Background: Gastric ulcer is the most common gastrointestinal disorder associated with high morbidity and significant mortality and has been described as the plaque of the 19^th and 20^th centuries. The most conventional antiulcer drugs are largely ineffective and associated with disease recurrence, thus identifying natural products with potential antiulcer properties is essential. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential protective effects of aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx (AEHSC) against nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced gastric ulcer. Materials and Methods: Thirty male rats weighing 170–230 g were randomized into five groups as: ulcerated control group (distilled water, n = 6), experimental extract groups 1, 2, and 3 (AEHSC 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg, respectively, n = 6 each), and positive control group (ranitidine 20 mg/kg, n = 6); ulcer was induced using oral indomethacin 40 mg/kg, 30 min after all interventions. Rats were sacrificed 5 h after ulcer induction. Blood samples were taken for serum hydroxyproline determination; gastric tissues were also visualized (ulcer index (UI) and percentage of ulcer protection), and later stained and viewed under a microscope. Results: There was a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in UI in treated rats compared with control. The percentage of ulcer protection was also significantly increased (P < 0.05). Histological slides also indicated increased epithelial mucus secretion in stomach tissues of rat treated with AEHSC. Conclusions: AEHSC may be potentially beneficial in protection against the development of NSAID-induced gastric ulcers.

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Context: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) accounts for over 90% of diabetic cases with a prevalence of 0.33/1000 children in the African subregion. Hyperglycemia which is the major characteristic of T1DM may have a direct toxicity on osteoblasts and could lead to increased bone fragility and fractures in patients with T1DM. However, long-term glucose control can be monitored effectively with the measurement of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), while alkaline phosphatase (ALP), serum calcium, and inorganic phosphate are simple ways of assessing bone mineral density. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the association between HbA1c and serum calcium, inorganic phosphate, and ALP. Subjects and Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study with a total of 26 T1DM patients and 20 apparently well children within the age range of 1–18 years. Blood samples were collected from the patients for measurement of HbAIc, serum ALP, serum calcium, and inorganic phosphate at the beginning of the study and after 3 months of insulin therapy. Results: The baseline mean HbA1c was significantly higher in the T1DM patients than in the controls (P = 0.00) and there was no significant decrease in HbA1c after 3 months of insulin therapy (P = 0.13) although HbA1c tended to be lower (12.57 ± 0.86% [baseline], 10.12 ± 0.74% [3 months postinsulin therapy]). There was a statistically significant reduction in ALP (P = 0.00). There was also a statistically significant correlation between ALP and mean HbA1c (r = 0.79, P = 0.00). Conclusion: Patients with T1DM often exhibit disorders related to calcium, inorganic phosphate, and ALP homeostasis with associated poor bone metabolism which may improve with adequate glycemic control and the addition of calcium supplements to their therapy.

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Context: Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy which is avoidable with timely and effective care. Aim: The aim of this study was to monitor the renal status using biochemical indices such as serum cystatin-c, beta-2-microglobulin (B2MG), and other renal function. Setting and Design: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Subjects and Methods: One hundred and sixty respondents (124 preeclamptics [PE] and 36 normotensive pregnant women [NPW]) participated in this study. Fresh mid-stream urine and venous blood samples were collected for the estimation of urine albumin and creatinine, plasma creatinine and urea, serum cystatin-c, and B2MG. Statistical Analysis Used: The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16 with the level of significance set at P < 0.05 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Amongst the PE, 39 (31.5%) were mild cases while 85 (68.5%) were severe. Serum cystatin-c, B2MG, plasma creatinine and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) were higher in the PE than in the NPW while plasma urea was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in NPW than in PE. Cystatin-c was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in PE than in NPW in the 3^rd trimester while B2MG was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in PE than in NPW in the 2^nd and 3^rd trimesters. Urine ACR and serum B2MG were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in severe than in mild PE. There was a significant (P < 0.05) positive correlation between serum cystatin-c and urine ACR and between B2MG and plasma creatinine. Serum cystatin-c was increased throughout the period of gestation with higher values in the 3^rd trimester while serum B2MG was higher in the 2^nd trimester. Conclusion: In comparison to other biological indices of renal function, serum B2MG and serum cystatin-c could be more useful in the early detection and severity of preeclampsia.

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Introduction: A plant commonly referred to as Chikadoma in Nigeria, yellow bush in English, is traditionally used for the treatment of microbial infections and inflammation. Objectives: This study evaluated a novel gel formulation of the Nigerian Chikadoma plant extract for its topical antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities against pure clinical isolates (Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella paratyphi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger), and carrageenan-induced edema on experimental rodents, respectively. Materials and Methods: Concentration of 1% w/w Carbopol-934 was employed as the gelling agent. The physiochemical parameters of formulations (viscosity, pH, spreadability, extrudability, and stability) were examined for a month to ensure that when applied on the skin, it never produced any skin irritation/erythema/edema. Results: The physiochemical and stability assessment of the gel formulation showed viscosity, pH, spreadability, extrudability, and stability within standard specifications. The antimicrobial studies showed activity against some of the test microorganisms, while the carrageenan-induced edema was inhibited. Both showed high degree of reproducibility. Conclusion: The formulated gel of Nigerian Chikadoma plant extract significantly possesses herbal anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, and the gel preparation was stable under normal storage environment and did not manifest skin irritation/erythema and edema when applied on the skin.

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Background: Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia and often accompanied by lipid abnormalities. The ongoing search for natural antidiabetic remedies is concentrated on plants used as such in ethnomedicine. Murraya koenigii is also known as curry leaf plant, belonging to the family Rutaceae. Few studies have shown the activity of M. koenigii in management of diabetes mellitus and lipidemic effect. Aim: This study evaluated the effect of M. koenigii leaf extract on glucose tolerance and lipid profile in alloxan-induced diabetic male rats. Materials and Methods: Twenty male Wistar rats were used for the study. The animals were randomly selected into four groups (1, 2, 3, and 4) of five rats each. Group 1 served as normal control, Group 2 as diabetic control, while Groups 3 and 4 were diabetic and orally treated with 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of M. koenigii extract, respectively. After 14 days of administration, oral glucose tolerance test was performed on overnight fasted rats. Thereafter, the animals were anesthetized and blood samples obtained were used for biochemical assay. Results: There was no significant differences (P < 0.05) in the glucose tolerance between the normal control and the M. koenigii (200 and 400 mg/kg)-treated groups. However, a significant increase (P < 0.05) between the diabetic control group and the normal control was noted at 30, 60, and 120 min following glucose load. Furthermore, there was no significant changes (P < 0.05) in the lipid parameters between the normal control and the treated groups of the alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rats. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that ethanolic extract of M. koenigii administered for a 2-week period had no effect on the glucose tolerance and lipid profile of the alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rats.

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