Perceptions and attitudes of pregnant women towards caesarean section in Ado Local Government Area, Ekiti, Southwest Nigeria.

Caesarean Section (CS) is a life-saving obstetric surgery, often necessitated to resolve complications of pregnancy. This study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of women of childbearing age in Ado Local Government, Ekiti State, Nigeria, concerning Caesarean section as a delivery option. A quantitative, descriptive research design of survey type was adopted for the study.

A time series analysis of government expenditure and health outcomes in Nigeria.

Background: Despite a significant share of Nigeria's budget in the health sector, the health status has not improved, as reflected by poor health indicators.

Objective: This study investigates the linkages between government expenditure and health outcomes in Nigeria.

Methods: The Autoregressive Distributed Lag technique was used to examine the short- and long-run effects of government health expenditure on health outcomes separately.

Seeking Divine Intervention to Manage the Advanced Stages of Breast Cancer in Southwestern Nigeria.

Background: The World Health Organization records indicate that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women both in developed and developing regions of the world. In developed countries, breast cancer is the second cause of cancer-related deaths, whereas in developing countries, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women. The empirical literature on Nigeria indicates that women present with advanced stages of the illness.

Tithonia diversifolia saponin-blood lipid interaction and its influence on immune system of normal wistar rats.

This study investigated the effect of saponins (20-100mg/kg) from Tithonia diversifolia leaf (STD) on the liver, kidney, heart, lipid profile and hematological parameters of normal rats. The results showed that STD (20-100mg/kg) though caused a slight increase in the liver, heart and kidney activity of ALT, AST, ALP and GGT (p<0.05), did not result in corresponding increase in the serum level of these enzymes.

Histopathological changes induced in an animal model by potentially pathogenic Enterococcus faecalis strains recovered from ready-to-eat food outlets in Osun State, Nigeria.

Enterococci have been implicated as an emerging important cause of several diseases and multiple antibiotic resistance. However, there is little information about the prevalence of pathogenic and/or antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecalis in ready-to-eat foods in Nigeria. Here we report the pathogenic potential of three selected antibiotic-resistant E.

Earwax Impaction: Symptoms, Predisposing Factors and Perception among Nigerians.

Background And Aim: Earwax impaction is a common ear disorder with presentation worldwide. This study aimed at determining the clinical presentation, patients' perception of earwax, and its predisposing factors among Nigerians.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study was conducted on consented patients with diagnosis of earwax impaction at the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic of the University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state, south west, Nigeria.

Presentation of preauricular sinus and preauricular sinus abscess in southwest Nigeria.

Background And Aim: Preauricular sinus abscess is a common congenital external ear disease. This abscess is usually misdiagnosed because it is commonly overlooked during physical examination. In Nigeria, the prevalence was 9.

Polyphenolic contents and free radical scavenging potential of extracts from leaves of Ocimum americanum L.

This study assessed the polyphenolic contents and antioxidant activity of ethanol, butanol and ethyl acetate extracts of Ocimum americanum leaves using in vitro models. The ability of the extracts to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryihydrazyl (DPPH*), 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS*+), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), Nitric Oxide (NO) and hydroxyl radical (OH*) was investigated. The inhibition of lipid oxidation, reducing power, total flavonoids, phenols and flavonols contents of the extracts were also determined using spectrophotometric methods.

African eggplant (Solanum anguivi Lam.) fruit with bioactive polyphenolic compounds exerts in vitro antioxidant properties and inhibits Ca(2+)-induced mitochondrial swelling.

Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant and radical scavenging activities of Solanum anguivi fruit (SAG) and its possible effect on mitochondrial permeability transition pore as well as mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) isolated from rat liver.

Methods: Antioxidant activity of SAG was assayed by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power, iron chelation and ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation in both liver and brain homogenate of rats. Also, the effect of SAG on mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial swelling were determined.

Characterization and antimicrobial activity of 4-(β-D-glucopyranosyl-1→4-α-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy)-benzyl thiocarboxamide; a novel bioactive compound from Moringa oleifera seed extract.

Antimicrobial activity of crude seed extract of Moringa oleifera was investigated by thin layer chromatography bioassay against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Penicillium sclerotigenum; most of them were prominently inhibited by an isolate with R(F) 0.92-0.96.

Natural radionuclide content and radiological assessment of clay soils collected from different sites in Ekiti State, southwestern Nigeria.

Clay soil samples collected from different sites in Ekiti State, southwestern Nigeria were analysed for their natural radionuclide contents, using the gamma ray spectrometric method. The overall mean activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K obtained in this study were, respectively, 33.6 +/- 5.

Assessment of nutritional quality of wild and cultivated Pleurotus sajor-caju.

The edible mushroom Pleurotus sajor-caju, cultivated on corncobs and obtained from the wild, was assessed by nutritional indices. The protein efficiency ratios obtained for the rats fed stalk diet (2.16) and that of rats fed native P.

