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Exploration of Plant Species Used by Bapedi Ethnic Group for Ethnoveterinary Purposes: A Case Study of Ga-Mphahlele Region in the Limpopo Province, South Africa
Get PDFThe use of plant resources by the Bapedi people in the Limpopo province in South Africa is regarded as part of their tradition and culture. This study was aimed at documenting ethnoveterinary uses of plants in Ga-Mphahlele region in the Limpopo province, South Africa. Information was gathered through semi-structured questionnaires supplemented by field observations from 30 randomly selected Pedi speaking people in Ga-Mphahlele region of the Limpopo province. A total of 52 plant species from 32 plant families were used for 18 ethnoveterinary purposes. The majority of the species (21.2%) were used as fodder, followed by ethnoveterinary medicinal applications against wounds (19.2%), diarrhoea (17.3%), ticks (13.5%) and worms (11.5%) in domestic animals such as cattle, chickens, dogs, donkeys, doves, goats and sheep. The species with frequency of citation (RFC) higher than 0.70 included Citrullus lanatus (fodder), Vachellia karroo (ethnoveterinary medicine and fodder), Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra (fodder), Aloe ferox (ethnoveterinary medicine), Drimia sanguinea (ethnoveterinary medicine), Sarcostemma viminale subsp. viminale (ethnoveterinary medicine) and Sorghum bicolor (fodder). The traditional knowledge about forage and ethnoveterinary medicines demonstrated by the Bapedi people enable extension officers and policy makers to appreciate how local communities perceive and utilize plant resources around them
Medicinal Plants Used to Treat Oral Diseases in the Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Get PDFPurpose: Therefore, this study was aimed at documenting medicinal plants used to treat oral diseases in the Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality in the Limpopo Province, South Africa.Methods: Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, supplemented by field observations with 30 traditional healers from the Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality in the Capricorn District of the Limpopo Province in South Africa.Results: A total of 41 plant species belonging to 30 botanical families, mainly the Asteraceae and Solanaceae (13.3% each), were reported as remedies for different oral diseases. Leaves (51%) and roots (28%), harvested from herbs and trees were preferred for medicinal preparations. The majority of plant species (60.4%) were used as monotherapy, to treat a single oral disease, while the remainder (39.6%) treated more than one ailment. The majority of the species (44.2%) were used as herbal medicines for toothache, followed by 32.6% used against bad breath and 25.6% used against dental caries.Conclusion: Traditional healers play an important role in the provision of primary health care as oral pathogens are also responsible for nonstomatological infections
Azithromycin-Chitosan Films for Improved Haemostasis and Wound Healing
Get PDFWound healing is a global medical concern, because haemorrhage is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, more effective and cost-effective dressings are required. Antimicrobial dressing of Azithromycin (AZM) (a broad-spectrum macrolide antibiotic) with Chitosan (CS) as a carrier, has a lot of desired properties such as haemostatic, pain-reducing, and less scar forming. It is prepared by a solvent evaporation method. The film morphology is investigated by SEM and film-water wettability is measured by a contact angle method. The drug-polymer interactions are evaluated by using FTIR and DSC. Azithromycin loaded films (different mass ratio of AZM to CS w % 10%, 25% and 50%) were sterilized by Gamma radiation, then their antimicrobial characteristics and haemostatic performance were evaluated. Film thickness was about 9 µm. The wettability properties of films were enhanced by adding AZM and PEG6000 5% (mass ratio of PEG 6000 to CS w %). Microbial growth inhibitions were identified for films loaded with Azithromycin
Obesity, Type-II Diabetes and the Use of Food Labels: A Malaysian Perspective
Get PDFNutritional labelling of processed foods serve to implement consumer-driven food choices in an attempt to reduce the myriad of food and obesity-related chronic diseases, including type-2 diabetes and heart disease, prevalent in modern societies and posing a significant strain on healthcare resources. Many countries, including Malaysia, have moved towards both voluntary and mandatory regulations to policy such public-health interventions, requiring disclosure of nutritional information on food labels. [1-3], often with particular emphasis on sugar, salt and fat content. The introduction of these policies demonstrates the considerable medical and economic burden of obesity and chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes on healthcare, and recognition among policymakers of the need for dietary intervention through patient education. Various obstacles exist in ensuring consumers use nutritional labelling, including clarity of information, consumer health orientation, literacy levels, motivational factors and health education levels. It is clear however that consumers and patients need to be better informed to effectively utilise nutritional information in order to make better food choices to address the burden of obesity and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes
