The reduction in agricultural production due to the negative impact of insects and weeds, as well as the health and economic burden associated with vector-borne diseases, has promoted the wide use of chemicals that control these "enemies." However, the use of these synthetic chemicals has been recognized to elicit negative impacts on the environment as well as the health and wellbeing of man. In this study, we presented an overview of recent updates on the environmental and health impacts of synthetic pesticides against agro-pest and disease vectors while exhaustive reviewing the potentials of natural plant products from Zanthoxylum species (Rutaceae) as sustainable alternatives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe integrity of the bone is dependent on the strict balance between osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis, and any imbalance results in bone diseases. Dietary proteins (DP) have been shown to promote osteogenesis while inhibiting bone resorption in cultured osteoblasts, and in animal models of bone diseases such as ovariectomy, 1α,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 (VD3), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-induced bone resorption. Hydrolysis of some of these DPs with osteo-modulatory properties has been shown to generate hydrolysates with bioactive peptides that exhibit higher osteo-modulatory properties in comparison to intact (parent) proteins.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProtein-energy malnutrition is a global challenge that demands urgent attention, especially with the increasing population growth and unmatched food security plans. One strategy is to expand the list of protein sources, such as neglected and underutilized crops, with high protein content. A good number of plant proteins, in addition to their nutritional benefits, exert therapeutic properties as seen in seeds derived from legumes and emerging sources such as hemp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMalaria is a dangerous disease that contributes to millions of hospital visits and hundreds of thousands of deaths, especially in children residing in sub-Saharan Africa. Although several interventions such as vector control, case detection, and treatment are already in place, there is no substantive reduction in the disease burden. Several studies in the past have reported the emergence of resistant strains of malaria parasites (MPs) and mosquitoes, and poor adherence and inaccessibility to effective antimalarial drugs as the major factors for this persistent menace of malaria infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe health benefits and toxicity of plant products are largely dependent on their secondary metabolite contents. These compounds are biosynthesized by plants as protection mechanisms against environmental factors and infectious agents. This review discusses the traditional uses, phytochemical constituents and health benefits of plant species in genus with a focus on cancer, microbial and parasitic infections, and sickle cell disease as reported in articles published from 1970 to 2021 in peer-reviewed journals and indexed in major scientific databases.
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July 2021
A tripodal Schiff base ligand, 2,4,6-Tris(4-carboxybenzimino)-1,3,5-triazine (MT) and its trinuclear Dy(III), Er(III), and Gd(III) complexes were synthesized. These were characterized using UV-visible, IR, H, and C NMR spectroscopies, elemental analysis, and molar conductivity measurements. The spectral studies indicate that the ligand is hexadentate and coordinates to the Ln(III) ions through the oxygen atoms of the carboxylic group.
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