EFFECTS OF OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM (SCENT LEAF) AQUEOUS LEAF EXTRACT ON PACKED CELL VOLUME OF WISTAR RATS

Category : JOURNAL OF MEDICAL AND APPLIED BIOSCIENCES, VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2, 2012

 Ovuakporaye S.I

Department of physiology

Delta State University, Abraka

E-mail: simonovuakpo2006@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The effect of aqueous leaf extract ocimum gratissimum (scent leaf) on packed cell volume (PCV) was carried out in this study using male and female Wister rats. The experimental design comprises of; group1 (Male control), group 2 (Male low dose of the extract, 500mg/kg), group 3 (male high dose of the extract, 1000mg/kg), group 4 (female control), group 5 (female low dose, 500mg/kg) and group 6 (female high dose, 1000mg/kg). Oral administration of aqueous leaf extract was carried out for two months followed by chloroform anesthesia before blood samples were collected for biochemical analyses. The study showed that different group treatments significantly (P=0.006) affected the packed cell volume of male and female Wister rats. The extract did not cause any significant difference (P>0.05) when compared with control group of male and female Wistar rats. The effect of the extract on sex was only observed in group 3 male PCV (47.4 ± 0.9) which was significantly (P=0.002) increased when compared with that of group 3 female PCV (30.4 ± 13.1).

Keywords: ocimum gratissimum, packed cell volume, wistar rat

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CONSTIPATION IN PREGNANCY AND THE EFFECT OF VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION IN DIFFERENT SOCIO–ECONOMIC CLASS IN WARRI, DELTA STATE

Category : JOURNAL OF MEDICAL AND APPLIED BIOSCIENCES, VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2, 2012

Anthony E Ojieh

Department of Physiology

Delta State University, Abraka

E-mail: tonniojie@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Constipation is one of the most common complaints in pregnancy, and there can be many causes of pregnancy constipation. When a woman is pregnant, her body goes through a drastic hormonal change and she may become constipated very early in pregnancy (Anderson, 1984; Philip and Stuart, 2000). Another reason for pregnancy constipation is that during pregnancy the body tends to retain water which leads to harder and drier bowel content, thus resulting in constipation during pregnancy (Johansson, et al., 1989; Ashraf, et al., 1994). This research study was undertaken to establish by percentage the prevalence of constipation amongst pregnant women in Warri, Delta State, comparing prevalence of constipation between the upper class, middle class and lower class socio – economic pregnant women, as well as determining the effect of vegetable consumption on pregnancy constipation. The study was conducted using questionnaires. Constipation was determined based on the Rome I criteria for diagnosis of constipation, the criteria include straining during defecation, passage of hard stool, and sensation of blockage in the anus that makes it difficult to pass stool. Vegetable consumption rate was determined based on the frequency of vegetable consumption per week. The common vegetable consumed are pumpkin leaf (Telfairia Occidentalis), Afang (Gnetum Africanus), Water leaf (Hydrophyllum Virginianum) and Okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus).Two hundred (200) subjects were studied in each class. The result gotten from analysis of the questionnaires showed a prevalence of 30.00%, 32.50% and 35.50% for upper class, middle class and lower class of pregnant women respectively. The average prevalence of constipation amongst the pregnant women was found to be 32.67%. The rate of vegetable consumption amongst the upper class, middle class and lower class pregnant women was 56.50%, 50.00% and 52.50% respectively. The findings from the questionnaires analysis is indicative of the fact that commonly available vegetables in Nigeria like, Okro, Afang, Water leaf and Pumpkin are capable of improving peristaltic activity in the gut, thereby reducing the possibility of constipation in pregnancy.

KEY WORDS: Constipation, Pregnancy, Vegetable, Socio-economic class.

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