Substance use and substance use disorders in Africa: An epidemiological approach to the review of existing literature.

The relationship between man and substances that have abuse potentials, and whose use has been associated with the development or progression of substance use disorders has continued to evolve in terms of geography, economic implications, and time. History shows that local plants with psychoactive constituents can get exported worldwide through global travel, commerce, or even conquest. Time and globalization also change people's relationship with substances of abuse; hence, an area that was initially alien to certain substances might evolve to becoming a trafficking hub, and then a destination.

Nutrition, nutritional deficiencies, and schizophrenia: An association worthy of constant reassessment.

Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder that occurs worldwide, cutting across cultures, socioeconomic groups, and geographical barriers. Understanding the details of the neurochemical basis of schizophrenia, factors that contribute to it and possible measures for intervention are areas of ongoing research. However, what has become more evident is the fact that in targeting the neurochemical imbalances that may underlie schizophrenia, the type of response seen with currently available phamacotherapeutic agents does not provide all the answers that are needed.

Glutamate and depression: Reflecting a deepening knowledge of the gut and brain effects of a ubiquitous molecule.

The versatility of glutamate as the brain's foremost excitatory neurotransmitter and modulator of neurotransmission and function is considered common knowledge. Years of research have continued to uncover glutamate's effects and roles in several neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression. It had been considered that a deeper understanding of the roles of glutamate in depression might open a new door to understanding the pathological basis of the disorder, improve the approach to patient management, and lead to the development of newer drugs that may benefit more patients.

The potential toxicity of food-added sodium benzoate in mice is concentration-dependent.

Sodium benzoate (NaB) is a versatile food preservative that has also found some applications in the treatment of medical disorders. However, till date, its possible widespread effects on the body are not well studied. We examined the likely effect of diet-added NaB on weight/food intake, haematological parameters, neurobehaviour, antioxidant status, lipid profile and anti-inflammatory/apoptotic markers in mice.

Hazelnut Modulates Neurobehaviour and Ameliorates Ageing-induced Oxidative Stress, and Caspase-3-Mediated Apoptosis in Mice.

Background: Organismal aging has been associated with deleterious effects in different body tissues and organs, including the brain. There have been reports from ancient medicinal scripts of the beneficial effects of nuts like hazelnut in preventing aging induced-brain atrophy and memory loss.

Objectives: This study examined the potential beneficial effects of a diet supplemented with two different (Italian and Turkish) cultivars of hazelnut on the brain of aged mice.

Corylus avellana L. modulates neurobehaviour and brain chemistry following high-fat diet.

Consumption of a high-fat diet has adverse impacts on metabolism, neurobehavioral, and neurochemical homeostasis in both humans and experimental animals. Here, we examined the effects of two different cultivars of Corylus avellana L. in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome.

Cucumeropsis mannii reverses high-fat diet induced metabolic derangement and oxidative stress.

Cucumeropsis mannii (CM) belongs to the melon family and is native to West Africa. There is a paucity of information on its medicinal or nutraceutical potential. Here, we examined the impact of CM in mice that were treated with a normal or a high fat diet (HFD).

Dietary Melatonin Protects Against Behavioural, Metabolic, Oxidative, and Organ Morphological Changes in Mice that are Fed High-Fat, High- Sugar Diet.

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a complex pattern of disorders that occur jointly and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Therefore the need for more-efficient options of treatment has become imperative.

Objective: This study examined the effect of dietary-melatonin in the management of behavioural, metabolic, antioxidant, and organ changes due to high-fat/high-sugar (HFHS) diet-induced metabolic syndrome in mice.

The neurobehavioral implications of the brain and microbiota interaction.

In the past, microorganisms were not considered to be particularly important in brain development and functioning. However, recent evidence shows the existence of a bidirectional, and possibly multidimensional relationship between the body microbiota and the brain. The microbiota influence brain behavior in health or disease, by utilizing endocrine, neurocrine and immunologic signaling pathways.

Brain Ageing, Cognition and Diet: A Review of the Emerging Roles of Food-Based Nootropics in Mitigating Age-related Memory Decline.

Background: Age-related cognitive decline has been suggested to result from an increase in the brain neuron loss, which is attributable to continued derangement of the brain's oxidant/ antioxidant balance. Increased oxidative stress and a concomitant decrease in the brain's antioxidant defense system have been associated with functional senescence and organismal ageing. However, nature has configured certain foods to be rich sources of nootropic agents, with research showing that increased consumption of such foods or food ingredients may be protective against ageing-related memory decline.

Cerebrovascular Disease in the Young Adult: Examining Melatonin's Possible Multiple Roles.

In the last decade or more, there have been reports suggesting a rise in the incidence of stroke in young adults. Presently, it appears that the risk factors associated with the cause of stroke in young adults remain relatively constant across different geographic regions of the world. Moreover, the endogenous rhythm of a neurohormone such as melatonin is known to play certain roles in the modulation of some of the risk factors that are associated with an increased risk of stroke in young people.

Nutraceuticals and Diet-based Phytochemicals in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: From Whole Food to Components with Defined Roles and Mechanisms.

