O. Ikponmwosa - Eweka

Helicobacter Pylori infection has been identified as an important risk factor for the development of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and gastric cancers. The purpose of this study aimed to determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection and associated risk factors in undergraduate students of college of medical science and faculty of Agriculture in University of Benin. Whole blood samples were randomly collected from 93 participants both male and female and analyzed using antibodies against H. pylori. Participants' demographic and clinical information were obtained using a structured questionnaire. The study results showed that out of 93 selected participants, 59 (63.9%) showed positive for Helicobacter Pylori antibodies, while 34(36.6.%) were negative for Helicobacter antibodies. Popularity of Helicobacter Pylori infection was f o u n d t o b e sl i g h t l y h i g h e r i n f e ma l e p a rt i c i p a n ts c om p a r e d wi t h ma l e participants. Based on age, the prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori infection was significantly higher (P<0.05) in participants from 16 to 25 years old compared to other age groups. Symptomatic participants primarily complained of heartburn, followed by loss of appetite, abdominal pain, nausea, bloating and eventually vomiting. However, none of them complained about vomiting blood. Identifiable risk factors associated with infection include misuse of pain killers drugs, infected drinking water, living with someone having the bacteria among others .The aim of this work was to generate information focusing on the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in study participants. The information generated will help provide the public health intervention needed to examine these issues and provide evidence-based prevention to students in the College of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Agriculture as well as the general population of the University of Benin

A common medicinal plant in many traditional medical systems, bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina L.), is commonly used in African and Asian traditional medicine. As a result of it's numerous medicinal applications, this plant has been shown to have antibacterial, anticancer, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory qualities (Ogidi, 2019). To maximize the optimum potential of medicinal plants, it is essential to understand how their phytochemical content and antioxidant activity vary depending on the solvent used during extraction (Wenli et al., 2023). Due to their strong antioxidant properties, phenolics and flavonoids are the major bioactive chemicals that bring about these health benefits

Sodium arsenite is a toxic metalloid compound widely distributed in the environment through contaminated water, industrial effluents, and pesticides. Exposure to arsenic compounds has been associated with severe oxidative damage, particularly affecting the liver and kidneys. This study investigated the protective effect of rutin, a natural flavonoid with potent antioxidant properties, on sodium arsenite–induced hepato-renal toxicity in Wistar rats. Thirty-five (35) male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups of seven animals each. Group 1 served as the control and received corn oil only; Group 2 received 50mg/kg of rutin dissolved in distilled water; Group 3 received sodium arsenite (10 mg/kg body weight) dissolved in distilled water; Group 4 received rutin (25 mg/kg) and sodium arsenite (10 mg/kg) and; while Group 5 received rutin (50 mg/kg) and sodium arsenite (10 mg/kg). After the treatment period, blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis of liver and kidney function biomarkers- aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), urea, and creatinine. The results showed that sodium arsenite administration caused a significant increase (p < 0.05) in serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, urea, and creatinine compared to the control group, indicating hepatic and renal impairment. However, co-administration of rutin led to a dose-dependent decrease in these biomarkers, bringing their values closer to the normal range. This suggests that rutin effectively mitigated the biochemical alterations induced by sodium arsenite. In conclusion, the findings demonstrate that rutin possesses potent antioxidant and protective properties capable of ameliorating sodium arsenite–induced liver and kidney toxicity in Wistar rats. This implies that rutin may have potential therapeutic applications in preventing heavy-metal-induced oxidative damage in humans.