Search for Articles:
Journal:
Subject:

Search Filter

Years
Between: -
Article Types
Search Results (2775)
Order
page
文章
Okoko Tebekeme and Awhin Ejiro Prosper
Abstract: The effect of Garcinia kola extract on cisplatin-induced renal insufficiency in rats was studied. A total of fifteen rats were used for the study and were split into three groups of five rats per group. Rats in group I were normal controls. Renal insufficiency was induced in rats of groups II and III by a single intraperitoneal administration of cisplatin (5 mg/kg b.w.). After three days, rats in group III received a daily dose of 10 mg/kg b.w. of the extract orally for another seven days. Renal insufficiency was later assessed by serum urea, serum creatinine and urine protein levels. The results showed that the levels of the measured parameters which were elevated as a result of the cisplatin administration were brought to near normal levels by the G. kola seed extract. This indicates that G. kola possessed significant potentials of ameliorating mild kidney insufficiency induced by the anticancer drug, cisplatin.[...] Read More.
Keywords: Garcinia kola, cisplatin, renal insufficiency, urea, creatinine.
Full text
Views:733
Download:832
文章
Chidi G. Osuagwu and Chika U. Mbeyi
Abstract: Theoretical suggestion that the metabolism and plasma levels of some hexoses (glucose and fructose) in sickle cell anaemia could be altered was investigated. The levels were determined for 35 normal (HbAA) and for the three sickle cell states (32 HbAS; 35 HbSS, and 33 HbSS-in-crisis, HbSSc). The enzymatic glucose-oxidase method was employed in glucose estimation. The reaction of fructose with indole-3-acetic acid to yield a coloured product was exploited in the estimation of fructose. Mean plasma glucose was found to be highest in the HbSSc state (84.80 ± 4.10 mg/dl), followed by HbSS (78.59 ± 4.20 mg/dl), HbAS (74.80 ± 6.20 mg/dl) and lowest in HbAA (70.10 ± 0.05 mg/dl). The differences between the normal and all the disease states are significant (between HbAS and HbAA, for example: t =2.2717; df = 65; p < 0.05). The reverse order was observed with respect to fructose concentrations: lowest in HbSSc (0.99 ± 0.05 mg/dl), HbSS (1.09 ± 0.05 mg/dl), HbAS (1.25 ± 0.05 mg/dl), and highest in HbAA (1.32 ± 0.08 mg/dl). Regression of glucose on fructose showed positive correlation in the HbAA group (r = 0.7900; df = 33; p < 0.001), no correlation in the HbAS group (r = - 0.0193; df = 30; p > 0.20), and negative correlation in the HbSS group (r = - 0.3191; df = 65; p < 0.001). The differences between the ‘Glucose-to-Fructose Ratio’ for the different states are very significant (p[...] Read More.
Keywords: Hexose, anergy, glucose, fructose, spermatozoa, energy metabolism, metabolic control, sickle cell anaemia, glucose-to-fructose ratio.
Full text
Views:874
Download:836
文章
T. O. Sunmonu* and O. B. Oloyede
Abstract: Biochemical investigations were carried out to assess the effect of consumption of crude oil contami-nated catfish on the hepatocytes and performance of rat. Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) (n = 120) were grouped into 6 of 20 catfish each and held for 30 h in 5 different mixtures of crude oil polluted water (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1% v/v). Catfish in the control group were held in borehole water. At the expira-tion of 30 h, the catfish were harvested and used to formulate diet. Albino rats (n = 60) were grouped into 6 of 10 rats each and fed on the formulated diet for a period of 30 days. Compared with the control, the result showed no significant difference (p>0.05) in the average daily feed intake in all the groups of rats. However, a significant reduction (p[...] Read More.
Keywords: Crude oil, hepatocytes, catfish, albumin, globulin, bilirubin.
Full text
Views:767
Download:805
文章
Onimawo I. A.*, Ijeh I., Ukoha U. and Nwachukwu G. T.
Abstract: This study was carried out to determine the blood glucose response and glycemic index of food for diabetics and non-diabetics. The subjects comprised of 10 diabetics and 7 non-diabetics. The results of the physical characteristics showed that the diabetic subjects were on the average older (age bracket between 51 and 70years) than the non-diabetics (18 and 23years) . The Body mass index (BMI) values indicated that over 90% of the diabetics were obese while the non-diabetics were on the average normal. Results also showed that the blood glucose response of the diabetics were significantly higher (P[...] Read More.
Keywords: Glycemic index, diabetics, blood glucose response, bread, okpa and moin - moin
Full text
Views:802
Download:828
文章
Amedée Pascal Ahi, Jean Tia Gonnety, Betty Meuwiah Faulet, Lucien Patrice Kouamé and Sébastien Niamké*.
Abstract: The importance of -mannosidases in glycoproteins processing and their application in food and pharmaceutical industry led us to further explore plant -mannosidases. Thus, two -mannosidases were purified from matured breadfruit (Artocarpus communis) seeds, by successive chromatography on Diethylaminoethyl-Sepharose CL-6B and Sephacryl S-200 HR to apparent homogeneity. The two isoenzymes named Ma and Mb had native molecular weights of approximately 75 and 60 kDa, respectively. Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of these -mannosidases resolved a single protein band with molecular weights estimated to be 75 kDa for isoform Ma and 61 kDa for Mb. Breadfruit -mannosidases had optima pH (5.6) and temperature (60°C), and appeared to be stable in presence of some detergents such as Hexansulfonic acid sodium salt, Polyoxyethylen-9-lauryl ether, Nonidet P40, Triton X-100 as well as Ca2+ and Zn2+. The effect of -mannosidase inhibitors on the two isoenzymes showed that swainsonine and 1,4- dideoxy-1,4-imino mannitol at 0.01 mM totally inhibited their hydrolytic activity, while kifunensine and deoxymannojirimycin at the same concentration had no effect on these enzymes. Substrate specificity tests revealed that the enzymes exerted only -mannosidase activity and cleaved - (1,2); -(1,3) and -(1,6) linked mannobiose. Since breadfruit seed -mannosidases were sensitive to furanose transition state analogs such as swainsonine and 1,4- dideoxy- 1,4- imino mannitol and showed broad substrate specificity, these enzymes would belong to class II -mannosidases.[...] Read More.
