ISSN 2736-173X
African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 4123-0981 Vol. 2 (7), pp. 063-065, July, 2014. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research paper
A comparative study of the effects of malaria on serum micronutrients and antioxidants in pregnant women in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
*1Micheal F. Akungba, Ganiya U. Bola1 and Paul A. Adekunle2
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Nigeria.
2Department of Biochemistry, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 13 June, 2014
Abstract
The comparative effects of malaria on serum micronutrients and antioxidants were studied in two hundred and ninety five (295) pregnant women aged 20–43 years. The malaria cases were 195 while 100 served as controls. Serum levels of copper, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, vitamin A, folic acid, cobalamine and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, carotenes, glutathione and superoxide dismutase were measured. Results indicate that malaria was associated with lower levels of both micronutrients and antioxidants in pregnant women. It may be concluded that malaria has a severe damageable effect on the micronutrients and antioxidants of pregnant Nigerian women with malaria.
Key words: Micronutrients, antioxidants, pregnant, superoxide dismutase, malaria.