African Journal of Internal Medicine

African Journal of Internal Medicine ISSN: 2326-7283 Vol. 11 (1), pp. 001-003, January, 2023. © International Scholars Journals

Keywords. Compartment syndrome, Rhabdomyolysis.

African Journal of Internal Medicine ISSN: 2326-7283 Vol. 11 (1), pp. 001-009, January, 2023. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A study of adherence and generic substitution among hypertensive patients in a specialist hospital

Bello, S. I.

Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin,

Kwara State, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 10 February, 2012

Abstract

Hypertension is the commonest non-communicable disease in Nigeria with a prevalence of about 20-25 per cent in adult Nigerians. This research work examined generic drug substitution and its impact on drug adherence among hypertensive patients attending the Consultant Out-Patient Department of Sobi Specialist Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. Self-report adherence, personal interview, structured questionnaires and patients’ prescriptions were used to determine drug adherence and treatment outcomes of 167 hypertensive patients on antihypertensive drugs. Adults between the ages of 40 and 80 years were mostly affected, and women were more vulnerable to the disease. The clinical signs and symptoms mostly reported by the patients include severe headache, chest pain, numbness of extremities and general body weakness. The widely utilized generic antihypertensive agents in the studied hospital include Amlodipine, Methyldopa, Nifedipine, Lisinopril among others and constituted 91.6% of all the prescriptions. The high rate of generic drug prescriptions in this hospital coupled with the consistent drug counselling offered to the patients by the pharmacist has greatly improved adherence rate to 67.7%. Generic drug substitution should be encouraged in all tiers of healthcare system to improve drug adherence and stem the tide of hypertension in this society. Also, public enlightenment and education should be strengthened to increase population awareness on the symptoms, risk factors, lifestyle modifications and complications of this silent killer disease.

Keywords: Hypertension, drug adherence, generic, prescriptions, substitution, Nigeria.

African Journal of Internal Medicine ISSN: 2326-7283 Vol. 10 (10), pp. 001-008, October, 2022. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Maytenus ilicifolia as source of antioxidants and anti-radicals agents and its action on neutrophils peroxidase (myeloperoxidase)

J. C. R. Vellosa¹*, O. A. K. Khalil², N. M. Khalil³, V. A. F. F. M. Santos⁴, R. A. Hakime -Silva², M. Furlan⁴, I. L. Brunetti⁵, O. M. M. F. Oliveira²*

¹UEPG - Paraná State University of Ponta Grossa, Clinical Analysis Department, Ponta Grossa-PR, Brazil.

²UNESP - Sao Paulo State University, Biochemistry and Technological Chemistry Department, Chemistry Institute, Araraquara-SP, Brazil.

³UNICENTRO - Paraná MidWest State University, Pharmacy Department, Guarapuava-PR, Brazil.

⁴UNESP - Sao Paulo State University, Organic Chemistry Department, Chemistry Institute, Araraquara- SP, Brazil. ⁵UNESP - Sao Paulo State University, Clinical Analysis Department, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara-SP, Brazil.

Accepted 1 September,2022

Abstract

Maytenus ilicifolia is an important plant with a great potential for cancer treatment and has a popular and diffused use, as tea, in Brazil and in other countries against gastric ulcers, dyspepsia and others gastric problems. In this paper, the antioxidant and anti-radical activities of this plant were compared with trolox and uric acid by their abilities as scavengers of DPPH^·, ABTS^·+, O₂^·-, HOCl and NO. In all systems, a significant correlation existed between concentration of extracts and percentage inhibition of free radicals. Moreover, these extracts could inhibit oxidation of guaiacol catalyzed by peroxidases (horseradish peroxidase and myeloperoxidase) or by their prosthetic group, the hemin. The results provide useful pharmacological information against free radicals and reactive oxygen species, which are involved in a variety of pathological events like diabetes, cancer and aging. The crude extract and the hydroalcoholic fraction were able to act efficiently over all species assayed. This ability to scavenge radicals and endogenous reactive oxygen species, as well as to act as inhibitors of the enzymes that participate in their generation, would be useful for the treatment of various diseases mediated by radical species.

Key words: Myeloperoxidase, celastraceae, oxidative damage, free radical, Maytenus ilicifolia.

African Journal of Internal Medicine ISSN: 2326-7283 Vol. 10 (10), pp. 001-010, October, 2022. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Helicobacter pylori infection in Africa: Pathology and microbiological diagnosis

Tanih N. F.¹, Clarke A. M.¹, Mkwetshana N.¹, Green E.¹, Ndip L. M.² and Ndip R. N.¹*

¹Microbial Pathogenicity and Molecular Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Fort Hare, P/Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa. ²Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Box 63, Buea, Cameroon.

