Browsing by Author "Folarin, Royhaan"

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    Geotactical and Neurochemical phenotypes of Drosophilia Melanogaster following Nigella Sativa Exposure
    (2019-05-27) Folarin, Royhaan; Kayode, Ayodele; Adenowo, Thomas; Adeyanju, Muinat; Olugbode, Joshua; Obadeyin, Esther
    Drosophila melanogasteris a holometabolous frugivorous fly, with neurobiological and neurogenetic modelling importance owed to its small size, short life cycle, fast reproductive rate, low cost in maintenance and small tetra-chromosomal genome. Nigella sativa(Black seed) is a widely researched medicinal plant with numerous reported therapeutic activities in humans and rodents. Being the most abundant neurotransmitter in Drosophila, glutamate plays an important role in learning and memory, neuro-excitation but also neuro-inhibition. This research thus investigated the impacts of Nigella sativa on the survival rate, glutamate level and negative geotactical abilities in Harwich strains of Drosophila melanogaster. The experimental flies were exposed to varied concentrations of Nigella sativa oil for five days. The results showed a higher survival rate, glutamate level and negative geotactic ability for the lower dose flies, while the higher Nigella sativa dose flies recorded significantly lesser values in the trio. This indicates that Nigella sativa administered at 2.4ml/4ml (60%) of feed may be lethal to the general survival and physiological functions of adult Drosophila. The lower dose however shows ahigh potential of improving locomotive and neurochemical activities in flies, as further studies are on to further identify the most therapeutic dose of Nigella sativa in Drosophila melanogaster, with a range suggested based on the findings of this research
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    Sub-chronic Mptp-Induced Parkinsonism: Selective Sensitivity of the Balb/C Mice and the Prophylactic Roles of Nigella Sativa Oil
    (2019-07-30) Folarin, Royhaan; Olonade, Akinola; Ogunkunle, Praise; Shallie, Philemon; Adenowo, Adenowo; Adeyanju, Muinat; Folarin, Paul; Amangele, Tarilayefa
    Parkinsonism is a degenerative neurological syndrome characterised by dopamine deficiency in the basal ganglia. Despite ages of research, there is still lack of holistic and side-effect-free therapy for the disease. Nigella sativa is a multi-potent plant known for its historical and scientifically proven therapeutic potentials in the brain and other body organs. Despite the validity debates on the use of BALB/c mice strains in the modelling of Parkinsonism using MPTP, this study re-appraised the sensitivity versus resistance of the BALB/c mice strain to MPTP and further investigated the possible neuro-thrapeutic role of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) in the Parkinsonic endophenotypes elicited by MPTP in the BALB/c strain. Body weights, relative brain weights, striatal dopamine, striatal neuron density and recognition memory were studied in thirty-two (32) male albino mice, weighing between 18g -25g. They were divided equally into Control (administered with normal feed for 5 days), MPTP (administered with 18mg/kg MPTP i.p for 5 days), NS (administered with 1ml/kgbw NSO p.o. for 5 days), and NS+MPTP (administered with 1ml/kgbw NSO p.o. followed by 18mg/kg MPTP i.p for 5 days). Recognition memory was assayed through Novel Object Recognition test (NORT), and the animals were weighed and euthanised 24 hours after last administration. The brains were excised and the striatum assayed neurochemically for dopamine and illustrated histologically for neuronal density using the H&E stain. Parkinsonic traits such as mild tremor, significant down-regulation of dopamine and striatal neurons (p<0.05) were recorded in the BALB/c mice administered with MPTP only, confirming MPTP-sensitivity for these features. However, significant increase (p<0.05) in appetite, body weight, brain-body weight ratio, and recognition memory was also recorded in the MPTP-administered mice, though Nigella sativa was significantly prophylactic against the negative Parkinsonic features, and ‘moderative’ of the up-regulations induced by MPTP. While this suggests selective MPTP sensitivity and resistance in BALB/c strains, this study recommends the investigation of possible beneficial potentials of MPTP as observed. The research was conducted in conformance with the Animal Research Ethics Committee (AREC) guidelines of the Olabisi Onabanjo University.