Papers by Ifeoma B Enweani
Medical Mycology, Oct 1, 2012
patients were proposed as representative of a new Candida species called Candida africana [7]. Ph... more patients were proposed as representative of a new Candida species called Candida africana [7]. Phenotypically, C. africana resembles C. albicans and/or C. dubliniensis although some morphological and biochemical characteristics are clearly different. In fact, C. africana isolates form germ tubes in serum but fail to produce chlamydospores on corn meal agar (CMA) and they are also unable to assimilate N-acetylglucosamine, glucosamine, trehalose and DL-lactate [7]. Nevertheless, on the basis of genetic evidence, C. africana cannot be treated as a separate species from C. albicans even if it represents the most evolutionary divergent type so far described with a marked propensity to cause mainly vaginal candidiasis [8,9]. During a study to investigate the prevalence of Candida spp. in a hospital in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, we isolated C. africana from two women with suspected vulvovaginitis. To our knowledge, this is the fi rst report describing the recovery of C. africana from Nigeria. Materials and methods A total of 320 women presenting symptoms of vulvovaginal infl ammation were screened for the presence of Candida spp. A total of 177 yeast isolates were recovered
World Journal of Pharmaceutical and life sciences, Apr 8, 2005
Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an organism that belongs to the family mycoplasmataceae. Its role as a d... more Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an organism that belongs to the family mycoplasmataceae. Its role as a disease causing agent continues to draw interest especially with the advent of highly sensitive detection techniques. This bacterium poses a health problem to both animals and humans resulting in serious illnesses such as community-acquired pneumonia, lung damage and this work investigated the prevalence of M. pneumoniae as agent of respiratory tract infections using culture and molecular methods of identification, in patients attending Pulmonary Tuberculosis Clinic at Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching, Hospital, Nnewi as well as detecting the most virulence gene of this organism. A total of 263 sputum samples were collected: 188 test subjects and 75 control subjects. These samples were examined bacteriologically using PPLO broth and agar, MacConkey, blood and chocolate agars. The overall prevalence rates of M. pneumoniae among the 263 subjects were 4.9% by culture. The prevalence rate of the organ...
GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2022
The aim of this study was to assess the proximate, phytochemicals and micronutrient analysis of D... more The aim of this study was to assess the proximate, phytochemicals and micronutrient analysis of Dialium guineense and Napoleona imperialis plant parts. The proximate, phytochemicals and micronutrient analysis of Dialium guineense and Napoleona imperialis plant parts were analyzed using standard methods. The qualitative and quantitative findings showed the presence of rich bioactive compounds such as alkaloid (0.11-0.98%), saponin (0.21-0.99%), tannin (0.10-0.99)%, flavonoid (0.11-0.88)%, glycoside (0.001-0.089)%, quinone ( 0.003-0.89)%, steroid (0.10-0.89) % and reducing sugar (0.0005-0.99)%. The proximate analysis revealed that the dominant components were ash D. guineense (73.6-90%) and N. imperialis (94.7-95.45%), moisture - D. guineense (5.8-20%) and N. imperialis (7.6-25%), while carbohydrate, protein, fibre and fat contents were relatively low. The vitamin content of the different parts of D. guineense and N. imperialis showed that a total of 6 vitamins were present. Vitamin C...