Keywords:      -mannosidases, Artocarpus communis, breadfruit, purification, characterization.
Full text
Views:782
Download:775
文章
Babalola O. O*, Ojo L. O and Akinleye A.O
Abstract: 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 type-2 Diabetes mellitus at Sacred Heart Hospital, Abeokuta, Nigeria, participated in the study. Twenty-six apparently healthy individuals (14 male and 12 female) served as control group. Blood samples of all the subjects were collected after an overnight fasting for the determination of blood glucose, lead, zinc, copper and chromium. Fasting blood sugar (FBS) was determined by glucose oxidase-peroxidase assay to confirm the status of the patients and the controls while metals’ concentrations were measured with Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). The mean FBS concentrations of the diabetic group were significantly higher (p[...] Read More.
Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, lead, fasting blood sugar, trace elements.
Full text
Views:789
Download:755
文章
A.E.Elkomy, Hanan.H.Ghanem and Elsayed E. Hafez
Abstract: 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 (Mandarah strain) of three successive generations was examined using differential display technique. The difference between the generations was measured by the change of DNA frequencies for the random population. Age at sexual maturity was changed during the three generations, but these differences were not significant. The body weight at sexual maturity (BWSM) of the 2nd and the 3rd generations was decreased significantly compared with the 1st generation. Whenever this decrease was not frequent, although, the egg number (EN), egg mass (EM) and rate of laying (RL) were not constant over generations, differences between the generations were highly significant for EN and EM only. In addition, comparative analysis based on the molecular levels and genotype stability clarified the genetic variations between the examined groups (females or males). Eleven bands with different molecular weights were observed in case of females in comparison to only 9 bands in case of the males. Phylogenetic studies revealed that, there was a genetic variability between females of the 1st generation. Furthermore, low level of similarity was observed between the 2nd generation in respect to the 1st and 3rd generations. Genetic similarity between females and males of the 2nd and the 3rd generations was 55%. It could be concluded that the differences in egg production trait, which was found among generations, may be due to indirect or natural selection.[...] Read More.
Keywords: Differential display, random mating, chicken and random population.
Full text
Views:802
Download:785
文章
Mebrouk KIHAL*, Jamal Eddine HENNI, Hérvé PREVOST and Charles DIVIÈS
Abstract: This paper describe a technique for carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement based on the displacement of acidifying liquid in burette at constant pressure. It was adapted to allow the growth of Leuconostoc sp. on semi-synthetic media and milk. A highly precise measurement was obtained using the chemical reaction of sodium carbonate with hydrochloric acid. This method has been proven to present an excellent linear response from 0 to 0.895 mM of CO2 with a high sensitivity. With cultures in milk medium, kinetics of CO2 evolved by Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum L4 were higher than L. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides 19D and L. mesenteroides subsp. cremoris Ec195 grown on milk.. The use of L. mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum L4 and their variants Lac(-)Cit(+), Lac(+)Cit(-) and Lac(-)Cit(-) showed that the CO2 production correlated to the substrate utilization. The curve of CO2 measured was close to the amount of CO2 calculated from lactose and citrate used. The CO2 production rate was higher with the parental strain (6.5 mM/ h) than with the variants. The amount of CO2 produced was always close to the theoritical value, and was also correlated to the growth rate and substrates utilization by L. mesenteroides. The volume of CO2 produced by Leuconostoc in milk was highly correlated with the D-lactate production (r=  0.995). This method could be used routinely for the evaluation and the selection of bacteria having potential ability for CO2 production.[...] Read More.
Keywords: Leuconostoc sp., CO2 production, lactic acid, milk.
Full text
Views:801
Download:756
文章
M NE Dosay-Akbulut
Abstract: There is still disagreement with regard to identifying the sister group of the tetrapods? Different hypotheses were suggested for this relationship. The aim of this article was to present and summarize some of these studies, which were based on the possible phylogenetic relationship between Chondrichtyes and land vertebrates (tetrapods).[...] Read More.
Keywords: Phylogenetic, relationship, Chondrichthyes and tetrapods.
Full text
Views:767
Download:809
文章
G.C. Okpokwasili* and C.O. Nweke
Abstract: Microbial growth on and utilization of environmental contaminants as substrates have been studied by many researchers. Most times, substrate utilization results in removal of chemical contaminant, increase in microbial biomass and subsequent biodegradation of the contaminant. These are all aimed at detoxification of the environmental pollutants. Several microbial growth and biodegradation kinetic models have been developed, proposed and used in bioremediation schemes. Some of these models include Monod’s, Andrews, Bungay’s weighted model, general substrate inhibition models (GSIM) and sum kinetic models. Most research on microbial potentials to degrade chemical pollutants has been performed on a laboratory scale. There is a need to extend such studies to pilot scale as well as to full-scale field applications.[...] Read More.
Keywords: Microbial growth, substrate utilization, biodegradation, kinetics, detoxification, organic contaminants, models, environmental pollutants.
Full text
Views:848
Download:793
Submit Your Manuscript Now