N. Aquaisua

Evaluation of calabash chalk effect on femur bone morphometry and mineralization in young wistar rats: A pilot study

Background: Calabash chalk, a popularly consumed geophagic material in Nigeria has been reported to contain lead, arsenic, alpha lindane, endrin, and endosulfan 11 among other pollutants. Aim: The continuous exposure of young children to this chalk necessitated this study on the bone morphometry and mineralization in young Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Fourteen young (weanling) Wistar rats of both sexes weighing 54-72 g were assigned into two groups of seven animals each. Group I served as control, while group II was the test group (TG). 40 mg/ml of C. chalk was administered as suspension to the test animals in group II. Animals in the control group were orally treated with 1ml of distilled water. Administration of the C. chalk in the animals lasted for 28 days, and the animals were sacrificed on day 29, using chloroform anaesthesia. The femur bones were dissected out, cleaned of flesh and sun-dried. The lengths and weights of the femur bones were measured using graphite furnace atomic mass spectrophotometer. Results: Results showed 1.6% decrease in body weight change in the TG, insignificant decreases in the weights and lengths of both the right and left femur bones, and significant decreased (P < 0.0126) organ-somatic index, and femur bones concentrations (mg/l) of zinc, phosphate, carbonate, calcium, sodium, and potassium (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, this study showed that C. chalk may alter growth rate, and cause de-mineralization in the femur bone, hence, it may be detrimental to bone growth.

Preliminary Study: Neurobehavioural Effects of Nauclea latifolia and Emilia sonchifolia in Mice Infected with Plasmodium berghei berghei

This study was designed to examine the effects of ethanolic leaf extracts of Nauclea latifolia and Emilia sonchifolia on anxiety, fear and locomotion in mice infected with plasmodium berghei berghei . Thirty male Swiss albino mice weighing between 26-30g divided into five groups with six mice in each group. Group 1 served as the Control group and was treated with 0.2ml of normal saline, Group 2 served as the parasitized non-treated, Group 3, was parasitized and treated with Coartem ® , Group 4 was parasitized then treated with Emilia sonchifolia , Group 5 was parasitized and treated with Nauclea latifolia and Group 6 was parasitized and treated with a combination of Nauclea latifolia and Emilia sonchifolia respectively. The mice were passaged with the parasite intraperitoneally and then administered extract orally using an orogavage cannula for a duration of 5 days. Behavioural tests were performed pretreatment (day 6 after parasite passage) and posttreatment (day 11). The results obtained showed that grooming frequency and stretch attend