Department of Medical Laboratory Science

Vegetables are plant parts consumed by humans and some animals as food, and they include leaves, roots, and stems or stalks. These parts can become contaminated with gastrointestinal parasites, thereby predisposing individuals to various diseases. The present study was conducted to determine the occurrence of parasites in selected leafy vegetables sold in Ugbodiobo market, Odighi Market, Ugo-Niyekarhiomwom old farm market and Ekiohuon (Ekehuan) market located in Benin City, Edo State). A total of 330 vegetable samples were examined for parasitic presence. Standard parasitological procedure was employed by sedimentation technique. The result revealed that there was even distribution of parasites; A. lumbricoides (21%), S. stercoralis (9%), Hookworm (13%), T. trichiura (13%), G. lamblia (10%), E. histolytica (25%) E. vermicularis (9%). The largest number of parasites in these local markets of Benin city was determined on spinach leaf. Percentage parasite occurrence on other leaves varied significantly (P<0.05). The highest parasites recorded on scent leaf was A. lumbricoides (46%), on pumpkin leaf was A. lumbricoides (29%), on cabbage was E. histolytica (44%), on Eboziza leaf was E. histolytica (30%), A. lumbricoides (28%) and S. stercoralis (24%) on Ebewewie leaf was A. lumbricoides (38%), on curry leaf was A. lumbricoides (46%) on Waterleaf was E. histolytica (36%) and A. lumbricoides (32%). The overall highest para sites on leafy vegetable was A. lumbricoides (31%) and E. histolytica (27%)

Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) is an aromatic and medicinal grass widely used in food, cosmetics, and traditional medicine for its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. These activities are linked to its diverse phytochemicals, including essential oils, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. Although the plant has been extensively studied, limited comparative data exists on how solvent polarity influences the extraction of its nutritional and bioactive constituents. This study therefore evaluated the proximate composition, phytochemical distribution, and phenolic profile of C. citratus using ethanol (polar) and diethyl ether (non-polar) as extraction solvents. Laboratory analyses employed various methods, including gravimetric techniques for proximate and phytochemical composition, spectrophotometric and acid titration methods for phytochemical determination, and GC-FID for detailed phenolic profiling. Fresh samples collected from the University of Benin were authenticated and subjected to standardized proximate and phytochemical analyses, supported by current literatures from PubMed, ScienceDirect, MDPI, and Google Scholar. Extraction yield was slightly higher with diethyl ether (1.72%) than with ethanol (1.56%), reflecting the solvent’s efficiency in dissolving non-polar constituents. Proximate analysis revealed high carbohydrate content (71.820%) and crude fibre content (3.225%), moderate crude protein (6.133%), ash content (2.117%), and moisture content (16.720%), and very low-fat content (1.552%). Antinutritional factors such as oxalates, phytates, and cyanogenic glycosides were found only in trace amounts, confirming nutritional safety. Phytochemical screening detected alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, and phenolics in both extracts. Phenolic profiling showed diethyl ether enriched non-polar compounds including catechol (21.776ppm), hydroxyquinol (54.471ppm), and resorcinol (13.932ppm), while ethanol favored polar phenolics such as quinol (25.975ppm) and cinnamic acid (21.163ppm).

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, with the spleen playing a crucial role in both parasite clearance and disease pathogenesis. This study investigated the histopathological effects of malaria parasites on the spleen using albino Wistar rats infected with varying concentrations of Plasmodium berghei. Sixteen rats were randomly divided into four groups: control (n=4), low infection (10² parasitized red blood cells, n=4), medium infection (10⁴ parasitized red blood cells, n=4), and high infection (10⁶ parasitized red blood cells, n=4). Animals were observed for 14 days before sacrifice and histopathological examination.All infected groups experienced significant weight loss compared to controls, with the high infection group showing the greatest reduction (-25.5±2.5g vs +17.0±0.0g in controls, p<0.001). The most striking finding was the paradoxical relationship between infection dose and spleen enlargement. The low infection group demonstrated the most pronounced splenomegaly (1.4±0.1g vs 0.7±0.1g in controls), representing a 100% increase in spleen weight. The splenic-somatic index confirmed this pattern, with the low infection group showing a two-fold increase (0.91% vs. 0.44% in controls, p<0.05). Surprisingly, histopathological examination revealed preserved tissue architecture across all groups, with normal white and red pulp organization despite significant organ enlargement. This suggests that early malaria-induced splenomegaly involvesprimarily functional rather than structural changes. The inverse dose-response relationship indicates that moderate infections may trigger optimal splenic activation, while severe infections may overwhelm the organ's adaptive capacity. These findings contribute to understanding malaria pathogenesis and emphasize that even low-level infections can have substantial physiological impacts, supporting the need for early intervention regardless of apparent infection severity.

