The Nation Newspaper

Tag: consume

  • ‘Watch how you consume Moringa’

    ‘Watch how you consume Moringa’

    Nigerians have been cautioned against habitual use of Moringa Oleifera. Moringa Oleifera though has health benefits such as being an antioxidant, but experts have warned that its leaves and seedpods should not be used in high doses or used for a prolonged period of time, since such could lead to damages of some body organs.

    Moringa Oleifera commonly called the ‘drumstick tree”, and ‘horseradish tree’, according to the trio of Nwamaka  Igbokwe, S.C Orajiaka and J.N Okechukwu, of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos can be dangerous to some organs, especially if the consumption level is not monitored.

    They were compelled to carry out a research titled: ‘Evaluation of the toxicity profile of Moringa Oleifera leaves and seedpods’, because  Moringa became popular in the country as extracts from its leaves, seedpods and stem are used as health supplements. However there is paucity of research into its toxicity profile.

    The result of the study is published as Abstract in the programme of this year’s annual general meeting (AGM) of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN/EKO/010).

    The method used in the study evaluated the acute and sub-chronic toxicity of Moringa Oleifera leaves and seedpods extracts in rodents (Swiss albino mice and Wistar rats). Graded oral doses (5.0/kg to 15.0g/kg body weight) of the lyophilised drug were administered to Swiss albino mice in acute toxicity evaluation. The animals were observed continuously for the first four hours and every hour for the next 12 hours, then six hourly for 56 hours. Different doses of the lyophilized drug were also administered to Wistar rats for 30 days and the effects of the drug on the heart, liver, kidney and testes were histologically examined while the effects of the drugs on the biochemical and haematological parameters were also evaluated in sub-chronic toxicity model.

    The result indicates a mean lethal dose (LD50) of the leaf and seedpod were 13.2mg/kg and 11.4mg/kg body weight. The animals that were administered with 15.0kg body weight of the leaf extract recorded three deaths within hours after administration of the drugs. There was significant increase in the serum electrolytes: potassium ions (k’), Phosphates ions (PO4), Calcium ions (Ca’) and Bibarbonates (HCO2). There was significant increase in the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and a decline in the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in all the treated animals compared to the control. The serum liver enzymes; Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine phosphate (ALP) showed significant decline when compared to the control, while the serum protein metabolites increased with increasing dose of either the leaf and the seedpod. Significant increase in the body weight was observed in the groups treated with drug (Leaf and seedpods) compared to the control. Histology results revealed significant changes in the tissues of the heart, liver, kidney, and tested.

  • ‘Watch how you consume Moringa’

    ‘Watch how you consume Moringa’

    Nigerians have been cautioned against habitual use of Moringa Oleifera. Moringa Oleifera though has health benefits such as being an antioxidant, but experts have warned that its leaves and seedpods should not be used in high doses or used for a prolonged period of time, since such could lead to damages of some body organs.

    Moringa Oleifera commonly called the ‘drumstick tree”, and ‘horseradish tree’, according to the trio of Nwamaka  Igbokwe, S.C Orajiaka and J.N Okechukwu, of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos can be dangerous to some organs, especially if the consumption level is not monitored.

    They were compelled to carry out a research titled: ‘Evaluation of the toxicity profile of Moringa Oleifera leaves and seedpods’, because  Moringa became popular in the country as extracts from its leaves, seedpods and stem are used as health supplements. However there is paucity of research into its toxicity profile.

    The result of the study is published as Abstract in the programme of this year’s annual general meeting (AGM) of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN/EKO/010).

    The method used in the study evaluated the acute and sub-chronic toxicity of Moringa Oleifera leaves and seedpods extracts in rodents (Swiss albino mice and Wistar rats). Graded oral doses (5.0/kg to 15.0g/kg body weight) of the lyophilised drug were administered to Swiss albino mice in acute toxicity evaluation. The animals were observed continuously for the first four hours and every hour for the next 12 hours, then six hourly for 56 hours. Different doses of the lyophilized drug were also administered to Wistar rats for 30 days and the effects of the drug on the heart, liver, kidney and testes were histologically examined while the effects of the drugs on the biochemical and haematological parameters were also evaluated in sub-chronic toxicity model.