Incidence of multiple antibiotic resistant Gram-negative bacteria isolated from surface and underground water sources in south western region of Nigeria.

In most rural and urban settlements, particularly in Nigeria, wells, spring, streams or rivers and lakes serves as major sources of water supply for drinking and other domestic purposes. Unfortunately, many of the available water sources are not potable without some form of treatment which is seldom available in most settings. The use of untreated surface water sources for drinking and for domestic purposes remains a major threat to public health as these could serve as reservoirs the for transfer of antibiotic resistant pathogens.

Potentials of Kerstingiella geocarpa as a health food.

The seed of Kerstingiella geocarpa was analyzed to determine its proximate and amino acid compositions. The seed was found to be a high source of crude protein (21.3%) and very low in crude fat (1.

Amino acid composition of the whole body, flesh and exoskeleton of female common West African fresh water crab Sudananautes africanus africanus.

The amino acid composition of the whole body (edible parts), flesh and exoskeleton of the female common West African fresh water crab Sudananautes africanus africanus was determined on a dry weight basis. The total essential amino acids ranged from 349.8 mg/g to 387.

Evaluation of the dust and methanol extracts of Garcinia kolae for the control of Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) and Sitophilus zeamais (Mots).

Insecticidal effects of different doses of the dust and methanol extracts of Garcinia kolae on Callosobruchus maculatus and Sitophilus zeamais were tested. The dust had no significant effect on the two insects; none of them died even at 3 d after treatment. The methanol extracts, however, had rapid lethal effects on both C.

Protective influence of vitamin E on the antioxidant defence system in the whole blood and liver of normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

The effect of oral administration of vitamin E for twenty-eight consecutive days on blood glucose, reduced glutathione levels, antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase activities), and levels of malondialdehyde (as an index of free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation) was observed in the whole blood and liver of normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. It was found that oral administration of vitamin E significantly (p<0.05) lowered the blood glucose level and increased the body weight of the diabetic rats.

Chemical profile and amino acids composition of edible mushrooms Pleurotus sajor-caju.

Two varieties of Pleurotus sajor-caju, obtained from the wild and cultivated (on shredded corncobs) were separated into cap and stalk and analysed on dry weight basis. The proximate composition (g/100 g) showed that both varieties were highly concentrated in crude protein. The cultivated cap (Cc) was found to accumulate higher concentration of crude protein (26.

Plasma proteins and proteinuria in gestational malaria.

The plasma concentrations of total protein, albumin, immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM and urinary protein were assayed in 250 pregnant Nigerian women with malaria and compared with 250 healthy pregnant women which served as controls. The mean values of plasma total proteins, albumin, IgG and IgA were significantly lowered (P<0.05) while a slight increase in IgM was observed in the malaria patients.

Amino acid composition of two masticatory nuts (Cola acuminata and Garcinia kola) and a snack nut (Anacardium occidentale).

The amino acid compositions of Cola acuminata, Garcinia kola and Anacardium occidentale were evaluated by ion-exchange chromatography. Glutamic acid was the most concentrated acid in the samples. In all the amino acids determined, A.

Nutrient composition, mineral content and the solubility of the proteins of palm weevil, Rhynchophorus phoenicis f. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Adult (ADS) and larva stages of palm weevil Rhynchophorus phoenicis were analyzed for their nutritional potentials using proximate and mineral contents as indices. The early larva stage (ELS) contains the highest moisture content of 11.94% while ADS has the least value of 4.

Antibacterial potency of methanol extracts of lower plants.

Antibacterial potency of methanol extracts of three green lower plants, Pneumatopteris afra, Platycerium bifurcatum and Nephrolepsis bisserata was determined using agar dilution method on clinical strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp. and Salmomelia typhi. Antibacterial activities were observed at concentrations of 12.

Conservation of indigenous medicinal botanicals in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

The rapid appraisal method was used to identify the botanicals used ethnomedicinally from a total of 300 randomly selected respondents drawn from the existing three geo-political zones of Ekiti State, Nigeria. The results obtained revealed that about 40% of the 71 botanicals identified presently rare. Most of the presently abundant botanicals are species primarily cultivated for other purpose other than medicine.

Natural background dose and radium equivalent measurements at Ikogosi warm spring, Nigeria.

The natural background dose and the radium equivalent due to the natural radioactivity levels in rocks and sediments collected around Ikogosi warm spring, Nigeria, has been determined in this study using a highly sensitive HpGe detector. The mean activity concentration of (40)K, (226)Ra and (228)Ac were measured to be 585.50 +/- 17.

Nutritional quality, functional properties and anti-nutrient compositions of the larva of Cirina forda (Westwood) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae).

Determination of the proximate, nutritionally valuable minerals and anti-nutrient compositions in larvae of Cirina forda (W) showed that they contained high levels of protein, (55.50%+/-1.20%) with ash, moisture, fat, and carbohydrate levels being (10.