Background: Over the past decades, the development and use of an array of prescription medications have considerably improved the clinical management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the quality of life of patients. However, as our knowledge of the associated risk factors and approaches to its management increases, the increasing roles of diet and the composition of the diet in the etiology and successful management of diabetes mellitus are being illuminated. Presently, a lot of attention is being given to nutraceuticals and certain phytochemicals that are integral parts of the human diet.

Ketamine-induced behavioural and brain oxidative changes in mice: an assessment of possible beneficial effects of zinc as mono- or adjunct therapy.

Rationale: We studied the influence of zinc, haloperidol or olanzapine on neurobehaviour (open-field, radial arm maze and elevated plus maze) and brain antioxidant status in vehicle- or ketamine-treated mice, with the aim of ascertaining the potentials of zinc in counteracting ketamine's effects.

Objectives: Experiment 1 assessed the effects of zinc in healthy animals and the relative degrees of modulation of ketamine's effects by zinc, haloperidol or olanzapine, respectively. Experiment 2 assessed the modulation of ketamine's effects following co-administration of zinc with haloperidol or olanzapine.

Melatonin attenuates behavioural deficits and reduces brain oxidative stress in a rodent model of schizophrenia.

Melatonin is a neurohormone that is linked to the aetiopathogenesis of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to assess the potentials of oral melatonin supplement in the management of induced schizophrenia-like behavioural and brain oxidative status changes, using an animal model. The relative degrees of modulation of ketamine-induced behaviours by haloperidol, olanzapine or melatonin were assessed in the open-field, Y-maze, elevated plus maze and the social interaction tests.

Monosodium glutamate-associated alterations in open field, anxiety-related and conditioned place preference behaviours in mice.

The present study investigated changes in behaviour associated with oral monosodium glutamate (a flavouring agent), using the open field, elevated plus maze and conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigms, respectively. Mice were assigned to two groups for CPP [monosodium glutamate (MSG)-naïve (n = 40) and MSG-pretreated (n = 40)] and two groups for open field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM) tests [n = 40 each], respectively. Animals in respective groups were then divided into four subgroups (n = 10) (vehicle or MSG (80, 160 and 320 mg/kg)).

Silymarin attenuates aspartame-induced variation in mouse behaviour, cerebrocortical morphology and oxidative stress markers.

Objective: We assessed the impacts of silymarin co-administration on aspartame-induced changes in novelty-induced behaviours, memory, anxiety-related behaviours, cerebral antioxidant status and histomorphology in mice.

Method: Six groups of mice were administered vehicle (distilled water), silymarin (25mg/kg), aspartame (at 160 or 320mg/kg), and silymarin (25mg/kg) co-administered with aspartame at 160 or 320mg/kg daily for 21days, via an oral cannula. Behaviours were assessed after the first and last dose of treatment.

Exogenous daytime melatonin modulates response of adolescent mice in a repeated unpredictable stress paradigm.

The immediate and short-term behavioural and physiological implications of exposure to stressful scenarios in the adolescent period are largely unknown; however, increases in occurrence of stress-related physiological and psychological disorders during puberty highlight the need to study substances that may modulate stress reactivity during a crucial stage of maturation. Seven groups of mice (12-15 g each) were administered distilled water (DW) (non-stressed and stressed controls), sertraline (10 mg/kg), diazepam (2 mg/kg) or one of three doses of melatonin (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg). Mice were exposed to 30 min of chronic mild stress (25 min of cage shaking, cage tilting, handling and 5 min of forced swimming in tepid warm water at 25 °C, in a random order) after administration of DW or drugs, daily for 21 days.

Evidence of alterations in brain structure and antioxidant status following 'low-dose' monosodium glutamate ingestion.

Objective: The study investigated the effects of low dose monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the brain, with a view to providing information on its effects on neuronal morphology and antioxidant status in mice.

Methodology: Sixty male mice (20-22 g) were divided into six groups of ten animals each. Vehicle (distilled water), a standard (l-glutamate at 10mg/kg body weight) or MSG (10, 20, 40 and 80mg/kg body weight) were administered orally for 28days.

Caffeine's influence on object recognition and working-memory in prepubertal mice and its modulation by gender.

Objective: This study investigated the effects of intraperitoneal injection of caffeine on Y-maze working-memory and novel object recognition (NOR) in prepubertal mice.

Methodology: Y-maze spontaneous alternation and a novel object recognition test (consisting of acclimation, acquisition and test phases) were performed. Mice received a single dose of caffeine (10, 20, 40, 80 and 120mgkg(-1) i.

Subchronic Oral Bromocriptine Methanesulfonate Enhances Open Field Novelty-Induced Behavior and Spatial Memory in Male Swiss Albino Mice.

This study set out to assess the neurobehavioral effects of subchronic, oral bromocriptine methanesulfonate using the open field and the Y-maze in healthy male mice. Sixty adult Swiss albino mice were assigned into three groups. Controls received normal saline, while test groups received bromocriptine methanesulfonate at 2.