwana Bay, South Africa

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Mitochondrial dysfunction (MD) and impaired apoptotic pathways cause irreversible opening of the Mitochondrial Permeability Transition (MPT) pore, resulting in several pathological conditions e.g. cancer, ageing and neurodegenerative diseases. Many bioactive compounds from plants have been identified as modulators of the MPT pore which makes them possible drugs for the management of MD associated diseases. <italic>Adenopus breviflorus</italic> (<italic>A.breviflorus</italic>) is a tropical medicinal plant used in folkore medicine as an abortifacient and in treating gonorrhoea. In this study, the effects of ethylacetate and methanol fractions of <italic>A.breviflorus</italic> were assessed on rat liver MPT pore and Mitochondrial ATPase (mATPase). The fruit of <italic>A.breviflorus</italic> was extracted with water to obtain the aqueous Extract (AEAB), which was fractionated using vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC) to obtain ethylacetate and methanol fractions of <italic>A.breviflorus</italic> (EFAB, and MFAB). The extent of MPT pore opening and mATPase by EFAB and MFAB were assayed spectrophotometrically. The results obtained showed that EFAB and MFAB have no significant inductive effect on the MPT pore in the absence of Ca2+. However, in the presence of Ca2+, EFAB inhibited calcium-induced MPT pore opening in a non-concentration dependent manner. Maximum inhibition of MPT pore opening was 57.1% at 50 μg/ml. Interestingly, MFAB potentiated calcium ion effect by opening the pore further. Specifically, MFAB opened the MPT pore by 11, 10, 17 and 9% at 50, 150, 250 and 350 μg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, EFAB and MFAB inhibited mATPase activity in rat liver mitochondria at 62.5, 187.5, 312.5 and 437.5 μg/ml by 2.6, 18.8, 37.3, 52.6% and 41.8, 6.8, 24.3, 8.4%, respectively. The ethylacetate and methanol fractions of <italic>Adenopus breviflorus</italic> possess potential phytochemicals that can modulate opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and inhibit mitochondrial ATPase activity in rat liver. These fractions may find use in drug development against diseases where excessive apoptosis takes place.</abstract>

Laboratory for Biomembrane Research and Biotechnology

Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine

Fractions of <italic>Adenopus breviflorus</italic> Extract Modulate Calcium-induced Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Opening in Rat Liver

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Phytochemical constituents of plants extracts have been well investigated as leads for drug discovery and development. However, aside their immense medicinal properties, their safety is also of paramount importance, therefore evaluating the toxicity of plants extracts and their phytochemicals is an important aspect of quality measures to meet the requirements for consumption.This study was done to identify the volatile phytochemical compounds present in n-hexane extract of <italic>Uvaria chamae</italic> stems (UCSH) with the aid of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and to evaluate the effects of this non-polar extract on DNA using diphenylamine (DPA) and agarose gel electrophoresis assays, also to investigate the haematological parameters using an auto Haematology Analyzer.The GC-MS analysis of UCSH identified some compounds which include; squalene, lupeol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and Benzyl benzoate with excellent medicinal properties. Genotoxicity assays results showed significant reductions in DNA fragmentation in liver and testis cells of mice as against the DNA biomarker and vehicle control group. Haematological results showed significant increase in white blood cells (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), platelets (PLT) and lymphocytes (LYMP) but significant reduction in mean corpuscular - volume (MCV), haemoglobin (MCH), and haemoglobin concentration (MCHC).The present study showed that the phytochemicals present in the n-Hexane extract of <italic>Uvaria chamae</italic> stems may play protective role in the genomic DNA of liver and testis tissues and also may induce hematological changes which may enhance the immune system.</abstract>

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy

Haematological and Genotoxicity Evaluations of Phytochemical Compounds from n-Hexane Extract of <italic>Uvaria chamae</italic> Stem on Selected Organs in Mice

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Some salicylaldehyde-derived Baylis-Hillman adducts and 3-(chloromethyl)coumarins have been synthesised and evaluated <italic>in vitro</italic> for their antisickling activities. The compounds were screened for inhibitory and reversal activity against mutated haemoglobin (HbSS) in red blood cells at four different concentrations (4 mg/mL, 2 mg/mL, 1 mg/mL and 0.5 mg/mL) as a measure of their antisickling potentials. Among the synthesized compounds, 6-chloro-3-(chloromethyl)coumarin <bold>4d</bold> showed the highest inhibitory activity (83.75±1.90%), followed by 6-chlorocoumarin-3-methylsulfinic acid <bold>5d</bold> (80.90 ±0.91%) and the least was <italic>tert</italic>-butyl-3-hydroxy- 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-methylenepropanoate <bold>3a (</bold>33.33±1.86%). The results obtained from the reversal antisickling experiment showed that the percentage of sickle cells able to revert to the normal biconcave shape was dose dependent. Compound <bold>5d</bold> had the highest reversal activity (66.49±1.39%) followed by 6-bromo-3- (chloromethyl)coumarin <bold>4c</bold> (59.66±2.95) and <bold>4d</bold> (55.50±1.95%) at 4 mg/mL. Compound <bold>4c</bold> had higher reversal activity than the standard <italic>p</italic>-hydroxybenzoic acid at 2 mg/mL, 1 mg/mL and at 0.5 mg/mL. The 3-substituted coumarins <bold>4a-d</bold>, and <bold>5d</bold> had higher inhibitory antisickling activities than their Baylis-Hillman precursors <bold>3a-d</bold>. Effect of <bold>4a-d</bold> and <bold>5d</bold> on the rate of polymerization of sickle cell heamoglobin was further studied spectrophotomerically using hemolysate of HbSS. The considerable inhibitory and reversal activities of these compounds make them good candidates for further antisickling studies.</abstract>

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Drug Research and Production Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy

Evaluation of Some Salicylaldehyde-derived Baylis-Hillman Adducts and Coumarin Derivatives as Potential Antisickling Compounds

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Volume 3 (2018): Issue 1 (June 2018)

Article

Prevalence of Rift Valley Fever Virus in Febrile Malaria Patients using Serological and Molecular-based Evidence

Genetic Diversity Among Strains of Pleurotus species (oyster mushroom) Using Morphometric Traits Under Varied Temperature and pH

Screening for Bioflocculant-Producing Bacteria from the Marine Environment of Sodwana Bay, South Africa

Fractions of Adenopus breviflorus Extract Modulate Calcium-induced Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Opening in Rat Liver

Haematological and Genotoxicity Evaluations of Phytochemical Compounds from n-Hexane Extract of Uvaria chamae Stem on Selected Organs in Mice

Evaluation of Some Salicylaldehyde-derived Baylis-Hillman Adducts and Coumarin Derivatives as Potential Antisickling Compounds

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