@article {878, title = {In vivo Toxicopathological Evaluation of a Purified Bioflocculant Produced by Arthrobacter humicola}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Journal}, volume = {11}, year = {2019}, month = {May 2019}, pages = {486-492}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {486}, abstract = {

Introduction: In spite of the commendable flocculating activities of microbial flocculants, a good number of them potentiate significant toxicity. This study evaluated the in vivo toxicological implications of treatment with the Purified bioflocculant (PB) from Arthrobacter humicola using OECD guidelines. Materials and Methods: In the acute toxicity assessment, a single oral administration of 2000 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) of PB was given to the Wistar rats and the animals were observed for 2 weeks. The daily dose toxicity testing was performed through daily oral treatment with graded doses (50, 200 and 500 mg/kg b.w.) of PB for 4 weeks. Clinical signs of toxicity, behavioral changes, hematological and biochemical parameters were thereafter evaluated. Results: PB at 2000 mg/kg b.w. produced no treatment-mediated signs of toxicity, behavioral changes or mortality in the animals. Thus, its no-observed-adverse-effect level was estimated to be above 2000 mg/kg b.w. In the repeated dose toxicity testing, treatments with PB also revealed no significant differences in the feeding patterns, lipid profiles, hematological and clinical biochemistry parameters when compared with the control group. Although, at 500 mg/kg b.w. PB, a significant increase was observed in the serum activities of alkaline phosphatase, nonetheless, cage side observations recorded no treatment-induced signs of toxicity and macro-histopathological examinations of all the investigated organs also revealed no obvious morphological changes. Conclusion: The overall results suggested that PB was well tolerated by the animals and is endowed with monosaccharides bearing functional groups of flocculation importance, thus, suggesting its potential application as a safe actinomycetes bioflocculant for water treatment.\ 

}, keywords = {Actinomycetes, Arthrobacter humicola, Bioflocculant, Hematological, Polysaccharides, Wastewater treatment}, doi = {10.5530/pj.2019.11.77}, author = {Mayowa Oladele Agunbiade and Sabiu Saheed and Esta Van Heerden and Carolina Henritta Pohl} } @article {813, title = {Pteleopsis suberosa Engl. and Diels (Combretaceae) aqueous stem bark extract extenuates oxidative damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Journal}, volume = {11}, year = {2019}, month = {January 2019}, pages = {183-190}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {183}, abstract = {

Context: Pteleopsis suberosa Engl. and Diels (Combretaceae) is an ethnomedicinally valued deciduous shrub with significant therapeutic application against diabetes in West Africa. Aims: This study evaluated the hypoglycaemic and antioxidant activity of its aqueous stem bark extract (PSAE) over a 15-day experimental period in streptozotocin (STZ)-challenged diabetic rats. Methods and Material: STZ-induced diabetic rats were administered 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of the extract once daily and the blood glucose levels were monitored for 15 days. The bioactive constituents of PSAE were analyzed using Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. Results: Treatment with PSAE markedly (p\< 0.05) ameliorated the concentrations of blood glucose and improved the lipid metabolism imbalance in the diabetic animals. Also, while PSAE significantly (p\<0.05) improved glycogen and glutathione (reduced) levels as well as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, the concentrations of glucose and malondialdehyde coupled with the activity of α-amylase were significantly reduced in the liver of PSAE-administered diabetic animals when compared with those of the normal control and untreated diabetic groups. The observed improvements could be associated with the phytoconstituents of PSAE as evident from the results of the GC-MS analysis. Put together, the elicited effects compared favorably well with metformin (a standard hypoglycemic drug) and are suggestive of antidiabetic and antioxidant capabilities of the extract. Conclusion: The scope of the data presented in this study indicates that the extract ameliorated streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats and it is suggested to be mediated via antioxidant and concerted blood glucose lowering actions.

}, keywords = {Antioxidant, Arjunglycoside, Diabetes, Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, Hyperglycaemia, Pteleopsis suberosa}, doi = {10.5530/pj.2019.1.30}, author = {Aladodo Abimbola Raliat and Sabiu Saheed and Sulyman Olarewaju Abdulhakeem} }