Junk Food Consumption and its Association with Anthropometric Indices among undergraduates in Nigeria
Get PDFJunk foods consumption in institutions of higher learning has increasingly become an important part of students’ diet in Nigeria. This study was carried out to determine the pattern of junk food consumption among students in higher institutions of learning and the association between the junk food consumption and anthropometric indices measuring body weight status. A total of 900 students comprising 450 male and 450 female volunteers, aged 17 to 33 years were recruited from Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, Nigeria for the study. Seventy-nine percent of the students affirmed that the actually enjoy junk food. A total of 33.89% reported eating junk food everyday while 36.44% usually eat it at school during lunch with convenience been stated as the main reason for this consumption pattern by majority (48.44%). Low prevalence of obesity was observed i.e. 1.67% and 2.44% using body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR), respectively, while majority of the volunteers i.e. 81.33% and 82.78% had normal BMI and WHR, respectively. There was no significant (P > 0.05) association between consumption of junk foods, frequency of consumption and body mass index or waist-hip ratio. This study revealed that there is no body weight status danger in junk food consumption pattern among the students. Thus, students may continue in their consumption pattern of this specified junk food if it is convenient and if it may enable them to meet up with their lined-up activities in the campus
Study of Dissolution Enhancement of Furosemide by Solid Dispersion Technique Using Different Polymer
Get PDFThe oral route of drug administration is the most common and preferred method of delivery due to convenience and ease of ingestion. The objective of this study is to determine the dissolution enhancement quality of various polymers to Furosemide. Furosemide was selected as the model drug because it is therapeutically extremely important, having very low aqueous solubility and dissolution rate, but they are well permeable through membranes of the gastro-intestinal tract. Solid dispersions of Furosemide were also prepared by fusion method and solvent evaporation method. In this study, the effectiveness of the two methods for furosemide was investigated and compared while the effect of polymer on the dissolution kinetics of the drug was also observed. Poloxamer (two grades of Poloxamer; poloxamer 188 and poloxamer 407 were used in this study ), PEG and HPMC were expected to raise the dissolution rate of the poorly water-soluble furosemide and given its good permeation through GI membrane, to increase their oral bioavailability. To enhance the dissolution and efficacy of furosemide, Poloxamer188, PEG6000, and HPMC 6cps were used in different quantities. This work examined the influence of polymers such as Poloxamer 188 & 407, PEG6000 and HPMC 6cps in different amounts on release profile of furosemide. Through the dissolution studies, the in vitro release profile of the drug formulations was evaluated. An improved in vitro dissolution was obtained in all the systems
A Geospatial Appraisal of Oil Spill Health Impacts: A Niger Delta Case Study
Get PDFOil spills resulting from pipeline breakages and operational failures during oil exploration have increased in prevalence in the Niger Delta, with more than 8,000 spills occurring over the past decade. Previous research has linked oil spills to human health hazards such as derma-toxic diseases, and various cancers. However, few studies have considered the health effects of oil spills on maternal and child health. This study seeks to fill this gap in literature by focusing on infant diarrhea in the Niger Delta. Diarrheal diseases account for 1 in 9 child deaths worldwide, making diarrhea the second leading cause of death among children under the age of five. Defining the spatio-temporal pattern of infant diarrhea and its relationship to oil spill contamination is critical in understanding mortality risk and enabling policy decisions aimed at reducing infant mortality rates in the region. Despite substantial data limitations, geospatial analysis revealed a statically significant spatial clustering of oil spill incidence and infant diarrhea: a pattern strongly correlated with spatial proximity to rural, low-income households with limited access to improved water sources and sanitation facilities. These locations evidenced higher rates of diarrhea incidence consistently across the region
