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This study explores the antibacterial effects of Nigella sativa seeds on bacteria obtained from clinical samples. The aim was to assess the antibacterial properties of both aqueous and methanolic extracts of Nigella sativa seeds against E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa. The three samples were collected from the Microbiology Laboratory of Modibbo Adamawa Medical Centre and were reconfirmed using culture, microscopy, and some biochemical tests. The seed samples of N. sativa were procured from herbal point Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. The phytochemical assay of the extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, phenols, cardiac glycosides, steroids, saponins, and terpenoids in both extracts. The highest antibacterial activity against S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa was demonstrated by the aqueous extract of N. sativa seeds, with inhibition zone diameters of 19.30 ±0.61 mm, 8.10 ±2.17 mm, and 12.00 ±0.29 mm, respectively. However, the methanol extract exhibited slightly greater activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa, with inhibition zone diameters of 12.10 ±0.38 mm and 13.80 ±0.40 mm, respectively. Both methanol and aqueous extracts showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 25 mg/mL against S. aureus and E. coli. Similarly, for P. aeruginosa, the MIC was 25 mg/mL for methanol extract and 50 mg/mL for aqueous extract. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for both extracts against S. aureus and E. coli was determined to be 25 mg/mL. However, for P. aeruginosa, the MBC was 25 mg/mL for the aqueous extract and 50 mg/mL for the methanol extract. The study indicates that N. sativa seed extract possesses antibacterial properties against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, underscoring its potential as an effective medicinal antibacterial agent.

Background: For centuries, there has been a growing fascination with the application of herbs for fungicidal purposes worldwide. This surge in interest could be attributed to the cost-effectiveness and lower toxicities of these herbal remedies compared to the counterpart antifungal drugs. There is substantial scope to explore the curative effects of various plant components, including roots, stems, leaves and fruits of Calotropis procera, renowned for its pharmacological activities, encompassing anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant. Objectives: In the present study, the antimycotic potential of the leaf and root extracts of C. procera on the growth of Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus stolonifer was investigated. Methods: The antimycotic potential of C. procera was established via the agar well diffusion method after initial preliminary phytochemical screening of the extracts. Results: Alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpenoids were present, while glycosides and phenolics were tested negative. The leaf extract inhibited the tested organisms in a concentration-dependent manner where at 100% concentration, both A. niger and R. stolonifer showed high mycelia inhibition of 81.1% and 79.4%, respectively. Also, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of 31.0% and 48.0% were recorded for A. niger, as well as 28.3% and 45.7% were recorded for R. stolonifer. The aqueous root extract exhibited mycelia inhibition of 74.4% and 77.8% against A. niger and R. stolonifer at 100% concentration with respectively MIC and MFC values of 32.7% and 50.3% for A. niger and 30.3% and 52.0% for R. stolonifer. Conclusion: The study provides promising evidence of potential medicinal properties associated with C. procera, supporting its potential therapeutic applications in traditional medicine.

The Taloka formation Sokoto Basin, Nigeria, was studied in an effort to discover and map the structural features favourable for metalliferous mineral deposits. High-resolution aeromagnetic data was subjected to structural analysis in order to map and highlight structural lineaments and their trends, as well as the depth of magnetic source bodies. Several digital filtering approaches were used to analyze, process, and interpret the data, including total gradient, total horizontal derivative of tilt of angle derivative (THDR_TDR), source parameter imaging (SPI), and spectral depth analysis. The RTE method was employed to prevent the North-South signal from predominating the results because the area was within the low latitude zones. The eastern Gundumi formation (Marafaro, Rujin Tsamia, Kwanawa, Dande, and Rikaka), the northeastern Taloka formation (Dutsen Bature, Bange, and Kumazo), and the western Taloka formation (Bejiji, Bagu, Danjiru, Baranzaki, and Awakala) are all found to have low amplitude magnetic anomalies. The research area exhibits magnetic anomalies with strong amplitudes (0.078 nT/m), which are consistent with the total gradient (AS) approach and might be caused by ferromagnetic minerals like iron stone. The aforementioned filters were also used to outline the lineaments (such as faults, fractures, or shear zones) believed to be associated with alteration zones, which are essential in locating the mineralized zones. The lineaments typically trend in the E-W, NW-SE, and NE-SW directions. Utilizing the SPI techniques, the depth of occurrence of the causative bodies was found to be below 250.3 m. The crustal magnetic field values were utilized to generate the two-dimensional Fourier transforms, from which the radial spectrum was recovered. The depth values were calculated using the slopes of the sixteen sections' spectrum energy against frequency graph. According to the findings, the study area's deeper depth lies between 1.10 and 1.69 km, while its shallower depth lies between 0.39 and 0.90 km. The study finds that alteration zones may harbour minerals and that the thickness of the sedimentary layer may not be sufficiently buoyant to support the build-up of hydrocarbons but will enhance the possibility of other mineralization.

