FACULTY OF PHARMACY

Introduction/Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic disorders affecting women of reproductive age worldwide. It is characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, and polycystic ovarian morphology, and is linked to long-term complications such as infertility, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health disorders. Despite its high burden, awareness and understanding of PCOS remain limited, even among women in health-related disciplines. In Nigeria, factors such as cultural stigma, inadequate reproductive health education, and limited clinical
training may further reduce levels of knowledge. Pharmacy students, as future healthcare professionals, are expected to play key roles in educating patients and promoting early detection of chronic disorders like PCOS. Objective: This study assessed the knowledge and awareness of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome among female pharmacy students at the University of Benin. Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 197 female pharmacy students in 400–600 levels, selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire containing sections on demographics, knowledge, awareness, perceptions, and information sources. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 27.0. Descriptive statistics summarized responses, while Chi-square tests evaluated associations between variables, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The overall mean knowledge score was 26.80 ± 4.14 out of 42. Most respondents (60.9%) demonstrated poor knowledge, while only 39.1% exhibited good knowledge of PCOS. Awareness was moderate in more than half of the students (54.3%). Students in 600 level had significantly better knowledge (28.79 ± 4.35, p<0.001). Significant associations were observed between knowledge level and family history of PCOS (p < 0.003), PCOS diagnosis (p < 0.001), and primary sources of
information (p < 0.001). Social media (33.5%) and academic lectures (17.8%) were the most common sources of information. Although many respondents recognized PCOS as a hormonal disorder (72.1%) and its link to infertility (76.6%), major gaps
existed in identifying elevated hormones, diagnostic criteria, complications, and evidence-based management. Additionally, 70.1% did not perceive PCOS as a serious condition, and 40.1% lacked confidence in counselling patients. Conclusion: The findings reveal substantial gaps in PCOS knowledge among female pharmacy students at the University of Benin, despite moderate awareness levels. Notable deficiencies were identified in their understanding of PCOS risk factors, hormonal imbalance, diagnostic methods, and long-term complications. There is aneed to strengthen reproductive health education within the pharmacy curriculum, promote targeted awareness initiatives, and improve exposure to PCOS relatedclinical content. Enhancing students’ knowledge will better prepare future pharmacists to offer accurate patient counselling, support early detection, and contribute to improved management of PCOS. Keywords: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Pharmacy Students, Awareness, Knowledge, University of Benin, Hormonal Disorders, Reproductive Health, Women’s Health.

Medication errors remain a major worldwide concern within healthcare systems, as they are strongly linked to adverse drug events (ADEs), extended hospitalisation, increased financial burden, and worsened patient outcomes. In Nigeria, such errors are particularly common, with research showing discrepancy rates of 40–60% during patient admission and discharge. These inconsistencies lead to ADEs in about 10–20% of cases and contribute to avoidable readmissions and even death. This study was conducted to assess how a pharmacist-driven medication reconciliation service influences the frequency and seriousness of medication errors during patient
transitions at UBTH. A total of 348 patients participated and were assigned to either an intervention group (which received pharmacist-led reconciliation) or a control group (which received routine
care). The demographic variables reviewed included age, gender, educational background, marital status, and length of hospital stay. Participants were fairly evenly distributed across both groups,
allowing for reliable comparison. Most respondents were between 31 and 45 years old (39.7%), with females making up 54%. Approximately two-thirds of the participants had either secondary
or tertiary education, while 56.6% were married. Nearly half (49.7%) had been hospitalised for fewer than five days. The study further compared the incidence of medication errors documented
in medication charts and discharge summaries between the two groups. The findings showed a striking difference: only 24 individuals (13.7%) in the intervention group experienced medication
errors, compared with 116 individuals (67.1%) in the control group. In fact, 86.3% of the intervention group had no errors at all, demonstrating the clear benefits of pharmacist-led medication reconciliation. With a p-value of p < 0.001, the null hypothesis—which proposed that there would be no significant difference in error rates between both groups—is rejected. This confirms a statistically significant reduction in medication errors among patients who received pharmacist-driven reconciliation. In conclusion, the results strongly indicate that pharmacist-led medication reconciliation greatly minimizes medication errors in the clinical setting. Patients
exposed to this structured intervention experienced far fewer discrepancies than those receiving standard care. The types of errors reduced included omissions, duplications, wrong dosages, incorrect frequency of administration, potential drug interactions, and documentation mistakes all of which are known contributors to ADEs and negative patient outcomes. The study also acknowledges its limitations and offers relevant recommendations.