    The result indicates a mean lethal dose (LD50) of the leaf and seedpod were 13.2mg/kg and 11.4mg/kg body weight. The animals that were administered with 15.0kg body weight of the leaf extract recorded three deaths within hours after administration of the drugs. There was significant increase in the serum electrolytes: potassium ions (k’), Phosphates ions (PO4), Calcium ions (Ca’) and Bibarbonates (HCO2). There was significant increase in the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and a decline in the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in all the treated animals compared to the control. The serum liver enzymes; Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine phosphate (ALP) showed significant decline when compared to the control, while the serum protein metabolites increased with increasing dose of either the leaf and the seedpod. Significant increase in the body weight was observed in the groups treated with drug (Leaf and seedpods) compared to the control. Histology results revealed significant changes in the tissues of the heart, liver, kidney, and tested.

  • Internal crisis will consume PDP, says Odumakin

    Internal crisis will consume PDP, says Odumakin

    Afenifere Publicity Secretary Mr Yinka Odumakin has said the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be consumed by its internal crisis, ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    He said that more attention and energy would be deployed by President Goodluck Jonathan to crisis management, instead of governance.

    He told The Nation that the sudden emergence of the PDP Governors Forum, which recently selected Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio as sitting chairman, has tilted the balance of power in favour of some vested interests.

    Odumakin, who spoke with our reporter on the state of the nation in Lagos, said: “The PDP Governors Forum and the Amaechi’s Governors Forum do not have the interest of Nigerians at heart, but they were founded for power struggle. There is none that is about the interest of the people of Nigeria but the power that be. The fora have nothing to do about the welfare of Nigerians.

    “The two groups are for themselves . It is the night of long knives; the wolves are out and they want to devour us. What is going on in the PDP is a personal fight between the wolves and the masses often pay for such internal crisis.

    “Those who take the people’s patient for cowardice, and when they protest they can use guns to chase them off the streets should know that, one day, the situation will change. We can actually see what is going on across the country today when the people are pushed to the wall. They confront the authorities force for force.”

    Speaking on the recent merger of the opposition political parties, Odumakin said the most important issue is practical leadership. He recalled that political parties, which had merged in the past lacked the courage to fulfill their vision.

  • Internal crisis will consume PDP, says Odumakin

    Internal crisis will consume PDP, says Odumakin

    Afenifere Publicity Secretary Mr Yinka Odumakin has said the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be consumed by its internal crisis, ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    He said that more attention and energy would be deployed by President Goodluck Jonathan to crisis management, instead of governance.

    He told The Nation that the sudden emergence of the PDP Governors Forum, which recently selected Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio as sitting chairman, has tilted the balance of power in favour of some vested interests.

    Odumakin, who spoke with our reporter on the state of the nation in Lagos, said: “The PDP Governors Forum and the Amaechi’s Governors Forum do not have the interest of Nigerians at heart, but they were founded for power struggle. There is none that is about the interest of the people of Nigeria but the power that be. The fora have nothing to do about the welfare of Nigerians.

    “The two groups are for themselves . It is the night of long knives; the wolves are out and they want to devour us. What is going on in the PDP is a personal fight between the wolves and the masses often pay for such internal crisis.

    “Those who take the people’s patient for cowardice, and when they protest they can use guns to chase them off the streets should know that, one day, the situation will change. We can actually see what is going on across the country today when the people are pushed to the wall. They confront the authorities force for force.”

    Speaking on the recent merger of the opposition political parties, Odumakin said the most important issue is practical leadership. He recalled that political parties, which had merged in the past lacked the courage to fulfill their vision.