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The hepatotoxic effects of sub-lethal concentrations of atrazine (2.5, 25, 250, and 500 μg L−1) on Clarias gariepinus juveniles were assessed for 28 days in a quality-controlled laboratory procedure. The study was designed to determine the effects of atrazine on selected liver function biomarkers: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin (ALB) and total protein (TP), and to analyze the liver tissues of the fish using a quantitative and qualitative histology-based health assessment protocol. The levels of ALB and TP in exposed specimens were observed to decrease with increasing concentrations of atrazine. However, the activities of ALT, AST, and ALP showed significant (p < 0.05) increase with increasing concentrations of atrazine. Hepatic assessment of the liver tissues revealed marked histopathological alterations, including structural changes (necrotic/apoptotic liver tissue, poor hepatic cord structure, and loss of normal architecture) in 52.2% of the liver tissues in the treatment groups; plasma alterations (vacuolation or fat inclusions, 22.9%) of hepatocytes; hypertrophied hepatocyte (55.2%); nuclear alterations (52.1%); focal necrosis (16.7%); complete degeneration of hepatocytes (60.45%); sinusoids congested with red blood cells or vascular congestion (70.8%); and karyolysis of the nucleus (18.8%). Findings from this study suggest that atrazine interferes with liver function markers and disrupts the normal architectural and structural components of the liver resulting in noninfectious liver injury. This condition resulted in repeated cycles, cell deaths, and inflammation, which could result in the eventual death of the exposed fish if exposure duration was prolonged.

An assessment of the quality of groundwater around an open dump-site was carried out using borehole water samples collected from two points each, close to the dump-site and a control point outside the vicinity. Analysis showed that with the exception of temperature and salinity, which were not significantly different across the sampling points, other parameters differed significantly (P<0.01 and P<0.001). The 'a posteriori' comparison using Duncan Multiple Range (DMR) test revealed that EC, Nitrate, BOD, THC, TDS and TSS recorded lower levels at the control borehole in relation to the two boreholes close to the dump-site. THB and coliform also recorded lower values at the control borehole. Fe was the only heavy metal shown to be highly significantly different (P<0.001) with higher concentrations at points close to the dump-site. Other metals had mean values of 0.001mg/l across sampling points. The months of June and October recorded higher values for most parameters. The dump-site can be said to have had effects on its surrounding groundwater with, increased levels of iron, THC, Nitrate, coliform, and EC. Evacuation and remediation of the dump-site is necessary to stop further contamination of the aquifer.

Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBP) using some biometric indices including taxa richness, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa richness, EPT to total ratio, Hilsenhoff's Biotic Index (HBI) and Percent Model Affinity Score (PMAS) were employed in assessment of the water quality of the Benin River. The results showed that the water quality varied from non-impacted to severely impacted. HBI and PMAS showed similar results among the designated stations along the river. Shannon (H') and Margalef (d') diversity indices were highest at stations 4 and 3 respectively. The biometric and diversity indices adopted in this study are better for assessing organic pollution and eutrophication but inadequate for assessing toxic inorganic pollution. More assessments using various biometric indices are needed for investigation in order to fully ascertain their consistency with the physico-chemical parameters. The merits of the different biometrics are reported.

Investigation of the physical and chemical properties of groundwater around a Petroleum Tank Farm was carried out between January and August, 2015 to assess the suitability of the borehole water for drinking and other domestic uses. The results show that pH of water was acidic with values ranging from 4.62 to 6.87, EC (33.00-206.00 µs/cm), TDS (15.00-115.00mg/L), DO (2.13 7.10mg/L), and BOD (0.71-2.28mg/L). Anionic concentrations varied thus: HCO3 (2.42-15.11mg/L), SO42- (0.67-10.54 mg/L), NO3- (0.15-4.71 mg/L), PO4- (0.04-0.81 mg/L) and Cl- (8.03-35.82 mg/L). The cations had very low values: Ca2+ (1.29-10.17 mg/L), Mg2+ (0.19-4.82 mg/L), Na+ (0.16-2.81mg/L), Cu2+ (0.02-0.20mg/L), Zn2+ (0.02-0.61mg/L) and Fe (0.02-0.31mg/L). Water Quality Index (WQI) revealed very poor water, suggesting that the heavy vehicular movements and gas flaring at the Petroleum Tank Farm impacted negatively on its surrounding groundwater with increased levels of pH, DO and BOD. Based on the findings in this study, the quality of the borehole water is unsuitable for drinking without adequate treatment. Improved energy efficiency performance of all utilities such as in means of transport and behavioural changes to reduce green house gases through the adoption of renewable energy should be encouraged and advocated.