This investigation aimed to determine the prevalence and biofilm-forming potentials of bacterial uropathogenic among primary school pupils in Yola North, Adamawa State. A total of 120 clean mid-stream urine samples were collected from apparently healthy children to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated pathogen by the Kirby and Bauer disc diffusion method while the biofilm-forming potential by the standard methods. The result showed 26 % of the samples had significant bacteria growth with the Gram-negative as the highest. The infectivity pattern among the age group showed 8-10 had the highest infectivity percentage (35%) followed by 5-7 and 11-13 with 22.5% and 20% respectively. Six bacteria pathogens were isolated which are E. coli (41.9%) which is the most prevalent isolate followed by Staphylococcus aureus (29.0%), Pseudomonas sp. (9.7%), Klebsiella sp. (9.7%), Enterobacter sp. (6.5%), Proteus sp. (3.3%). The antibiotic sensitivity test showed an alarming resistance level to nearly all the tested antibiotics showing multi-drug resistant strains. The Biofilm-forming potentials depict E. coli with the strongest potential followed by S. aureus. A high occurrence of asymptomatic UTIs and antimicrobial resistance observed poses a public health concern. Thus, routine diagnostic exercise is recommended for early detection and prompt treatment of the pathogens.

Diphtheria, a potentially life-threatening infectious disease, is primarily caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. This pathogen induces a range of severe symptoms, including respiratory distress, cardiac arrhythmias, and, in extreme cases, fatal outcomes. This paper aim to unravel the transmission dynamics of diphtheria infection within the Caputo fractional derivatives framework, establishing the solutions’ existence and uniqueness. Through forward normalized sensitivity analysis, we scrutinize the key parameters influencing the basic reproduction number, a pivotal metric in understanding and controlling the spread of the disease. The results indicate that reducing the values of the interaction rate, transmission rate, and birth rate plays a key role in curtailing diphtheria transmission. Furthermore, employing an effective numerical tool, we present graphical representations that delineate the influence of various crucial model parameters on infection dynamics.

Introduction: The devastating effect of persistent and recurrent bacterial infections coupled with antibiotic resistance is a driving force for prospects into alternative antibacterial therapeutics to achieve treatment. This study investigates the antibacterial potential of Ximenia americana (XA) via molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and ADMET approach. Materials and methods: The ligands and target were downloaded from respective databases and docked using PyRx software followed by molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) with iMOD and CABflex 2.0 online servers then ADMET, drug likeness, lead likeness, and medicinal chemistry predictions of the top docked ligands using pkCSM and SwissADME online servers. Results: Stigmasterol exhibited the lowest binding affinity and inhibition constant respectively with all the targets; enoyl-acyl-carrier-protein reductase (-7.1 kcal/mol and 6.16 µM), Penicillin-binding Protein 2X (-8.8 kcal/mol and 0.35 µM), dihydrofolate reductase (-9.6 kcal/mol and 0.09 µM), dihydropteroate Synthase (-7.8 kcal/mol and 1.89 µM), UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvyl transferase (-7.1 kcal/mol and 6.16 µM), and topoisomerase IV (-7.8 kcal/mol and 1.89 µM). The MDS showed several cluster displacements and residue fluctuations with the docked targets with higher residue fluctuations observed for enoyl-acyl-carrier-protein reductase (11.33 ?), Penicillin-binding Protein 2X (4.67 ?), dihydrofolate reductase (3.61 ?), dihydropteroate Synthase (4.97 ?), UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvyl transferase (3.38 ?), and topoisomerase IV (4.35 ?). 4,4-Dimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-ol exhibited superior overall ADMET properties, oral bioavailability, drug-likeness, and medicinal chemistry. Conclusion: Conclusively, Stigmasterol and 4,4-Dimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-ol might be responsible for the antibacterial effect of XA. Although the latter showed better interaction with the target proteins, the former showed better ADMET properties, oral bioavailability, drug-likeness, and medicinal properties. However, improvement in these properties might enhance their antibacterial activity.