Introduction: Emilia praetermissa is used traditionally for the treatment of infections, wound healing, and gastrointestinal complaints. Despite ethnomedicinal use, systematic chemical characterisation
and laboratory evaluation of the ethanolic aerial fraction remain limited. This study profiles its phytochemicals, antibacterial and antioxidant activities. Method: The aerial parts were extracted with 70% ethanol from which the ethanolic fraction were obtained and analyzed by HPLC and GC-MS to identify non-volatile and volatile constituents. Antibacterial activity against six clinical isolates (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter cloacae, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus) was assessed by agar well diffusion method, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) (agar dilution) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) determinations were carried out. Antioxidant
The capacity was measured using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) assays; ascorbic acid served as the standard.
Result: HPLC detected varying non-volatile constituents of which flavonoids (notably Flavanol, epicathecin, narigenin) were present with Cumulative Flavonoid concentration of 66.083 μg/mL (21.15%) while GC-MS identified 27 volatile/semi-volatile compounds dominated by fatty acid methyl esters and terpenoids. The extract produced moderate inhibition zones (15–18 mm) against the six clinical isolates. MIC testing showed complete growth inhibition at 40 mg/mL for all organisms; at 20 mg/mL only S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and B. cereus remained inhibited. MBC at 40 mg/mL was bactericidal for S. aureus, E. cloacae, P. aeruginosa and B. cereus. Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus all have MBC/MIC ratios ≤ 4 and are therefore classified as bactericidal. In antioxidant assays the extract demonstrated strong radical scavenging (high DPPH and ABTS at increasing concentrations), modest FRAP activity, and a concentration dependent increase in TAC. Conclusion: The ethanolic aerial fraction of Emilia praetermissa contains a complex mixture of
alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, saponins and lipidic constituents that together confer measurable antibacterial and antioxidant activities in vitro.

This study investigated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant capacity, andantimicrobial activity of the methanol leaf extract of Bryophyllumpinnatum(Crassulaceae), a plant widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of infections, inflammation, and wounds. The crude extract was prepared by maceration in methanol and screened for secondary metabolites using standard phytochemical tests. The extract showed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, carbohydrates, and anthraquinones, while tannins were absent. Quantitative analysesrevealed a total phenolic content of 0.040 ± 0.008 mg GAE/g and a total flavonoidcontent of 0.197 ± 0.005 mg QE/g, confirming the predominance of flavonoidconstituents.The antioxidant potential of the extract was evaluated using DPPHandFRAP assays. The DPPH radical scavenging test showed concentration-dependent activity with an IC₅₀ value of 189 µg/mL compared to 120 µg/mL for ascorbic acid, whilethe FRAP assay demonstrated moderate reducing power. Antimicrobial screeningusingthe agar well diffusion method against selected bacterial and fungal isolates (S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, B. subtilis, C. albicans, and A. niger) revealedthat the methanol extract exhibited no detectable inhibitory zones at 1000 mg/mL, whereasstandard drugs ciprofloxacin and ketoconazole showed significant activity. The findings indicate that Bryophyllum pinnatum contains bioactive secondarymetabolites with measurable antioxidant capacity but limited antimicrobial effect underthe tested conditions. Nonetheless, its strong phytochemical and antioxidant profilesupports its ethnomedicinal use and suggests potential for further purificationandevaluation of its individual constituents as sources of novel therapeutic agents.