Oral candidiasis remains a significant opportunistic infection among HIV-infected individuals, often serving as an early marker of immune suppression. This study aimed to determine its prevalence and assess the antifungal susceptibility patterns of Candida species isolated from HIV-positive patients attending a secondary health facility in Benin City, Nigeria. Sterile cotton swab was used to collect oral specimens from each participant which were gram-stained for microscopic examination. Positive samples ere then cultured and subjected to sensitivity test. 250 participants were screened, 76 (30%) yielded positive for oral candidiasis. Among the sociodemographic factors analyzed, only age showed a significant association with the prevalence of oral candidiasis (p < 0.001). The highest occurrence of oral candidiasis was observed in patients above 50 years.
Antifungal susceptibility testing using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method revealed varied resistance patterns. Amphotericin B showed the highest resistance rate (30.4%), while nystatin had the highest sensitivity rate (26%). Resistance to fluconazole, a commonly used antifungal, was also notable at 19.6%, raising concerns about self-medication and antifungal misuse in the region. Despite widespread HAART coverage, the prevalence of oral candidiasis highlights gaps in treatment adherence and monitoring. The findings emphasize the need for regular oral health assessments, targeted antifungal therapy based on susceptibility testing, and health education to improve HAART adherence and oral hygiene. These measures are crucial in reducing the burden of oral candidiasis in HIV-infected populations.

Iron is one of the integral components of many biochemical properties which is maintained normal physiological activities for the healthy life. Insufficient iron causes different effects at the cellular level like limited oxygen supply, meager work performance and reduces immunity. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of the varied concentration of Gongronema latifolium leave extract on iron metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster. Samples were 1-2 days old virgin male and female Drosophila melanogaster fed with varied concentration of Utazi leaf extract supplemented corn meal diet. The control subjects include 1-2 days old virgin male and female Drosophila melanogaster fed with only corn meal diet and distilled water. The survival assay was carried out in three replicates of each concentration, for the determination of biochemical assays, a second group experiment was carried out. Ferritin ELISA kit was used to determined the Ferritin level, TIBC was determine using TIBC ELISA kit, serum iron was determined using serum iron ELISA kit. Results show that the average percentage survival was observed to be the highest in Group 5 having 80 percent of flies still alive at day 21. The Survival curve showed a negative correlation curve which shows that as the days increase, survival decreases. Group 1, the control group, exhibited a Ferritin level of 0.42±0.44, while Group 2, treated with aqueous Utazi extract, showed a slightly lower Ferritin level of 0.40±0.00. However, Group 3 (given Utazi extract), Group 4 (administered 5.0 mg Utazi extract), and Group 5 (given 2.5mg and 0.1mg of Utazi extract, respectively) demonstrated significant changes (p <0.001) in Ferritin levels, with Group 4 having the lowest level at 0.22±0.18. there was also highly significant difference (F=128.969, p=0.000*) in Ferritin levels among the group. Iron levels varied significantly among the groups, with Group 3 exhibiting the highest levels (16.18±18.46) and Group 2 the lowest (4.65±0.00). TIBC levels followed a similar trend, with Group 3 having the highest value (38.29±15.43) and Group 2 the lowest (6.33±0.00). The ANOVA analysis for TIBC showed significant differences (F=31.389, p=0.000*) among the groups. In conclusion, the study revealed a decreasing survival rate with increasing number of days that is a negative correlation between the concentration of Utazi leaf extract in the diet and on the survival of Drosophila melanogaster, suggesting potential toxicity at higher concentrations. Additionally, significant alterations in Ferritin, Iron, and Total Iron- Binding Capacity (TIBC) levels among experimental groups was observed, indicating that Utazi leaf extract can influence iron metabolism in fruit flies