This research aimed to investigate the phytoconstituents and antibacterial effects of methanol and ethyl acetate stem bark extracts of Detarium microcarpum (DM). The phytochemicals were detected and quantified while the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhi was established determining the zone of inhibition (ZI), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Phytochemical screening showed alkaloids (16.33% ±0.88) were present in the methanol extract only while saponins and flavonoids were detected in concentrations of 31.00% ±2.31 and 21.01% ±2.33 respectively for the methanol extract and 21.67% ±1.76 and 38.01% ±1.16, for the ethyl acetate. The methanol extract exhibited the highest ZI on S. aureus (21.3 mm ±1.11) with its least inhibition observed on E. coli (6.5 mm ±0.77) while the ethyl acetate extract demonstrated the highest ZI on S. typhi (19.1 mm ±2.01). S. typhi exhibited more sensitivity to DM extracts at the least concentrations of 12.5 mg/ml (methanol) and 25 mg/ml (ethyl acetate) while the MBC results showed that the 12.5 mg/ml and 25 mg/ml were the effective respective concentration for methanol and ethyl acetate extracts against S. typhi. Conclusively, DM exhibited an antibacterial effect against the test organisms with notable inhibitory and bactericidal effects.

This study aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic potential of compounds from Anogeissus leiocarpus (AL) in silico and the potential of the compounds as antidiabetic drug candidates. Molecular docking (MD), molecular dynamics simulation (MDS), and ADMET were carried out in silico to evaluate the compounds' antidiabetic potential and drug candidacy. The MDS revealed the least BA (-8.7 kcal/mol) was exhibited by compound X (palmitic acid) with Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor (GLP1), while the highest BA (-5.8 kcal/mol) was demonstrated by I (1,2,4-benzetriol) with dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4) among the best interactions. The MDS result showed good docked complexes' flexibility, deformability, and stability with low eigenvalues ranging from 8.52 × 10-5 to 1.30 × 10-4. All the compounds had a bioavailability score of 0.55 except VI (0.85), while the synthetic ability showed a good score of ≤3.01. Eight compounds were predicted to be soluble, with two poorly soluble. Additionally, all the compounds had high gastrointestinal absorption, with the majority being blood-brain barrier permeant, while skin permeation value was between -2.55 and -7.48 cm/s. Furthermore, none of the compounds were either permeability glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate or CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 inhibitors, though some were CYP1A2, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 inhibitors. Moreover, the toxicity study showed moderate to non-toxicity results with toxicity classes between 3 and 5. Conclusively, the compounds from AL showed good binding interactions, which are the protein targets of antidiabetic therapy and potentially good candidates for antidiabetic drug development.

Hyperlipidemia is characterized by elevated levels of Triglycerides, Cholesterol, LDL, and decreased levels of HDL are challenges in the management of Diabetes mellitus which might lead to death. This study aimed to determine the hypolipidemic potential of ethyl acetate extract of Hyphaene thebaica fruit in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The hypolipidemic potential of H. thebaica fruit in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats was determined. Rats were divided into six groups. Treatment groups were administered the extract at doses of 400 and 200 mg/kg body weight. Oral administration of the extract at 400 mg/kg body weight for four weeks significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the levels of total cholesterol (151.7 mg/dl ±2.40), Triglyceride (84.0 mg/dl ±1.15), LDL (75.2 mg/dl ±1.20) and increased HDL (39.3 mg/dl ±1.88) level. However no significant (p < 0.05) difference was observed between the 400 and 200 mg/kg body weight dose. Conclusively, H. thebaica can be used as a medicinal plant due to its protective action against dyslipidemic complications of diabetes mellitus.

