International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Vol. 1 (4), pp.0146-149, June, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Pattern of thyroid dysfunction in a semiurban Nigerian population through thyroid function tests in a private   laboratory, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria

Amballi A. A*, Adeleye A.O, Oritogun K.S and Salu L.O

Department of chemical pathology & Immunology,ObafemiAwolowo College of Health Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun state/ Centre for Research in Reproductive Health, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author’s Email: [email protected]

Received February 2012; Accepted June 03, 2012

 Abstract

Thyroid dysfunction is an important endocrine metabolic disorder which currently does not receive enough attention as required in this environment. However, while many clinical situations arise from thyroid dysfunction,  others precipitate it.This study investigated the pattern of thyroid dysfunction using   the outcomes of requests for thyroid function tests in a semi-urban Nigerian population, and it involved 607 patients . The patients (age bracket 1-75years) were those whose sera were brought for analysis in a private laboratory in Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria. The study showed a unique pattern of observations. From the serum T4 values, out of the 607 patients’ Samples analyzed,  155 samples indicated hyperthyroidism. This is 25.5% proportion of the requests made during this period. Similarly, 51 Samples indicated hypothyroidism, this is 8.4% proportion of the requests made during this period. This shows that about 34.0% proportion of the requests revealed thyroid dysfunction.Similarly, with T3 estimations the pattern of dysfunction followed the same trend, though the proportions differ.Another observation in this study is  that thyroid dysfunction occurs more in the females than males and that the age group 36-45 years are those mainly affected, there is however no statistically significant associaton between gender or age and T3/T4.The TSH values suggested that the major dysfunction in this environment is due to primary hyperthyroidism and there is a significant association between TSH and Sex. This study, although simply designed, has given some baseline information about thyroid dysfunction in the study environment . One is the fact that about one-third of the samples analyzed showed thyroid dysfunction, indicating that many people in the study environment have thyroid dysfunction, and hyperthyroidism is commoner. Secondly, it also shows that thyroid dysfunction is commoner in females and people in age range 36-45years are more affected. Since there is paucity of information on thyroid dysfunction in the study environment, the findings of this study are compelling and should motivate clinicians and researchers in the study environment to consider problems relating to thyroid dysfunction more often than before. It will also create awareness to the general public.
 

Key Words: Pattern, Thyroid dysfunction, Thyroid function tests, private laboratory.

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Vol. 1 (3), pp. 137-145, May, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper 

Effects of lipid extracts from nigella sativa seeds on the reduction of ATP and the inhibition of alpha glucosidase activity

 Widad Sobhi^a, Bachra Khettal^b, Djebbar Atmani^a,B, Caroline Stevigny^c, Marie- Jeanne Mukazayire^c, Pedro Buc CALDERON ^D, Pierre Duez^c and Mustapha Benboubetra^a* 

^a Laboratory of Applied Biochemistry, Faculty of  Sciences, University of Setif, Algeria.

^b Department of Physical and Chemical Biology, Faculty of Life and Nature Sciences, University of Bejaia; Algeria.

^c Laboratory of  Pharmacognosy, Bromatology and Human Nutrition, Institute of Pharmacy, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium.

^d Pharmacocinétic Unit, Metabolism, Nutrition and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgium.

*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: [email protected]

Received March 12, 2012; Accepted May 18, 2012

Abstract

Extracts from the seeds of Nigella sativa have been traditionally used to treat inflammations, liver disorders and arthritis. Experimentally, it has been demonstrated they possess antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties. Beside the hypoglycaemic and hypolipidic effects, this study was carried out to evaluate, in vitro, toxicological effect of lipid extracts from the Nigella sativa seeds. The tested fractions were: (i) defatted methanolic extract, (ii) total lipid extract obtained by hexane extraction from methanolic extract and (iii) neutral and polar lipid fractions. Toxicological evaluation was carried out on precision-cut rat liver slices (PCLS). The fractions were assessed, in vitro, for their inhibitory potential on the activity of alpha-glucosidase as suppressing the enzyme activity it is one of the therapeutic approaches for decreasing postprandial hyperglycaemia.On PCLS, lipid extracts reduced ATP levels by 27-35 %. High inhibition of alpha-glucosidase by the two polar lipid fractions (F6 and F7) was reflected by their IC₅₀ (0.51 ± 0.04 mg/ml and 0.55 ± 0.09 mg/ml, respectively), compared to acarbose (0.53 ± 0.06 mg/ml) and thymoquinone (0.65 ± 0.05 mg/ml). The inhibitory effect on alpha-glucosidase activity could be a result of an inhibition of the early steps of carbohydrate metabolism and hence are good candidates for the anti-hyperglycaemic effect of this medicinal plant.

Keywords: Alpha-glucosidase, Hepatotoxicity, Induced-Diabetes, Nigella sativa, Polar lipids. 

