Asso. Prof Basil Chukwuma Ezeokpo | Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki (original) (raw)

Papers by Asso. Prof Basil Chukwuma Ezeokpo

$Research paper thumbnail of The anti-seizure and anti-nociceptive potential of hexane fraction from the leaves of Detarium senegalense$

Magna Scientia Advanced Research and Reviews

Detarium senegalense, J.F. Gmelin (Fabaceae) is used in Nigerian folk medicine to treat different... more Detarium senegalense, J.F. Gmelin (Fabaceae) is used in Nigerian folk medicine to treat different diseases including epilepsy, microbial infections, gastrointestinal diseases and inflammation; its efficacy is widely acclaimed among communities in South Eastern Nigeria. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-seizure and anti-nociceptive potential of hexane fraction from the leaves of D. senegalense The hexane fraction of D. senegalense leaf was evaluated to determine the effect of the oral administration of the extract (100 – 400 mg/kg) against seizure using the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), brucine, isoniazid (INH) induced seizure models and analgesic activity using the writhing and water tail immersion tests in mice. The hexane fraction of the extract significantly (p<0.05) increased the latency period in seizures induced by PTZ, brucine and isoniazid, and significantly reduced the duration of seizures induced by these three inducing agents. The extract also protected 67 % of animals...

West Africa Journal of Medicine

Background: HIV/AIDS is a multi-system disease that has been associated with several endocrinopat... more Background: HIV/AIDS is a multi-system disease that has been associated with several endocrinopathies including thyroid dysfunction. Thyroid dysfunction in patients with HIV/AIDS, among other factors, may arise from the direct cytopathic effects of HIV on the thyroid gland in addition to the adverse effects of highly active anti-retroviral drugs (HAART). Study objective: The study aimed to determine the prevalence and pattern of thyroid dysfunction in HAART naïve HIV patients in Enugu. Materials & methods: Study was cross sectional, casecontrol based, involving 250 HAART naïve HIV sero-positive patients and 250 HIV sero-negative subjects. Anthropometric measurements and physical examination were done. Assay for fT3, fT4, TSH (for thyroid function) was done using the Enzyme Linked Immunoassay (ELISA) method. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Results: The HAART naïve sero-positive cohorts comprised 112 males and 138 females while th...

Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences, Dec 30, 2018

Postprandial hyperlipidemia is associated with oxidative stress and is an important risk factor f... more Postprandial hyperlipidemia is associated with oxidative stress and is an important risk factor for atherosclerosisand cardiovascular disease. The aims of this study were to investigate the antihyperlipidemic effect of honey administered 5or 60 minutes before a high-fat diet (HFD), to explore the role of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA)reductase in antihyperlipidemic effect of honey and to investigate the effect of honey on postprandial oxidative stress. Ratswere fasted and randomized into 5 groups. Groups 1 and 2 were administered portable water. After 60 minutes, the groupswere given portable water and HFD, respectively. Group 3 was administered honey. After 5 minutes, the rats were givenHFD. Groups 4 and 5 were administered honey and simvastatin, respectively. After 60 minutes, the rats were given HFD.Four hours after portable water or HFD administration, the rats were sacrificed. Group 2 had significantly (p < 0.01) highertotal cholesterol (TC), triglycerides ...

Journal of Complementary Medicine Research, 2020

Aim: Medicinal plants have been globally used as alternative to synthetic drugs in treating diffe... more Aim: Medicinal plants have been globally used as alternative to synthetic drugs in treating different disease conditions. This study investigated the effect of oral administration of ethanol leaf extract of Justicia insularis in Phenylhydrazin induced anaemia in Wistar rats. Methods: A total of 30 male Wistar rats including 24 anaemic and 6 normal rats were used for experiment. Anaemia was induced in rats by intraperitoneal administration of phenylhydrazine at a dose of 40 mg/kg for 48 hours. After being confirmed anaemic, rats were orally treated with distilled water and ethanol extract of Justicia insularis at doses of 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg respectively for three weeks. The haematological parameters including the red blood and white blood cells and their functional indices were investigated in anaemic treated rats compared with the control rats. Phytochemical analysis and acute toxicity test of the extract were also carried out. Results: Administration of the ethanol leaf extract of J. insularis daily for three weeks significantly increased the haematological parameters which conclude that it exhibits antianaemic activity. Phytochemical test on J. insularis indicated the presence of alkaloid, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, glycosides, phenol, resins and reducing sugar. The extract was also found to be non-toxic in rats. Conclusion: The implication of our findings is that ethanol leaf extract of J. insularis possesses potent antianaemic activity and thus, could be considered a potential candidate for the development of new drug in the treatment of anaemic conditions.

African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2016

Bombax buonopozense is used in traditional medicine in Nigeria for the treatment of pains and fev... more Bombax buonopozense is used in traditional medicine in Nigeria for the treatment of pains and feverish conditions. This study was orally carried out to establish the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties of an aqueous stem bark extract of Bombax buonopozense in experimental animals. The analgesic activity was measured using the acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction and water tail imgmersion tests. The anti-inflammatory activity was assayed using the xylene and carrageenan-induced oedema tests, while the antipyretic activity was measured using the brewer's yeast and 2, 4 dinitrophenol-induced pyrexia. The stem bark extract (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) at all doses used, was found to have significant (P<0.05) analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic activities. Data shows that aqueous stem bark extract of B. buonopozense possesses constituents with therapeutic potential against pains and feverish conditions, thus supporting the use of the stem bark of this plant for similar ailments in traditional medicine.