Eleusine coracana is commonly found in the arid regions of Asia and Africa. The seeds are used locally in the management of various diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, anaemia, ulcer, depression and insomnia. This study was carried out to determine the antidiabetic activity of different fractions of Eleusine coracana seeds and identify compounds present in the active fractions. Proximate analysis, phytochemical screening and mineral analysis were carried out using standard methods. The powdered seed (5.5 kg) was extracted with methanol in a Soxhlet apparatus. The concentrated crude extract (100 g) was subjected to vacuum liquid chromatography using solvents of increasing polarity (n-nexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate, 50% ethanol/ethyl, 100% methanol, 20% water/methanol, 50% water/methanol and water) to obtain different fractions. The median lethal dose was determined using Lorke’s method. Antioxidant screening, total phenols and flavonoid content determination were also carried out on the extract and fractions using 1,1, diphenyl 2 picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) method, folin ciocateau and aluminium chloride test respectively. The crude extract and selected fractions at a dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg/day were screened for antidiabetic activity using streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The ethylacetate fraction was chromatographed to obtain fractions. Fractions with similar TLC profile were combined and selected combinations were further purified. The ethylacetate and n-hexane fraction were subjected to infrared spectroscopic (IR) analysis and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopic (GC-MS) analysis to determine the chemical constituent(s) present. The moisture content and total ash of the powdered seed were 0.38 ± 0.14 and 2.23 ± 0.13, respectively. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, xxiv alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, reducing sugars, saponins, phenols and terpenoids. Mineral analysis revealed the presence of essential minerals such as calcium (362.20 ± 9.01), sodium (11.66 ± 1.17), potassium (19.72 ± 0.39), magnesium (1.06 ± 0.00) and zinc (0.35 ± 0.01). Heavy metals such as nickel and cadmium were not present in the sample while the others fell below WHO recommended limit for heavy metals. The median lethal dose was observed to be 5000 mg/kg/day, no mortality was observed after 24 hr and 14 days of monitoring. Antioxidant screening revealed that the 50% ethylacetate: methanol fraction had the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 = 29.65 μg/mL) as well as the highest total phenol (132.40 ± 0.51 mgGAE/g) content compared to the crude extract and fractions. The crude extract and fractions at 200 and 400 mg/kg/day dose were able to significantly (P < 0.05) reduce the blood glucose level of the diabetic rats at varying degrees compared to the diabetic untreated animals. Photomicrograph of the pancreas revealed that the crude extract and fractions reduced degenerative changes in the beta cells of islet of Langerhans at varying degrees compared to the diabetic untreated animals. At 400 mg/kg/day, the n-hexane fraction showed the least protective effect on the islets cells. IR spectroscopic analysis revealed that carbonyl groups are the major functional groups present in the tested samples. GC-MS analysis of the ethylacetate and n-hexane fractions revealed that the compounds contained in these fractions are non-polar, long chain fatty acids and esters, few alcohols, long chain saturated alkanes and unsaturated alkenes. This study has shown that the various fractions of Eleusine coracana can significantly reduce blood glucose level in diabetic rats and these fractions contain compounds which may attribute to their antidiabetic effect

Twenty male wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 5). Group I (control)received dis tilled water, while Groups II, III, and IV received 150 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg, and 600 mg/kg of Moringa oleifera extract, respectively, via oral administration for 28 days. Body weights were taken in a weekly schedule, major organs (heart, kidney, liver, lungs and spleen) were harvested, weighed, preserved for histopathological investigations and organ weight index was calculated. Data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism, with a statistical significance level of p < 0.05. The extract caused continuous body weight gain in all the treatment groups and there were no significant differences between them with the control showing that the metabolic and physiological functioning was preserved. The organ weight index of the liver, kidney, heart, spleen and the lungs were normal and did not show any hypertrophy or atrophy based on the doses. The histopathological examination showed minimal hepatic steatosis in the control group, and moderate steatosis at 600 mg/kg, no necrosis or inflammation. There was normal tissue in the kidneys, heart and spleen. The lungs of the rats treated with 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg, however, had diffuse alveolar damage that was characterized by intra-alveolar edema, hyaline membrane deposition, and neutrophilic infiltration which is a phenomenon that indicates dose￾related pulmonary sensitivity. In general, the extract showed relative systemic safety at both low and moderate doses, although the development of diffuse alveolar damage at 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg means that the respiratory risk may occur at higher exposures. More experiments and mechanistic research are ix also advised in order to completely prove the safety of Moringa oleifera root extract in the long term