Accepted 28 September, 2022

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori is a microaerophilic motile curve rod that inhabits the gastric mucosa of the human stomach. The organism chronically infects billions of people worldwide and is one of the most genetically diverse of bacterial species. Infection with the bacterium which leads to chronic gastritis, peptic ulceration, gastric cancers and gastric MALT lymphoma has been reported to follow a pattern linked to geographic and socio-demographic factors. However; the infection rate in various populations does not parallel the incidence of morbidity caused by the infection. This has been termed by a number of authors as the ‘African enigma’ based on an apparently low incidence of gastric carcinoma and other H. pylori-associated morbidities in the continent of Africa. There are various techniques employed to detect H. pylori from specimens. These tests may be invasive or non-invasive. Endoscopy and gastric mucosal biopsy, microscopic examination of histological sections, PCR and rapid urease test are forms of invasive test that could be used. Non-invasive tests such as Urea Breath Test (UBT) make use of the ability of the organism to produce urease; enzyme linked immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), H. pylori stool antigen test, and latex agglutination tests are important non-invasive serological approaches employed to detect the presence of antibody or antigen from a specimen. H. pylori is a very fastidious bacterium. Restraint should therefore be exercised to allow for efficient performance of some of these techniques.

Key words: Helicobacter pylori, prevalence, Africa, pathology, microbiological diagnosis.

African Journal of Internal Medicine ISSN: 2326-7283 Vol. 10 (9), pp. 001-006, September, 2022. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

In vitro anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of Lycopodium cernuum (Linn) Pic. Serm

Ndip R.N.^1,2, Ajonglefac A.N.¹, Mbullah S.M.¹, Tanih N.F.^1,2, Akoachere J-F T.K.¹, Ndip L.M.¹, Luma H.N.³, Wirmum C.⁴, Ngwa F.⁵ and Efange S.M.N.⁵

¹Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Buea, Box 63, Cameroon

²Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa.

³Department of Gastroenterology, Douala General Hospital, Cameroon.

⁴Medicinal Foods and Plants (MEFLOPA), Bamenda, Cameroon.

⁵Department of Chemistry, University of Buea, Box 63, Cameroon.

Accepted 1 Sept, 2022

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori, a gram negative microaerophilic bacterium is a major etiological agent in duodenal, peptic and gastric ulcers. In this study, gastric biopsy samples were obtained from patients presenting with gastroduodenal complications. H. pylori was isolated from the specimens following standard microbiology procedures, and isolates subjected to pure fractions of Lycopodium cernuum extracts for antimicrobial assays. Extracts were fractionated by partition chromatography with solvents of increasing polarity to obtain pure fractions. The disk diffusion method was used to determine the susceptibility of 15 strains of H. pylori to the fractions. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for the most active fraction was also determined by the broth dilution method. Results were analyzed by the Fisher’s exact test. All the fractions tested demonstrated antimicrobial activity with zone diameters of inhibition between 0 - 30 mm. Of the 5 fractions obtained, the hexane (Hex) fraction was the most active. The lowest MIC and MBC recorded for the hexane (Hex) fraction were 0.016 and 0.125 mg/mL, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) in the potency of the fraction on the different bacterial strains tested, both for the MIC and MBC. It is concluded that this plant may contain compounds with therapeutic activity, which may be found in the Hex fraction (100%).

Key words: Antibacterial, Lycopodium cernua, Helicobacter pylori, minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration.

African Journal of Internal Medicine ISSN: 2326-7283 Vol. 10 (7), pp. 001-004, July, 2022. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Antibacterial activity of extracts of Alchornea cordifolia (Schum and Thonn) Mull.Arg., Boerhavia diffusa (L) and Bridellia micranthaI (Hoscht) Baill. used in traditional medicine in Nigeria on Helicobacter pylori and four diarrhoeagenic bacterial pathogens

I.  Adeleye Adeyemi¹*, A. Ezekiel Omonigbehin², Smith Stella², Odusola Oluwatosin¹ and Sobande Jumoke³

¹Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos.

²Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, 6, Education Crescent, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.

³Department of Science and Technology, School of Applied Sciences, Yaba College of Technology.

Accepted 9 June, 2022

Abstract

Extracts of leaves of Alchornea cordifolia, Boerhavia diffusa and Bridellia micrantha were investigated for antibacterial activity against Helicobacter pylori, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella enteritidis, Shigella flexneri and Enteroheamorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). Results showed that the ethanolic extracts of the three plants and aqueous extracts inhibited the growth of all the organisms tested. However, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranged between 15.6 and 31.25 mg/ml while the extracts were bacteriocidal at concentration ranging between 31.25 and 250 mg/ml. This indicates that leaf extracts of the three plants are of great potential in treating gastric ulcer and diarrhoea caused by the aforementioned bacteria.

Key words: Alchornea cordifolia, Boerhavia diffusa, Bridellia micrantha, gastric ulcer, diarrhoea.