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Nwanguma BC, Odo HC, Umeh BU, Arazu AV. The iron status of rural Nigerian women in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy: implications for the iron endowment and subsequent dietary iron needs of their babies. Rural Remote Health 2024; 24:7906. [PMID: 38346900 DOI: 10.22605/rrh7906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The aim of the study was to determine the iron status of rural-dwelling pregnant Nigerian women in the second and third trimesters, and to predict their risk of giving birth to babies with suboptimal iron endowment. METHODS This was a prospective cohort study conducted between April and August 2021. A total of 174 consecutive and consenting pregnant rural dwellers, who met the inclusion criteria, were recruited by convenience sampling from the antenatal clinic of a public hospital in Nsukka, a semirural town in south-east Nigeria. The study participants were aged 21-40 years, and their iron status was determined by measuring blood haemoglobin (Hb) and serum ferritin (SF) concentration. Hb concentration was determined by the cyanmethemoglobin method and the SF concentration was determined by enzyme immunoassay method. RESULTS Almost half (47.7%) of the participants had Hb concentrations below 11 g/dL, while about two out of every five (40.8%) had SF concentrations less than 15 µg/L. The prevalence of iron deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and non-iron deficiency anaemia were 40.8%, 23.6% and 24.7%, respectively. The mean SF levels varied with maternal age, gestation stage, pregnancy intervals and the intake of iron supplements. The mean SF concentration was higher in the second trimester than in the third. The mean SF concentration ± standard deviation (37.10±3.02 µg/L) was higher in the group that took iron supplements than in the group that did not (20.76±2.11 µg/L). However, two out of five participants in both groups had SF concentrations less than 15.0 µg/L. CONCLUSION The prevalence of IDA was quite high among the participants in both trimesters even with the widespread intake of the recommended oral iron supplements. About four out of 10 of the participants had SF concentrations of less than 15 µg/L and were thus judged at risk of giving birth to babies with poor iron deposits. Therefore, more effective strategies are needed to monitor and prevent IDA among pregnant women in rural populations of Nigeria and, by inference, other parts of tropical Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bravo Udochukwu Umeh
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Amarachukwu Vivian Arazu
- Department of Science and Laboratory Technology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
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Ezike TC, Okpala US, Onoja UL, Nwike CP, Ezeako EC, Okpara OJ, Okoroafor CC, Eze SC, Kalu OL, Odoh EC, Nwadike UG, Ogbodo JO, Umeh BU, Ossai EC, Nwanguma BC. Advances in drug delivery systems, challenges and future directions. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17488. [PMID: 37416680 PMCID: PMC10320272 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in molecular pharmacology and an improved understanding of the mechanism of most diseases have created the need to specifically target the cells involved in the initiation and progression of diseases. This is especially true for most life-threatening diseases requiring therapeutic agents which have numerous side effects, thus requiring accurate tissue targeting to minimize systemic exposure. Recent drug delivery systems (DDS) are formulated using advanced technology to accelerate systemic drug delivery to the specific target site, maximizing therapeutic efficacy and minimizing off-target accumulation in the body. As a result, they play an important role in disease management and treatment. Recent DDS offer greater advantages when compared to conventional drug delivery systems due to their enhanced performance, automation, precision, and efficacy. They are made of nanomaterials or miniaturized devices with multifunctional components that are biocompatible, biodegradable, and have high viscoelasticity with an extended circulating half-life. This review, therefore, provides a comprehensive insight into the history and technological advancement of drug delivery systems. It updates the most recent drug delivery systems, their therapeutic applications, challenges associated with their use, and future directions for improved performance and use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobechukwu Christian Ezike
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Ugochukwu Solomon Okpala
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Ufedo Lovet Onoja
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Chinenye Princess Nwike
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Emmanuel Chimeh Ezeako
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Osinachi Juliet Okpara
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Charles Chinkwere Okoroafor
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Shadrach Chinecherem Eze
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Onyinyechi Loveth Kalu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | | | - Ugochukwu Gideon Nwadike
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - John Onyebuchi Ogbodo
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
- Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Bravo Udochukwu Umeh
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Emmanuel Chekwube Ossai
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Bennett Chima Nwanguma
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
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Durojaye OA, Okoro NO, Odiba AS, Nwanguma BC. MasitinibL shows promise as a drug-like analog of masitinib that elicits comparable SARS-Cov-2 3CLpro inhibition with low kinase preference. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6972. [PMID: 37117213 PMCID: PMC10141821 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33024-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection has led to several million deaths worldwide and ravaged the economies of many countries. Hence, developing therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 remains a core priority in the fight against COVID-19. Most of the drugs that have received emergency use authorization for treating SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibit a number of limitations, including side effects and questionable efficacy. This challenge is further compounded by reinfection after vaccination and the high likelihood of mutations, as well as the emergence of viral escape mutants that render SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein-targeting vaccines ineffective. Employing de novo drug synthesis or repurposing to discover broad-spectrum antivirals that target highly conserved pathways within the viral machinery is a focus of current research. In a recent drug repurposing study, masitinib, a clinically safe drug against the human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43), was identified as an antiviral agent with effective inhibitory activity against the SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. Masitinib is currently under clinical trial in combination with isoquercetin in hospitalized patients (NCT04622865). Nevertheless, masitinib has kinase-related side effects; hence, the development of masitinib analogs with lower anti-tyrosine kinase activity becomes necessary. In this study, in an attempt to address this limitation, we executed a comprehensive virtual workflow in silico to discover drug-like compounds matching selected pharmacophore features in the SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro-bound state of masitinib. We identified a novel lead compound, "masitinibL", a drug-like analog of masitinib that demonstrated strong inhibitory properties against the SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. In addition, masitinibL further displayed low selectivity for tyrosine kinases, which strongly suggests that masitinibL is a highly promising therapeutic that is preferable to masitinib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olanrewaju Ayodeji Durojaye
- MOE Key Laboratory of Membraneless Organelle and Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Coal City University, Emene, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Nkwachukwu Oziamara Okoro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Nigeria
| | - Arome Solomon Odiba
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria.