Introduction/Background: Mental health is a critical determinant of academic success, particularly in demanding professional programs like pharmacy. Generalized Anxiety Disorder(GAD), characterized by persistent and uncontrollable worry, is a prevalent and disabling condition globally. University students, especially those in health professions, are recognized as a high-risk group due to academic pressures, transitional challenges, and systemic stressors. Inthe Nigerian context, these challenges are intensified by institutional constraints and cultural stigma surrounding mental health. Despite this, there is a scarcity of research focusing specifically on GAD among pharmacy students in Nigeria, creating a significant gap in understanding and addressing this issue. Objective: The objective of this study to assess the prevalence and severity of Generalised Anxiety Disorder among second-year pharmacy students at the University of Benin. Method: All eligible and consenting participants were included in the study through a census technique. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire comprising a socio-demographic section and the standardized Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item(GAD-7)scale. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)version 27.0, utilizing descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests to determine associations, with a p-value of less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The study revealed a high prevalence of anxiety, with 75.5% of students reporting some level of clinically significant symptoms. The distribution of anxiety severity was 32.9%mild, 30.1% moderate, and 12.6% severe. The most common symptoms were “worrying too much about different things,” “feeling nervous, anxious or on edge,” and “not being able to stop or control worrying.” A strong majority (75.5%) of students believed that anxiety negatively affected their academic performance. Key contributing stressors included pressure to maintain high grades (72.7%), heavy academic workload (61.5%), and large study materials (51.0%). A statistically significant association was found between gender and anxiety levels, with female students reporting higher levels of moderate anxiety. Help-seeking behaviour was low, withonly18.2% of students having ever sought psychological counselling. A significant association between stress levels and anxiety levels (χ² = 33.8, p < 0.001). Individuals reporting low stress primarily experienced minimal anxiety (76.9%) and those reporting extreme stress showed the highest rates of moderate anxiety (37.5%) and severe anxiety (25.0%). Conclusion: The findings indicate a high burden of generalised anxiety among second-year pharmacy students at the University of Benin, which is significantly intensified by increasing overall stress levels and strongly linked to academic stressors and results in significant self-reported functional and academic impairment. There is an urgent need for the institution to implement proactive interventions, including enhanced and accessible counselling services, routine mental health screening, academic policy reforms to reduce workload pressure, and initiatives to destigmatise help-seeking behaviour. Keywords: Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Pharmacy Students, University of Benin, GAD-7Scale, Academic Stress, Mental Health, Prevalence, Nigeria

This study examined the modulation of Escherichia coli growth by Lactobacillus rhamnosusinthe presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG), glycero-gelatin, and Theobroma. Growthkineticswere analysed using regression models of colony-forming unit counts over time. In monoculture, E. coli exhibited exponential growth (y = 6.6 + 0.21x, R² = 0.874). Co-culture with L. rhamnosussignificantly suppressed E. coli proliferation (y = 5.97 + 0.02x, R² = 0.324; p < 0.001). Theinclusion of glycero-gelatin moderately stabilized this inhibition (y = 5.93 + 0.03x, R² =0.462; p< 0.001), while PEG produced a synergistic effect, completely halting E. coli growth (y =4.46−0.003x, R² = 0.005; p < 0.001). In contrast, Theobroma reversed inhibition (y = 8.13 +0.17x, R² = 0.679; p = 0.436). These results indicate that physicochemical conditions strongly influenceprobiotic–pathogen interaction, with PEG amplifying inhibition, glycero-gelatin enhancingstability, and Theobroma antagonizing probiotic action against Escherichia coli.

The emergence of multi-drug resistant microbes has rekindled the interest on plant derived compounds as alternatives to existing antimicrobial agents.This study d et e rmi n e d the antimicrobial property of ethyl acetate extract of the fibrous stem of Bryophyllum pinnatum and phytochemical constituents of the fibrous stem. The ethyl acetate extract of the fibrous stem did not show any antimicrobial activity against the clinical fungal and bacterial isolates at 0.3g/mL concentration of the extract. Phytochemical analysis showed that alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins,saponins and glycoside which are responsible for antimicrobial activity were not detected. Gas Chromatography -Mass Spectroscopy also identified various phytocomponents. The ethyl acetate extract did not show anti-microbial activity.

In tropical and subtropical areas, tick infestations are a serious hazard to public health and livestock output. These ectoparasites act as vectors for a variety of zoonotic illnesses in addition to causing anemia, skin irritation, and secondary infections in animals. Due of extensive multi-drug resistance, environmental contamination, and public health issues such residues in meat and milk, conventional chemical acaricides are failing. Because of its antibacterial, insecticidal, and repellant properties, Ocimum gratissimum, often referred to as smell leaf, is widely used in West African ethnomedicine. Using a clevengerClevenger apparatus, the volatile oil was extracted from fresh Ocimum gratissimum leaves. Column chromatography and TLC were then used to fractionate and isolate the oil. The live cow ticks were treated with 20 μL of various oil concentrations (1%, 2%, 5%, and 10%). To assess effectiveness, tick mortality was tracked over a 24-hour period. The volatile oil's effectiveness as a deadly agent against the tick genus Hyalomma rufipes was confirmed when it reached 100% mortality at 10% concentration. The oil maintained a high mean mortality of 86.67±15.28 even at the lowest concentration tested (1%). At concentrations of 2%, 5%, and 10%, the oil completely killed Rhipicephalus microplus in every replicate. A significant mean mortality of 93.3±11.55 was obtained even at the lowest concentration tested (1%). Ocimum gratissimum volatile oil is a particularly good option for developing an integrated tick management product that is ecofriendly, efficient, and sustainable.