Unskilled delivery, particularly the use of traditional birth attendants, is a major threat to reducing maternal mortality in Africa. Despite the associated risks, there is insufficient evidence on the major reasons why pregnant women in Nigeria continue to use traditional birth attendant (TBA) services, especially in rural areas. This study, therefore, assessed the perception, reasons for use, and utilization of only TBA services in current pregnancy among rural-dwelling pregnant women in Lagos, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 347 pregnant women recruited from traditional birth attendant facilities at Ikorodu Local Government Area, Lagos. Data were collected with an interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted with a significance level set at p<0.05. The outcome measures included perception, utilization of only TBA services in current pregnancy, and reasons for use. Positive perception refers to positive thought, belief, or opinion held by the participants towards the TBA. All the respondents had a positive perception of TBAs, majority (70.3%) utilized TBA only while 29.7% combined TBA and healthcare facilities services in the current pregnancy. Recommendations from previous users (81.6%), welcoming and hospitable staff (77.2%), perceived spiritual protection (75.2%), and past use (68.6%), were some of the reasons cited by the respondents for utilizing only TBA services. Predictors of utilizing only TBA services were respondents' level of education, those with secondary (aOR = 0.261; 95% CI; 0.108-0.629) and tertiary (aOR = 0.352; 95% CI; 0.162-0.769) had lower utilization while the lack of health insurance coverage (aOR = 3.017; 95% CI; 1.476-6.166) were associated with higher utilization of TBAs. Respondents in this study had a positive perception of TBA services. Continuous training and an effective monitoring system of TBAs by the government and other healthcare stakeholders to improve women's birthing experiences is recommended.

To improve the control of Type 2 diabetes (T2D), this study investigated the potential benefits of an alcohol-free beer flavored with bitter gourd leaves, a plant with proven hypoglycemic properties. The high fat/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ) model was used to induce diabetes in Wistar rats as test subjects. The rats were divided into eight groups ( n  = 5) as follows: HP (STZ + 100% Hops); BG (STZ + 100% Bitter Gourd); 75:25BG (STZ + 75% Hops; 25%BG); 50:50BG (STZ + 50%Hops50%Bitter Gourd); 25:75BG (STZ + 25%Hops75%Bitter Gourd); Acarbose (STZ + Acarbose); DC (STZ-diabetic control group); NC (Normal Control group). Following a 14-day treatment, there was a significant ( p  < 0.05) reduction in blood sugar, serum glucose, α-amylase activity, α-glucosidase activity, and lipase activity. As the percentage of bitter gourd inclusion increased, the expression of GLUT-2 and insulin genes was upregulated. The beer sample with the lowest percentage inclusion of Hops (25:75BG) had the lowest glycemic index (GI). The study suggested that bitter gourd-flavored alcohol-free beer reduces blood glucose through muptiple pathways and could be a useful dietary intervention in the management of type 2 diabetes. Graphical Abstract

Citrus by-products, especially orange peels, are a significant global waste issue, driving research into management solutions. Solid-substrate fermentation is a promising method to convert this waste into valuable resources, enhancing its medicinal and nutritional potential while addressing environmental and economic concerns in food waste management. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the impact of solid-substrate fermentation (SSF) with Penicillium camemberti on the nutrient profile, antioxidative properties, and potential neuroprotective effects of orange peels in AlCl 3 (Al)-induced neurotoxicity in fruit fly ( Drosophila melanogaster ) model. Orange peels were collected, air-dried to a constant weight, and subjected to a 10-day SSF process with Penicillium camemberti . Post-fermentation, in vitro nutritional profiling, and antioxidant assays were conducted, alongside in vivo assessments of the neuroprotective effects on survival rate, memory index, monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity, and endogenous antioxidant markers on Al-induced fruit flies were determined. The results showed that fermentation with Penicillium camemberti significantly enhanced the nutritional composition of the orange peels compared to their unfermented counterparts. The antioxidant properties of fermented orange peels were significantly (p < 0.05) increased, as evidenced by increased DPPH scavenging activity (81.68 ± 0.18) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (10.77 ± 0.27). Additionally, biochemical assays in vivo revealed a significant improvement in survival rates and memory indices in Al-induced flies. Also, monoamine oxidase (MAO) levels were significantly reduced, while glutathione S-transferase (GST) levels were significantly (p < 0.05) elevated in the induced flies fed with the fermented samples. Conclusively, this study highlights the capability of Penicillium camemberti fermentation in converting waste into valuable resources, enhancing the nutrient profile of citrus peels for applications in livestock feed and potential therapeutic interventions for degenerative disorders.