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Vol. 1 (2), pp. 024-029, April, 2012.© International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper 

Various mitochondrial endogenous kinase activities in fertile and cytoplasmic male sterile wheat (T. aestivum)

Ahmed M El-Shehawi^1,2 and Mona M. Elseehy²

¹Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Taif 21974, Saudi Arabia

²Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

*Corresponding Author’s E-mail:[email protected]

Received March 1, 2012; Accepted 25 April, 2012

Abstract

The orf256 gene is associated with cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) wheat. The gene lies upstream of coxI in T. timopheevi (Tt) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and is expressed with coxI in the same mRNA in Tt, fertility restored (FR), and CMS lines. It is not present in Triticum aestivum (Ta) mtDNA. The gene is expressed as a 7 kD protein only in CMS lines. Different transcripts were detected in the different mitochondrial sources. Orf256-coxI RNA binds to many protein from various wheat mitochondrial sources. Here, we report that there were various kinase activities in mitochondrial protein extracts of Ta and CMS wheats. Three bands of mitochondrial proteins were subject to phosphorylation by endogenous kinase activity that was differentially modulated by sodium vanadate. Dephosphorylation of mitochondrial protein extracts seems to decrease the kinase activity or make those protein bands less favorable substrates for the endogenous kinases. Staurosporine does not have major effect on the kinase activities. Results showed that there might be different kinases, one of which is modulated by sodium vanadate but not with staurosporine, in various mitochondrial protein sources. The variations in kinase activity may reflect proteomic variations among mitochondrial protein sources.

Key words: wheat, mitochondria, protein, endogenous kinase activity, sodium vanadate, staurosporine, cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS).

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Vol. 1 (2), pp. 024-029, April, 2012.© International Scholars Journals

Short Communication

Development of transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for diabetes mellitus

Qurban Ali

Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan

*Corresponding Author’s Email: [email protected]   

Received March 5, 2012; Accepted April 19, 2012

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (Diabetes) is a genetic disease that is due to single gene mutation. If we transfer that gene into the human genome through gene therapy or genetic engineering, we can control Diabetes mellitus but quite difficult and expensive except we transfer that gene into the wheat (staple food for more than 70% population of the world) genome. If successful in producing transgenic wheat with Diabetes mellitus gene then we can control disease manually, cheaply and efficiently without any harmful effect of medicines or vaccinations; insulin produced by bacteria through genetic engineering. It is concluded that the production of transgenic wheat for Diabetes mellitus is very important for good and healthy life of nations.

Key words: Diabetes mellitus, transgenic wheat, gene therapy, genetic engineering

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Vol. 1 (2), pp.019-023,April, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Chronic, long-term presence of mercury due to a single injection of elemental mercury in human

Teresa Lech^{1, 2}, and Halina Goszcz²

¹ Institute of Forensic Research, Krakow, Poland

²Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland

*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: [email protected]

Received March 13, 2012; Accepted April 27, 2012

Abstract

Elemental mercury, when injected, as opposed to inhaled, caused few of the effects typical of mercurialism; however, pleuritic chest pain was frequent, whereas renal and central nervous system symptoms were less common. In this work, five cases of intentional poisoning are presented: subjects (17–29 years) had injected themselves intravenously with a single dose of mercury in suicide attempts (one subject was a drug addict). In all cases the concentration of mercury (by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry) in blood, urine and hair samples was high, even a relatively long time after the injection, e.g.: case 5 (2.5 years after the incident) – blood: 27.7, urine: 74.0 μg/L, and hair: 0.09 μg/g; case 2 (5.5 years) – blood: 22.8, urine: 543 μg/L, and hair: 0.50 μg/g; case 1 (7 and 9 years) – blood: 79.5 and 94 μg/L, urine: 844 and 720 μg/L, and hair: 0.39 and 0.33 μg/g, respectively, and exceeded reference levels (blood – up to 10–15 μg/L, urine – 20 μg/L, hair – 0.20 μg/g) by several to 30 (blood), 50 (urine) or 7 (hair) times. Only in case 5 did concentrations drop to reference levels, but only after 10 years. The results revealed that the long-term presence of this metal was considerable.

Key words: elemental mercury, injection, long-term presence, concentration, body fluids, hair

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Vol. 1 (1), pp.012-018, March, 2012.  © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Peptide sequences from seed storage proteins of tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) accession G40199 demonstrate the presence of multiple variants of APA proteins

Kusolwa PM and Myers JR.

¹Department of Crop Science and Production, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Box 3005, Chuo Kikuu , Morogoro Tanzania.

² Department of horticulture, Oregon State University, 4017 ALS Bldg, Corvallis, OR 97331-7304, USA

*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: [email protected]

Received March 1, 2012; Accepted March 26, 2012

 Abstract

Proteomic analysis of the expression of seed storage proteins was performed in wild tepary beans (P. acutifolius) accession G40199. The interspecific backcross progenies were obtained from the cross between G40199 and cultivated common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars ICA Pijao and/or Rojo. Mature seeds from interspecific backcross progenies and G40199 were used to isolate seed storage proteins. Seed storage profiles obtained by  SDS-PAGE, and bands were isolated and used for MS/MS-ES peptide sequencing and analysis. Peptide peaks and their amino acids sequences demonstrated that both the interspecific backcross progenies and G40199 contain arcelins and arcelin-like (ARL2) proteins that are co-expressed with other proteins of the arcelin, -amylase inhibitor and phytohemagglutinin (APA) locus. Arcelin and ARL2 proteins previously obtained from a wild tepary bean accession of this APA were the predominant types detected in the wild tepary bean accession G40199 demonstrating the presence of multiple arcelin-like proteins as the major seed storage proteins. The occurrence of multiple variants of the APA seed storage proteins in a single accession presents an important opportunity for exploration of antibiosis proteins in breeding for resistance to bean bruchids, major storage pests in common beans in the tropics.

Key words: APA locus, arcelin, Acanthoscellides obtectus, Zabrotes subfasciatus, peptides, tepary beans, bruchid resistance.