Background: Intestinal helminthiasis is a municipal health crisis with high mortality in preschoo... more Background: Intestinal helminthiasis is a municipal health crisis with high mortality in preschool and school aged children and affects the general physiological and psychological growth of a child. The main objective of this work is to find out the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminthasis in primary school Children. Methods: Samples of stool and blood were obtained from 557 pupils and were examined for the presence of intestinal helminths and anaemia respectively. The stool was examined using Formol acetate concentration method and helminth egg count was done using Stoll's method. Heamoglobin concentration (Hb) was done using a portable haemocue 301 analyzer. Results: A total of 288(51.7%) children were infested with one or more helminthes and 206 (37.0%) children were anaemic (haemoglobin < 11g/dl). Ascaris lumbricoides had the highest prevalence 119(21.4%) of the intestinal helminth recorded while Strongyloides stercoralis was the least 8(1.4%). The percentage of pupils that had helminthic infection and anaemia were 140(25.1%) and this is statistically significant (p < 0.05). Pupils infested with hookworm had the highest prevalence of anaemia than pupil infected by other species. Conclusions: This study showed that intestinal helminth is still a public health concern in the study area. This suggests that there is still need for awareness on their existence and control measures to curb the menace
Ear swabs from 350 patients with chronic otitis media attending different orthorhinolaryngologica... more Ear swabs from 350 patients with chronic otitis media attending different orthorhinolaryngological clinics at different hospitals and health centers in Benin city and Ekpoma in Edo state were screened for the presence of bacterial agents of chronic otitis media. Results revealed the presence of 19 different species indicating polymicrobial infections. Species isolated comprised Staphylococcus aureus (33.6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19.3%), Proteus mirabilis (17%), Alcaligenes faecalis (6.2%) and Klebsiella aerogenes (4.3%). Others included Escherichia coli (3.3%), Proteus rettgeri (2.8%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (2.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Acinetobacter spp, Proteus morgani, Haemophilus influenzae, Providencia spp, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus faecalis, non-haemolytic Streptococci and Diphtheroids, each accounted for less than 2% of isolates. The study also showed a higher prevalence of chronic otitis media among males (5...
The effects of crude and dilutions of aqueous methanolic and n-hexane extracts of Uvaria chamae (... more The effects of crude and dilutions of aqueous methanolic and n-hexane extracts of Uvaria chamae (roots and leaves), Spondias mombin (leaves and bark) and Combretum racemosun (Leaves) on pathogenic Candida albicans and Aspergilus niger was studied. The aim was to contribute to the search for a cheaper, conventional cure for both fungi. Phytochemical analysis revealed varying degrees of alkaloids, glycosides, saponin, lipid and oil, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids and acids. Agar diffusion method was used for antifungal assay. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) used was 10mg/ml of extract and dilutions of the non polar solvents of 10-1 and 10-2 was used.
Pakistan journal of scientific and industrial research, Apr 23, 2012
A property of microorganisms which enables one microorganism to kill, injure or inhibit the growt... more A property of microorganisms which enables one microorganism to kill, injure or inhibit the growth of a different microorganism. Some of the inhibitory substances produced by bacteria includes fatty acids, antibiotics and bacteriocins among others (Eijsink et al,. 2002; Nes and Holo, 2000; Black, 1996). These bacteria harbor extra chromosomal elements known as bacteriocinogenic factors. It is known that bacteriocins genes can be harbored into chromosomes , plasmids and transposons (Dufour et al., 2007). Like phages, bacteriocins attach to specific outer membrane receptors, and they can select for resistant mutants which lack effective receptors (Bernard et al., 1980).
INTRODUCTION: Malaria parasitaemia and anaemia are municipal health predicament affecting childre... more INTRODUCTION: Malaria parasitaemia and anaemia are municipal health predicament affecting children with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, investigating the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia and anaemia associated with malaria is of great important. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted between March and October 2019 from primary school pupils in 5 selected communities in Enugu North Local Government Area of Nigeria. Blood samples were collected from the participants whose parents gave their consent to take part in the study. Thick blood film stained with geimsa was examined to detect malaria parasite. Heamoglobin concentration (Hb) was done using a portable haemocue analyzer. RESULTS: Five hundred and fifty-seven pupils participated in this study. Prevalence of malaria parasitaemia, anaemia and anaemia associated with malaria parasitaemia observed were 65.5%; 37.0%; and 29.1% respectively. There was a significant negative association between malaria parasitaemia, density count and Heamoglobin concentration (Hb). The mean Hb of those infected by malaria parasitaemia and anaemic differed from that of pupils not infected. Association between malaria parasitaemia and anaemia in this study posed a very significant public health menace in the study area.
Dyestuffs from Nigerian plants were extracted and their staining ability on some species of bacte... more Dyestuffs from Nigerian plants were extracted and their staining ability on some species of bacteria, fungi and tissue biopses were determined. The study was carried out, to demonstrate the potential use of G. kola mesocarp, V. doniana fruit, L. aculaeta fruit, L. inermis leaf, C. ferrugnea fruit and P. soyauxii stem extracts as dyes/stains on Escherischia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger and human appendix tissue. Fully automated Soxhlet solvent extraction technique was used for the extraction using ethanol and methanol. Solvent-Solvent fractionation technique was also, done to obtain purer form of the plants extracts using Ethylacetate, N-hexane and N-butanol as solvent. The simple stains like neutral red, lactophenol cotton blue and Haematoxylin & Eosin were used as positive controls for staining bacterial, fungi morphology and human appendix tissues respectively. <br>
Acute diarrhoea is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Although oral rehyd... more Acute diarrhoea is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Although oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is useful for treating diarrhoea, it does not actually reduce the duration of diarrhoea, and people turn to alternative methods of management. This often results in the use of antidiarrhoeal drugs (1). Cereal-based oral rehydration solution (ORS) has been a step forward and is effective in reducing the duration of diarrhoea and in reducing stool output by up to 35% in cases of cholera.