Saudi Journal of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2019

The leaves of Pseudocedrela. kotschyi are used in herbal medicine in Sub-Saharan Africa without s... more The leaves of Pseudocedrela. kotschyi are used in herbal medicine in Sub-Saharan Africa without safety concerns. Determination of its safety profile will provide supportive scientific evidence in favour of its continuous usage. To evaluate the sub-chronic toxicity activity of the ethanol extract of Pseudocedrela. Kotschyi leaves. Sub-chronic toxicity evaluation of the extract was determined by administering 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg on Wistar rats for 40 days with distilled water as control. The haematological and biochemical parameter as well as the relative organ weights were examined. In the 40 days sub-chronic oral toxicity study, administration of 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of P. kotschyi leaf extract per body weight showed significant (p<0.05) body weight change, significant (p<0.05 and p<0.01) changes in some haematological and biochemical parameters and organ weights compared to the control group. Analyses of these results could lead to the conclusion that the oral administration of P. kotscyi leaf extract for 40 days does not cause sub-chronic toxicity in rats

$Research paper thumbnail of Analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities of the ethanolic extract and its fractions of Cleome rutidosperma$

Fitoterapia, 2007

Oral administration of the ethanolic extract (200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o) and its fractions (200 mg/k... more Oral administration of the ethanolic extract (200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o) and its fractions (200 mg/kg each) of the aerial parts of Cleome rutidosperma produced significant analgesic activity in acetic acid-induced writhing and tail immersion tests, antiinflammatory effect against carrageenin induced inflammation and adjuvant induced polyarthritis and antipyretic activity against yeast-induced pyrexia. Fractionation of the ethanolic extract potentiated the activities.

Journal of Biological Studies, Sep 1, 2020

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) could be associated with cognitive impairment. The spectrum of cogn... more Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) could be associated with cognitive impairment. The spectrum of cognitive impairment ranges from mild deficits that are not clinically detectable to the most severe clinical form, dementia. Some of the potential mechanisms include the effects of brain infarcts, white matter disease, hyperinsulinaemia, advanced glycosylated end products, and Lipoprotein Related Proteins (LRP). There is limited data on the prevalence of cognitive impairment amongst type 2 DM patients in south - east Nigeria. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment in type 2 DM patients attending a diabetic clinic in Abakaliki south-east Nigeria. It is a cross-sectional, descriptive and hospital based study carried out over a three months period (October 2013 to September 2014). Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used for cognitive functions assessment and interpreted as follows; a score of 25-30 as normal, and ≤24 as cognitive impairme...

International Journal of Case Reports and Images, 2016

International Journal of Case Reports and Images (IJCRI) is an international, peer reviewed, mont... more International Journal of Case Reports and Images (IJCRI) is an international, peer reviewed, monthly, open access, online journal, publishing high-quality, articles in all areas of basic medical sciences and clinical specialties. Aim of IJCRI is to encourage the publication of new information by providing a platform for reporting of unique, unusual and rare cases which enhance understanding of disease process, its diagnosis, management and clinico-pathologic correlations. IJCRI publishes Review Articles, Case Series, Case Reports, Case in Images, Clinical Images and Letters to Editor.

Journal of Diabetology, 2022

Racial/ethnic differences cover clinical, biological, genetic, or epigenetic factors associated w... more Racial/ethnic differences cover clinical, biological, genetic, or epigenetic factors associated with disease risk, outcome, and treatment that are not related to socio-economic factors. The presence of these in type 2 diabetes mellitus produces a different perspective to the understanding and care in different races and ethnic groups. This becomes very important with individualized care that is not applied alongside these differences. Newer antidiabetic drugs with great promises do not have comparable efficacies across the races. New drug developments using genomics are similarly affected, so also their pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic applications. Racial/ethnic differences are found among the subgroups of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the aspects of epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis. These differences are, however, different and independent of the differences found in drug treatment, diabetic chronic kidney disease, and diabetic retinopathy. For the African Americans and ...

Increased consumption of sugars and sweetened beverages contributes to increased prevalence of ob... more Increased consumption of sugars and sweetened beverages contributes to increased prevalence of obesity. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of honey supplementation on body weight (BW), weight gain, body mass index (BMI) and adiposity in Wistar rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). The study also investigated if administration of high doses of honey to HFD fed Wistar rats would deteriorate body weight, weight gain, BMI and adiposity. Rats were fed chow or HFD (coconut and olive oil) and 30% sucrose solution for 8 weeks. The animals were then randomly divided into 5 groups. Group 1 (fed chow) was treated with 1.0 ml/kg BW of drinking water. Group 2 (fed HFD and 30% sucrose solution) was treated with 1.0 ml/kg BW of drinking water. Groups 3, 4 and 5 (fed HFD and 30% sucrose solution) were administered 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 g/kg BW of honey, respectively. The animals were treated for a duration of 6 weeks. Groups 1 and 2-5 were maintained on chow and HFD, respectively during tr...