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and is a leading cause of pain and disability worldwide. Several biological structural trace elements involved in various vital metabolic processes relating to health and diseases include calcium and zinc has been proved to have a role in decreasing inflammatory pain, joint stiffness and other disabling symptoms associated with osteoarthritis. The purpose of the present study was to estimate the serum levels of some essential trace element such as calcium,copper, zinc, selenium and vitamin D and K in elderly patients with OA. A total of 300 patients comprising of one hundred and fifty OA subjects and 150 non osteoarthritis subjects were recruited for this study. Atomic absorption spectroscopy were used to measure the serum concentrations of Ca, Cu, Zn, Se, after it has been properly digested with its specific solution while Vitamin D and K was measured using HPLC and spectrophotometer respectively after treating with its specific solution and the results were compared with those of healthy controls. The socio-demographics characteristic of osteoarthritis and non-osteoarthritis subjects depicts no significant difference when compared with measured values across all age group. Majority of the subjects with osteoarthritis were female than male with a percentage difference of 60.7% and 39.3% respectively. The measured mineral concentration (calcium, copper and zinc) of osteoarthritis were significantly lower (p<0.001) than non-osteoarthritis subject between the distributions (p<001). However, zinc was not significant (P = 0.121). The results showed that 92/150(61.3%) of subjects with osteoarthritis had calcium level below the reference range,113/150(75.3%) of copper, 30/150(20.0%) of zinc and 25/150(16.7%) of selenium were below normal reference range. Similarly, among non- osteoarthritis subjects tested the results showed that 40/150(26.7%) of the subjects had calcium
level below the reference range, 69/150(46.0%) of copper, 20/150(13.3%) of zinc and 8/150(5.3%) of selenium were below normal reference range. The levels of vitamins D and K between osteoarthritis and non-osteoarthritis control groups showed that about 19.3% of the cases with osteoarthritis had a low level of Vitamin K compared to only 9.3% of the apparently healthy controls. This difference was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.013). Also, 30.7% and 5.3% of osteoarthritis and non-osteoarthritis subjects respectively had low level of vitamin D (P < 0.001). Osteoarthritis is not age dependent, the proportion of subjects within age group of 61-70 years had the highest percentage of osteoarthritis (56.0%). While the subjects within age group 70-80 years old had the lowest 5.3% of osteoarthritis. Means of all parameters compared were all found to be significantly different at 0.05 level except age which shows a very high significant difference (P > 0.116) between osteoarthritis and non-osteoarthritis subjects. It is therefore recommended that all patients with osteoarthritis should routine undergo structural trace element measurement.

The three major stains used in combination to stain cervical smears was discovered by Nicholas Papanicolaou and referred to as Pap stain. One of the stains is Eosin – Azure which is made up of Eosin Y, Light Green SF and Bismarck brown. Curcuma longa extract was applied in place of Eosin Y as a constituent of EA50. Cervical smears from premenopausal women were collected and stained with papanicolaou’s stain as control, while modified papanicolaou’s stain with Curcuma longa extract replacing Eosin Y in EA50 was also used to stain cervical smear. The staining ability of the modified stain was examined from the result. Superficial cells were well stained and demonstrated with the modified stain (T.A-extract) while the Zingiber Officinale extract (Z.A) stained the nuclei and cytoplasm of superficial cells poorly. The staining ability of the extract is 100% when compared to smears stained with Papanicolaou’s stain. The major purpose of staining is to demonstrate cellular components to aid diagnosis. Most of the stains available are age long discoveries which require modifications for better application. Local alternative will help boost availability and affordability. Curcuma Longa is readily available and from our findings, it can be used in place of Eosin Y as a component of Eosin Azure. The dye component of herbal products and their staining ability should be researched to create cheaper and readily available local alternative to imported stains.

Herbal products, derived from plant sources, have been integrated into traditional medicine systems and are gaining widespread popularity in contemporary health practices. This study seeks to examine the phyto-chemical compositions of Long Jack and Sperm Boom herbal products sold in Nigerian markets. This is important to identify the presence of synthetic adulterant in the products. The herbal products were dissolved in appropriate diluents and analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatographic technique with Ultra Violet radiation. Long Jack contains twelve phyto-chemical constituents (ppm) which are: Eurycomanone (255.3), Canthin-6-one (130.9), Niloticin (66.8), Scopoletin (266.7), Eurylene (98.4), Eurycomalide A(209.2), Pasakbumin A(466.4), Pasakbumin C (103.0), Longilactone (133.0), 4-hydroxyglaucarubol (74.3), Laurycolactone (116.1) and Beta-Carboline (136.9). Maca sperm boom contains eleven phyto-chemical constituents (ppm): Macaene (31.4), Macaridine (222.3), Gingerol (104.4), Beta-Sitosterol (197.4), Stigmasterol (248.8), Testosterone Decanoate (36.0), Paraxytriol (56.2), Rotundifolioside (56.0), Lanatoside (63.3), Kuwanon G (64.2) and Laricitrin (80.2). No synthetic chemical substance was identified using this method.These identified bioactive compounds are associated with various health benefits, such as enhancing sexual stamina, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and adaptogenic properties. Quality assurance measures, including analytical techniques like High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), are crucial in ensuring the authenticity and safety of herbal products. Understanding their phytoconstituent composition and implementing robust quality control measures are imperative for ensuring efficacy and safety.