Nigerian Journal of Parasitology, 2021
Helminthic infestation and malaria parasitaemia, separately or co- joined, can be present, in a h... more Helminthic infestation and malaria parasitaemia, separately or co- joined, can be present, in a host and still be asymptomatic. It is, therefore, crucial to assess the extent of co-infestation among individuals, particularly children who are most prone to parasitic infestations. Blood and Stool samples were collected from 557 pupils who were examined for intestinal helminths, malaria parasitaemia and anaemia. Formal acetate concentration method was used to analyse the stool specimens after which positive ones were further processed using Stolls method of counting helminths egg to determine the number of parasite per gram of stool. Thick film was used for malaria parasite test and malaria parasite density was calculated for the positive samples while anaemia was screened using cyanmethaemoglobin method. There were 235(42.2%) pupils co-infested with intestinal helminths and malaria parasitaemia Co-infestation of Ascaris lumbricoides and malaria parasitaemia 91(16.3%), and co-infection...
International Journal of Health Sciences, 2021
Objectives: The study aimed at detecting the prevailing hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and the... more Objectives: The study aimed at detecting the prevailing hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and the presence of clinically relevant mutations in the precore/core gene of the HBV DNA, among patients with chronic infection in South-eastern, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 72 participants with chronic HBV infection were enrolled into the study. Plasma samples from those with detectable HBV DNA were subjected to nested Polymerase Chain Reaction amplification using the precore/core specific primers. This resulted to the successful amplification and sequencing of the HBV precore/core region DNA from 16 participants. Mutation analysis on the precore/core region detected the presence of certain HBV precore/core gene mutations. Genotyping was carried out by phylogenetic analysis. Results: The precore region mutation at nucleotide position 1896, which is a G to A change resulting to a nonsense mutation, was detected in 6.25% of the participants. Other HBV precore region mutations that were detecte...
Asian Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2020
Background: Traditionally, diarrhoea in our locality has often been managed using herbs. Multi-dr... more Background: Traditionally, diarrhoea in our locality has often been managed using herbs. Multi-drugresistant organisms refer tomicrobes that areresistant to the effects of antimicrobial drugs to which they were previously susceptible at therapeutic range. Objectives: This study investigates the combined effects of Alchornea cordifolia and Pterocarpus santalinoides leaves extracts against selected multi-drug resistant diarrhoegenic bacteria. Methods: Fresh plant seeds were collected from the plants, shade-dried, pulverized and extracted with methanol in a Soxhlet apparatus. Antibacterial activities of these plants were investigated using agarwell diffusion assay. The MIC and FIC of the extracts against test isolates were determined using agar well diffusion method and checkerboard assay respectively. The bactericidal effects of the extracts against the isolates were evaluated using Time-Kill Assay. Results: MIC values of methanolic extracts against drug resistant strains of Salmonell...
Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, 2021
The major health problems affecting pregnant women in sub-Saharan African are anaemia, malaria an... more The major health problems affecting pregnant women in sub-Saharan African are anaemia, malaria and HIV. A case-control study aimed at determining the prevalence of malaria, anaemia and HIV status among women of reproductive age between 20-49 years attending General Hospital, Onitsha was conducted. Blood samples of three hundred and sixty-two apparently healthy gravid women attending antenatal and 181 non-gravid apparently healthy women in Onitsha were recruited using random sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Haemoglobin was estimated using automated method, Malaria, diagnosed microscopically using gold standard staining method and HIV screened using qualitative immunochromatographic method, confirmed molecularly. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 21. Results revealed that out of the 362 pregnant test groups,125 (34.5%) had malaria parasite (mp) in their blood and were anaemic 53(37.6%) though fewer in control groups ;23,14 (12.7...
