Anti-COVID-19 potential of (Neem) leaf extract.

COVID-19 is caused by infection with the "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2″ (i.e., SARS-CoV-2).

Mutual Pan-African support paradigm to produce scientific evidence of traditional medical practices for use against COVID-19 and emerging pandemics.

Africa is endowed with a profoundly rich and diverse system of plants and other bio-resources out of which, by traditional medicine practice, the people have satisfied their healthcare needs right from antiquity. In contemporary times, it has become necessary to modernize this traditional medical care system via scientific studies. Validation of the efficacy of health-enhancement products and drugs from plants and other bio-resources is predicated on diligent and intensive research accompanied by rigorous and conclusive clinical trials.

Commercial herbal preparations ameliorate NK65-induced aberrations in mice.

Background & Objectives: The alarming failure in malaria treatment using conventional drugs calls for urgent search of alternatives; one of which is to exploit natural products such as plants. This study evaluated the effects of three selected commercial herbal preparations on albino mice infected with Plasmodium berghei NK65, a lethal strain of rodent malaria.

Methods: This study was conducted in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka between February and September 2017.

Environmental pollution levels of lead and zinc in Ishiagu and Uburu communities of Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

Water and soil samples from the area were therefore analyzed for their lead and zinc content. Computation of pollution statuses of lead and zinc revealed topsoil lead geoaccumulation indices of -0.143 and -0.

Chemical constituents of Nauclea latifolia and their anti-GST and anti-fungal activities.

The crude ethanolic extract of Nauclea latifolia yielded five known compounds, strictosamide (1), naucleamides A (2), naucleamide F (3), quinovic acid-3-O-beta-rhamnosylpyranoside (4), and quinovic acid 3-O-beta-fucosylpyranoside (5). Microbial reactions, using a whole cell culture of Rhizopus circinans on compound (1), yielded three analogues, 10-hydroxystrictosamide (6), 10-beta-glucosyloxyvincoside lactam (7) and 16,17-dihydro-10-beta-glucosyloxyvincoside lactam (8). Compounds 1-8 were identified with the aid of extensive NMR spectral studies.

High plasma activity of endogenous antioxidants protect CD4+ T-cells in HIV-serodiscordant heterosexual partners in a Nigerian population.

Antioxidants significantly inhibit oxidative processes. The study seeks to determine the activity of endogenous antioxidants and CD4+ T-cell expression in HIV-serodiscordant-heterosexual partners. The case-control study had the following groups; A- (13 serodiscordant-seronegative subjects), B- (13 serodiscordant-seropositive subjects) and C/control- (13 healthy volunteers).