Aging men with low plasma Testosterone concentration could be at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD): a leading cause of one third of deaths worldwide. Dislipidaemia, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity are the major risk factors that cause CVD. Of these risk factors, dyslipidaemia which is described as elevated plasma concentration of lipids is the major risk factor and predictor of CVD. The major plasma lipids are Cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL- C) and Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and they have all been incriminated as aetiological factors in cardiovascular diseases. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between plasma total testosterone and atherogenic lipid profile in predicting cardiovascular diseases of men in our study group. A total of 188 apparently healthy male subjects resident in Benin City, Nigeria, aged between 18 and 75 years, were selected for this study. The subjects were divided into three (3) groups - Group A (control); male participants aged 18 -39 years (n = 94), Group B (test); male participants aged 40 - 59 years (n = 47) and Group C (test); male participants aged 60 - 75 years (n = 47). Blood samples were collected after an overnight fast; TT was assayed using the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique; fasting blood glucose (FBG) and lipids (TG, TC, and HDL-C) were assayed using enzyme – based colorimetric methods. LDL-C, Body mass index (BMI), Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) were calculated using appropriate formulae, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured using a sphygmomanometer. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 software. TT levels were observed to be lower with increasing age and this was statistically significant, (P ˂ 0.001). The concentrations of Fasting Blood Glucose, lipids (TC, TG, and LDL-C), AIP and BMI were observed to be significantly higher with increasing age, respectively, (P ˂ 0.001). The values of SBP and DBP were also observed to be higher with age and these were significant statistically, (P ˂ 0.001). TT correlated negatively and significantly (P ˂ 0.05) with Age (r =- 0.626, P = 0.000), TC (r = - 0.250, P = 0.015), LDLC (r = - 0.247, P = 0.017), but it was observed to correlate positively and significantly with DBP, (r = 0.205, P = 0.047). AIP correlated positively and significantly with Age (r = 0.0261, p = 0.011), TC (r = 0.404, p = 0.000), TG (r = 0.816, p = 0.000), LDLC (r = 0.473, p = 0.000) but negatively and significantly with HDLC (r = - 0.492, p = 0.000).This study showed that TT is associated with atherogenic lipid; it may therefore be considered a risk factor and a predictive marker for men who are at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Sales outlets that have poor sanitary conditions can present health risks to consumers. The direct consumption of drinks in their container can expose consumers to serious foodborne diseases, thus increasing the risk of toxi-infection and its transmission constituting a serious public health problem. This present study is aimed at evaluating the possible contamination
and determination of the prevalence of Bacteria found on canned drinks and their antimicrobial susceptibility in some selected distributing and retail points in Benin-city, Edo State. The microbiological analysis was performed from the collection of beverage cans sold in distributing and retail points Benin city. The cans were stored in sterile plastic bags and introduced into individual thermal bags for temperature maintenance. Samples were taken from the surface of beverage cans with a sterile swab and transferred to vials containing 10mL of BHI broth. After 24 hours, the same swabs were used for seeding on selective
culture media. The results showed that out of the hundred (100) samples examined, only 34 (34%) was positive for bacterial contamination, showing a general prevalence of 34%. Of the 39 sample collected from retailers, 15.38% (6/39) showed contamination while 54.09% (28/61) of samples collected from distributors showed contamination. The highest bacterial count was 7.0 × 105 while the lowest bacterial count was found to be 1.9 × 102.Escherichia coli has the most prevalence with 12 (35.3%) different isolates from the 34 positive samples followed by Klebsiella spp. and Enterococcus faecalis with 8 (23.5%) different isolates each. Four (11.8%) different isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were gotten while just 2 (5.9%) isolates of Streptococcus spp. were observed in this study. Most of the isolates were sensitive to the three different antibiotics used in this study. Five isolates were resistant to Piperacillin, while one isolate was resistant to both Gentamycin and Cefoxitin. The implications of
antibiotic resistance on healthcare systems are enormous as resistance leads to the limitation of treatment options. Considering a significant p-value of ≤0.05, statistical analysis shows significant relationship between refrigeration and prevalence of bacterial contamination (p=0.015). Moreso, this research shows a significant relationship between purchase site and prevalence of bacterial contamination. More contamination was observed among canned drinks gotten from retailers when compared to distributors. This was found to be statistically significant (p=0.048). However, no statistically significant relationship existed between location from which canned drinks were gotten and the prevalence of bacterial contamination (p-value= 0.068)