American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 2020
Introduction/Objective Breast cancer among Nigeria women had been found to occur at a much younge... more Introduction/Objective Breast cancer among Nigeria women had been found to occur at a much younger age compared with their Caucasian age groups. BRCA1 and BRCA2 were suspected to responsible for breast cancers at a young age, therefore this work examined the BRCA1 and BRCA2 dysfunction among women suffering from breast cancer in Osun State, Nigeria. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife and Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria. The request cards and tissue blocks were sorted from the year 2014 to 2017. The breast tissue blocks were sectioned, stained with H&E. A representative tissue block was selected for each patient. Sections obtained from the blocks were stained with BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 antibody using a diaminobenzidine horseradish peroxidase technique. The cells were semi-quantitatively scored as percentage of tumour cells stained brown. Score 0-5% were taken as negative as...
Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research, 2020
Objectives: Destruction of blood cells and damage to hepatocytes are the hallmark of hepatitis B ... more Objectives: Destruction of blood cells and damage to hepatocytes are the hallmark of hepatitis B viral infection. This cross-sectional study was undertaken to evaluate some hematological parameters and biomarkers of liver injury in healthy blood donors infected with the occult and overt hepatitis B attending the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Nnewi, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 overt and 14 occult hepatitis B virus-infected blood donors were confirmed and enrolled using Roche ® COBAS q-PCR from 212 consented pooled subjects. Hematological parameters and absolute CD4+ T-cell count were determined using the Sysmex hematology analyzer and Partec cyflow counter, respectively. Determination of serum Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Alpha Feto-protein (AFP) levels were done spectrophotometrically and ELISA, respectively. Results: The mean red blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin, white blood cells, C...
BMC Research Notes, 2019
Objectives This study examines the rationale, if any, behind combining the extracts from the frui... more Objectives This study examines the rationale, if any, behind combining the extracts from the fruits of Alchornea cordifolia and Pterocarpus santalinoides and aerial parts of Cassytha filiformis in the traditional treatment of diarrhoegenic bacterial infections. Results Four diarrhoegenic bacterial isolates: Salmonella typhi, Shigellae dysenteriae, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used and their antibiotic susceptibility screening showed that they were multi-antibiotic resistant. The extracts exhibited activity against all the test isolates with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 3.125 to 12.5 mg/mL. From the checkerboard assay, the fractional inhibitory concentration indices showed that C. filiformis has antagonistic and indifference activities in combination with either P. santalinoides or A. cordifolia. This showed that the combination of extracts from the fruits of A. cordifolia and P. santalinoides and aerial parts of C. filiformis is counterprod...
Biotechnology Journal International, 2019
Aims: The study aims to investigate the antimicrobial activities of the leaves, seeds, bark, and ... more Aims: The study aims to investigate the antimicrobial activities of the leaves, seeds, bark, and root of Pterocarpus santalinoides plant. Study Design: Agar well diffusion and Agar well dilution methods were used to test the preliminary antimicrobial and minimum inhibitory/bactericidal/fungicidal concentrations respectively of Pterocarpus santalinoides plants. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Agulu Campus, Nigeria, between February – October, 2017. Methodology: Primary extraction and fractionation of the plant parts were undertaken with methanol, butanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane. Agar diffusion method for the primary antimicrobial screening on Muller-Hinton agar (bacteria) and Sabouraud dextrose agar (fungi) were used to assess the antimicrobial activities of the sixteen (16) samples on some microbial isolates namely Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Candida ...
American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 2019
Objectives Nigeria has one of the highest morbidity rates from breast cancer; therefore, this wor... more Objectives Nigeria has one of the highest morbidity rates from breast cancer; therefore, this work examined the proliferation rate of breast cancer and the hospital presentation time lag among women in Osun State, Nigeria. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife and Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Oshogbo, Nigeria. The request cards and tissue blocks were sorted from the year 2014 to 2017. The time lag it took the patients to report at the hospitals was retrieved from the request cards. The breast tissue blocks were sectioned, stained with H&E, and graded. A representative tissue block was selected for each patient. Sections obtained from the blocks were stained with Mki67 antibody using a diaminobenzidine horseradish peroxidase technique. The cells were semiquantitatively scored as percentage of tumor cells stained brown. The mean ± SD was calculated. Results Out of 240 breast cancer patients ...
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Papers by Ifeoma B Enweani