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, 2021

Diabetes mellitus has sadly become a pandemic, with chronic and debilitating complications which ... more Diabetes mellitus has sadly become a pandemic, with chronic and debilitating complications which by far are more pronounced in the developing countries of the world. Despite the availability of a wide array of anti-diabetic drugs (both oral and parenteral medications), micro-vascular and macro-vascular diabetes complications are still common. Owing to this sad reality, the place of micronutrients augmentation has come to the frontline of research in diabetes management. Zinc is one of the well-known micro-elements with diverse functions in various physiologic processes in humans. The authors reviewed the role of zinc augmentation in subjects with diabetes generally, both those with complications of diabetes and those without complications. Emphasis was also laid on the modulatory actions of zinc on various diabetes-related processes which include: its anti-oxidant effect; improvement of insulin secretion/sensitivity; increased amylin action; inhibition of gluconeogenesis and atheros...

Metformin and simvastatin are drugs used to reduce diabesity-related parameters such as weight ga... more Metformin and simvastatin are drugs used to reduce diabesity-related parameters such as weight gain and adiposity in obese type 2 diabetic and obese patients, respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effects of metformin or simvastatin and their combination with honey on obesity anthropometric parameters in rats fed high-fat diet (HFD). After 8 weeks of feeding with HFD and sucrose solution (30% w/v), rats were randomly grouped and treated with distilled water, metformin, metformin and honey, simvastatin or simvastatin and honey for 6 weeks. The rats were maintained on HFD during the treatment period. The weight gain, % change in body mass index (BMI) and % change in adiposity index (AI) were significantly (p < 0.05 or p < 0.001) higher while BMI, body weight/body length (BW/BL) and AI were non-significantly (p > 0.05) higher in HFD fed control rats compared with chow fed rats. The weight gain, BMI, % change in BMI, BW/BL, AI and % change in AI...

Ibnosina Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 2012

Objective: To investigate the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of ethanolic leaf extract of Byrsoc... more Objective: To investigate the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of ethanolic leaf extract of Byrsocarpus coccineus in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. Methods: Curative effect against established infection and suppressive activity against early infection were screened. Results: The extract (100,200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o.) has significant (p<0.05) dose dependent activity against the parasites in the curative and suppressive tests. The extract also prolonged the survival time of the infected mice. The oral LD50 values were greater than 5000 mg/kg in mice. Conclusion: The result shows that the extract possesses considerable antiplasmodial activity which can be exploited in malaria therapy.

Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine, 2013

Analytical Cellular Pathology, 2020

Metformin has been used for a long time as an antidiabetic medication for type 2 diabetes. It is ... more Metformin has been used for a long time as an antidiabetic medication for type 2 diabetes. It is used either as a monotherapy or in combination with other antidiabetic medications. The drug came into prominence in diabetes and other conditions with cardiovascular risk after the landmark study of 1995 by the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study which emphasized its importance. However, the drug has been used in experimental trials in various aspects of medicine and pharmacology such as in reproductive medicine, cancer chemotherapy, metabolic diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. It has been in use in the treatment of polycystic ovarian disease and obesity and is being considered in type 1 diabetes. This study seeks to evaluate the relevance of metformin in cancer management. Different mechanisms have been proposed for its antitumor action which involves the following: (a) the activation of adenosine monophosphate kinase, (b) modulation of adenosine A1 receptor (ADORA), (c) r...

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) could be associated with cognitive impairment. The spectrum of cogn... more Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) could be associated with cognitive impairment. The spectrum of cognitive impairment ranges from mild deficits that are not clinically detectable to the most severe clinical form, dementia. Some of the potential mechanisms include the effects of brain infarcts, white matter disease, hyperinsulinaemia, advanced glycosylated end products, and Lipoprotein related proteins (LRP). There is limited data on the prevalence of cognitive impairment amongst type 2 DM patients in southeast Nigeria. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment in type 2 DM patients attending a diabetic clinic in Abakaliki southeast Nigeria. It is a cross-sectional, descriptive and hospital based study carried out over a three months period (October 2013 to September 2014). Mini mental state examination (MMSE) was used for cognitive functions assessment and interpreted as follows; a score of 25-30 as normal, and ≤ 24 as cognitive impairment. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 software. Out of 499 type 2 DM patients that were screened for the study, 450 were eligible for the study with male to female sex ratio of 2 (190):3 (260). The age range was 30-89 years with mean age of 59.43 ± 9.28 years. One hundred and eighty (40%) patients had cognitive impairment with male to female sex distribution of 55 (28.9%) and 125 (48.1%) respectively. Advanced age, low education attainment, unskilled occupation and presence of diabetic complications were the identified risk factors for cognitive impairment. Mini mental state examination should be a frequent tool in routine assessment of diabetic patients as it is simple and sensitive in detecting cognitive impairment. Also, identified modifiable risk factors should be corrected.