The conventional use of chemicals worldwide in different industries has significantly increased, impacting the environment. The need to improve industrial processes led to prospects into enzymes from various sources, including microbial sources to substitute the toxic chemicals and processes with environmentally friendly processes and biodegradable waste products. Enzyme applications are notably getting more attention in medicine, agriculture, and industries, including pharmaceuticals, food, detergents, leather, and cosmetics. They are utilized in these industries to enhance durability of product, shorten process time, improve efficiency and stability, and properly manage waste. Medicine mainly uses them for diagnostic and treatment purposes, including proteases and amylases. The pharmaceutical industries explore the specificity of enzymes to bind target substrates, yielding specific and desired products via reactions, including hydrolysis, acylation, and esterifications. Waste and pathogen treatments, in addition to soil and plant improvements, are the major applications of enzymes in agriculture, employing pectinases, cellulases, and xylanases. In the food industry, amylases are used for starch degradation and dough improvement, whi le proteases are used for juice beer production clearance. The detergent industry adds enzymes to its formulations, including lipases, proteases, and cellulases, to improve stain removal by modifying fabric fibers to release dirt and soil particles. Enzymes, including proteases and lipases, are used in the leather industry for curing, soaking, dehairing, degreasing, and tanning, in addition to waste elimination. In comparison, an immobilized lipase is utilized in the cosmetic industry to produce retinoids, protein disulfide isomerase, glutathione sulfhydryl oxidase, and transglutaminase are applied in hair waving. Furthermore, developing the cost-effective technique of enzyme immobilization technology further promotes the application of enzymes in these endeavors attributed to their stability and recyclability. Thus, there is a significant improvement in research towards green and eco-friendly applications of enzymes. This review discusses how enzymes have been successfully deployed and utilized in medicine, agriculture, pharmaceutical, food, detergent, leather, and cosmetics industries. Enzymes in these industries exhibited beneficial applications, though the recyclability of the enzymes remains challenging for some endeavors. However, immobilization techniques have been gaining attention which might present a solution to the challenges associated with enzyme reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), for which there does not appear to be an approved cure, the primary treatment options consist of non-pharmacological preventive measures and supportive treatment that are aimed at halting the progression of the disease. Nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) presents a promising therapeutic opportunity to mitigate COVID-19-induced cytokine storm and reduce the risk of severe morbidity and mortality resulting from the disease. However, the effective clinical application of NFkB modulators in COVID-19 is hampered by a number of factors that must be taken into consideration. This paper therefore explored the modulation of the NFB pathway as a potential strategy to mitigate the severe morbidity and mortality caused by COVID-19. The paper also discusses the factors that form the barrier, and it offers potential solutions to the various limitations that may impede the clinical use of NFkB modulators against COVID-19. This paper revealed and identified three key potential solutions for the future clinical use of NFkB modulators against COVID-19. These solutions are pulmonary tissue-specific NFkB blockade, agents that target common regulatory proteins of both canonical and non-canonical NFkB pathways, and monitoring clinical indicators of hyperinflammation and cytokine storm in COVID-19 prior to using NFkB modulators.

Complications of Diabetes mellitus caused by persistent hyperglycemia is a challenge in management of the disease as synthetic drugs used are often expensive, specific and associated with side effects. This study was aimed to determine the anti-diabetic potential of mesocarp extract of Hyphaene thebaica fruit in streptozotocin-induced Diabetic rats. The hypoglycemic effects of methanol, aqueous and ethylacetate extract of Hyphaene thebaica fruit oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were determined followed by the effects of the ethylacetate extract on body weight, blood glucose, liver and kidney. Glucose was fed to rats the 30 minutes after pretreatment with extract, followed by measurement of blood glucose levels at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 240 minutes to assess the effect of the extracts on blood glucose levels of the glucose loaded animals. The rats were also divided into six groups and treated ethylacetate extract daily by intragastric tube for four weeks. The result revealed the ethylacetate extract was more hypoglycemic in OGTT than the other extracts. There was a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in body weight of rats administered ethylacetate extract at 400 mg and 200 mg/kg body weight with significant (p < 0.05) decrease in blood glucose, AST, GGT, creatinine, and urea levels. Conclusively, H. thebaica can be used in the management of diabetes evident to its hypoglycemic effects and significant improvement in weight and hepato-renal function.

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Blockchain technology is a core technology expected to play a highly instrumental role in competing with socioenvironmental challenges. The literature hypothesizes various blockchain functions for building a sustainable business ecosystem. This study unifies these diverse perspectives into an interpretive strategy roadmap that provides a holistic overview of how blockchain should be leveraged to deliver sustainability functions optimally. The study first identified the sustainability functions of blockchain through a content‐centric literature review. The study applied interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and drew on experts' opinions to model how and in which order blockchain delivers these sustainability functions. The study further drew on the ISM output and interpretive logic‐knowledge base to develop the promised roadmap. Results revealed that blockchain promotes a decentralized decision system that facilitates automation and real‐time information sharing (RIS) across supply chains. Blockchain introduces traceability and transparency into supply chain operations. These conditions offer monitoring of business operations and the development of trust across value‐chain stakeholders. These driver functions lead to value chain optimization and circularity integration into business and supply chain operations. When these necessary functional conditions are met, businesses can further draw on blockchain to promote economic and environmental aspects of sustainability through more complex functions enabling resource efficiency, cost reduction, pollution prevention, and higher profit margins. The order in which businesses can leverage these functions would define blockchain sustainability performance. Each function is uniquely valuable to sustainability, and none of them can be overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]