FACULTY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

Research has been ongoing on many plant materials, especially those discarded as waste, to exploit their nutritional and antinutritional properties. Generally, plant parts (seeds, leaves, bark, fruits, stems) contain bioactive agents with medicinal properties but require proper assessment. Avocado (P. americana) seeds are often discarded after taking the pulp of the fruit. Until recent times, Researchers have identified a wealth of therapeutic compounds in the husk of avocado seeds which are normally discarded. The present study was aimed at determining the level of anti-nutrients and possibly heavy metals in the seed of Avocado. The seeds were removed from the pulp, washed, dried, cut into smaller pieces and allow to air dry completely and then pulverised. The seed powder of P. americana was analysed to determine its mineral contents and some antinutritional properties (oxalate and phytate). The quantitative analysis of these parameters showed that the anti-nutritive components are Phytate (1.07%) and oxalate (6.16%) respectively. The mineral analysis revealed zinc (3.415 mg/kg ±0.145), Lead (0.035 mg/kg ±0.005), iron (2.775 mg/kg ± 0.105), Nickel (0.115 mg/kg ±0.005), Copper(0.265 mg/kg ±0.015), Cobalt (0.14 mg/kg ±0.01), Chromium (0.08 mg/kg ±0) respectively. This study, therefore revealed that P. americana seeds have a low level of oxalate and phytate contents while there were low levels of some heavy metals as seen in the result. In conclusion, the seeds of P.
Americana were found to be a beneficial potential therapeutic agent.

Acute toxicity studies is essential for determining the immediate safety of substances following a single high-dose exposure, providing early indicators of potential adverse effects or lethality. CellifeIQ, a multi-component nutraceutical formulated with antioxidant-rich herbal extracts, vitamins, and minerals, is widely promoted for supporting cellular health, yet its toxicological safety has not been scientifically evaluated.This study evaluated the acute oral toxicity of CellifeIQ in male Wistar rats. Using Lorke’s method,male wistar rats received single oral doses of 10, 100, 1000, 1600, 2900, and 5000 mg/kg and were observed for 14 days for mortality, behavioural changes, body-weight trends, feed and water intake, and gross pathological alterations in major organs. No mortality occurred at any tested dose, indicating an LD₅₀ greater than 5000mg/kg. Mild and transient effects, such as slight restlessness or sedation, were observed at higher doses but resolved within hours, while delayed mild itching was noted only at doses ≥1000 mg/kg. Body-weight progression, feed consumption, water intake, and feed efficiency showed no significant differences compared to controls (p>0.05). Gross necropsy revealed no visible abnormalities in the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, or spleen. CellifeIQ demonstrated very low acute oral toxicity and may be considered practically non-toxic under single-dose exposure conditions in male Wistar rats. However,further studies including sub acute and chronic toxicity,biochemical assays,histopathology, and genotoxicity evaluations are recommended to fully characterize its long-term safety profile.