Temperature Data Analysis of Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis and Hepatitis B Vaccine Cold Chain Monitoring in Northern Part of Thailand
Get PDFBackground Information: Vaccines are temperature-sensitive biological preparations, the proper range were cold chain period or 2-8 °C. The change of the temperature or cold chain breakdown might be effect to vaccines quality assurance.Aim: The temperature data of Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis and Hepatitis B vaccine, DPT- HB vaccine in fiscal year 2011-2012 were analyzed and aimed to find the factor that effected to vaccine cold chain system.Method: Temperature data from health care units in 8 provinces collected by computerized data logger were analyzed by SPSS for window version 17.0 and Logtag analyzer program.Result: From 322 health care units, most of data was reported from Chiang Rai province and collected from Primary Care Unit; PCU in both fiscal year. The period of time for recording of the data logger were very fluctuates. The highest number of data was reported in October, 2011 and in February, 2012. DPT-HB vaccine temperature had lower than 2°C at 86.9%, higher than 8°C at 90.4% in 2011, and lower than 2°C at 78.5%, higher than 8°C at 92.5% in 2012. Type of health care unit did not effect to vaccine’s temperature monitor but seasonal had significant effect.Conclusion: Type of health care unit did not effect to vaccine’s temperature control. Seasonal had significant effect to vaccine’s temperature control. Based on the study results, adequate equipment, provide training and supervision about new and current computerize data logger were recommended to support to maximize the efficacy and effectiveness of vaccine and cold chain monitoring in health care unit
Predictors of Hospital Mortality in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke
Get PDFAtrial fibrillation is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias; it accounts for about a third of all hospital admissions for cardiac arrhythmias. Currently, there is a tendency of aging of the population and an increase in overall life expectancy, which will further lead to an increase in the number of patients with atrial fibrillation.Usually atrial fibrillation is associated with a number of symptoms such as palpitations, interruptions, shortness of breath, pain in the heart area, fatigue, dizziness and syncopal states, but at the same time the course of both paroxysmal and permanent atrial fibrillation may not be accompanied by obvious symptoms or a noticeable decrease in quality life. Such asymptomatic atrial fibrillation is usually diagnosed by chance during an examination and can be considered a clinical finding. According to a number of studies, every third to fifth patient with atrial fibrillation was asymptomatic, and in a recently completed study in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, more than 50% of all episodes of arrhythmia were asymptomatic. When newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation, the asymptomatic form may occur in 83.2% of cases [1].The purpose of the research is on the basis of studying the clinical features of the course of atrial fibrillation, determine the effect of asymptomatic arrhythmia on the development of fatal complications and patient survival in various forms of atrial fibrillation and develop a therapeutic strategy for managing patients with asymptomatic atrial fibrillation for the first time
Antiproliferative Effect of Sterols from Resin of Commiphora habessinica
Get PDFCommiphora habessinica resin is used traditionally to treat various diseases in Ethiopia. In this study the cytotoxic effects of chloroform fraction and cholesterol and lathosterol isolated from the chloroform fraction of the resin of C. habessinica were evaluated. In the cytotoxicity assay on A549, A2780, MIA-Paca-2, and SNU-638 cell lines, the chloroform fraction showed cytotoxicity ranging from 0.77-3.35 ?g/ml. The chloroform fraction significantly inhibited cell proliferation of A549, A2780, MIA-PaCa-2 and SNU-638, with dose-dependent relation in vitro. The chloroform fraction was more sensitive and has a strongest net growth as percent control effects on A549 cell lines. A mixture of cholesterol : lathosterol (47.9% : 52.1%) exhibited a moderate cytotoxicity which is greater than the individual compound towards A549 and A2780 with IC50 of 13.77 and 20.36 ?g/ml, respectively that might be due to synergetic effect. The GC-MS analysis of chloroform fraction of the resin showed presence of pentacyclic triterpenes as major component (62.98%), sesquiterpene (4.27%), phytosterols (1.53%) and others in trace amount. The isolated compounds from the chloroform fraction were analysed by spectroscopic techniques such as NMR and MS