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria.
| | - Bennett Chima Nwanguma
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria.
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria.
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Odiba AS, Durojaye OA, Ezeonu IM, Mgbeahuruike AC, Nwanguma BC. A New Variant of Mutational and Polymorphic Signatures in the ERG11 Gene of Fluconazole-Resistant Candida albicans. Infect Drug Resist 2022; 15:3111-3133. [PMID: 35747333 PMCID: PMC9213107 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s360973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Resistance to antifungal drugs for treating Candida infections remains a major concern globally despite the range of medications available. Most of these drugs target key proteins essential to the life cycle of the organism. An enzyme essential for fungal cell membrane integrity, lanosterol 14–α demethylase (CYP51), is encoded by the ERG11 gene in Candida species. This enzyme is the target of azole–based drugs. The organism has, however, devised molecular adaptations to evade the activity of these drugs. Materials and Methods Classical methods were employed to characterize clinical isolates sampled from women and dogs of reproductive age. For fluconazole efficacy studies, CLSI guidelines on drug susceptibility testing were used. To understand the susceptibility pattern, various molecular and structural analytic approaches, including sequencing, in silico site-directed mutagenesis, and protein-ligand profiling, were applied to the ERG11 gene and CYP51 protein sequences. Several platforms, comprising Clustal Omega, Pymol plugin manager, Pymol molecular visualizer, Chimera–curated Dynameomics rotamer library, protein–ligand interaction profiler, Charmm36 force field, GROMACS, Geneious, and Mega7, were employed for this analysis. Results The following Candida species distribution was obtained: 37.84% C. albicans, 8.12% C. glabrata, 10.81% C. krusei, 5.41% C. tropicalis, and 37.84% of other unidentified Candida species. Two codons in the nucleotide sequence of the wild-type (CTC and CCA) coding for LEU–370 and PRO–375, respectively, were mutated to L370S and P375H in the resistant strain. The mutation stabilized the protein at the expense of the heme moiety. We found that the susceptible isolate from dogs (Can–iso–029/dog) is closely related to the most resistant isolate from humans. Conclusion Taken together, our results showed new mutations in the heme-binding pocket of caCYP51 that explain the resistance to fluconazole exhibited by the Candida isolates. So far, the L370S and P375H resistance-linked mutations have not been previously reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arome Solomon Odiba
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria.,Department of Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria
| | - Olanrewaju Ayodeji Durojaye
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Coal City University, Emene, Enugu State, Nigeria.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, People's Republic of China.,MOE Key Laboratory of Membraneless Organelle and Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Ifeoma Maureen Ezeonu
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria
| | - Anthony Christian Mgbeahuruike
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria
| | - Bennett Chima Nwanguma
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria.,Department of Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria
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Nwanguma BC, Achebe AC, Ezeanyika LU, Eze LC. Toxicity of oxidized fats II: tissue levels of lipid peroxides in rats fed a thermally oxidized corn oil diet. Food Chem Toxicol 1999; 37:413-6. [PMID: 10418956 DOI: 10.1016/s0278-6915(99)00023-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Male Wistar albino rats were fed for 21 days on a diet in which fat (12%) was included either as fresh corn oil, malonaldehyde content = 0.11+/-0.05 micro microg/g (control) or thermally oxidized corn oil, malonaldehyde content = 0.20+/-0.03 microg/g (experimental) and the tissue levels of lipid peroxides in six organs-namely, liver, kidney, brain, heart, lungs and testes-were determined. Of the organs studied, significantly (P < 0.1) higher concentrations of lipid peroxides were observed only in the liver and kidney of the experimental rats. In the course of the feeding, the experimental rats showed significantly (P < 0.1) lower gains in body weights as well as higher relative liver weights than the control rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- B C Nwanguma
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State
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