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Interest in naturally occurring phytochemicals has been on the increase, they are believed to reduce the risk of brain disorders. Hispidulin (HN) is a phenolic flavonoid compound with various pharmacological and biological effects on the central nervous system. It belongs to the flavone class of flavonoids. It can be found in different plant materials, especially fruits and vegetables. The literature used in this review was collected from credible scientific databases including ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Hindawi without time restriction, using relevant keywords, such as HN, brain, central nervous system, flavonoids, and flavones. HN was discovered to possess pro-apoptotic properties, act as an antioxidant, inhibit cytokine production and toll-like receptor 4 expression, as well as impede nuclear factor kappa beta and mitogen-activated protein kinase B. HN was also found to inhibit lipid peroxidation in vitro and reduce brain edema in mice. These pharmacological potentials suggest that HN is a promising candidate for neuroprotection in CNS disorders like depression and epilepsy. This review provides an update on the scientific literature concerning how these activities could help provide various forms of neuroprotection in the CNS. Additional experimental data on the effects of HN in models of neurological disorders and neuroprotection should be explored further. Based on the current study, HN is a promising candidate for neuroprotection of the CNS.

Background Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure has been linked to oxidative stress and neurochemical imbalances, potentially compromising cellular integrity. By increasing free radical production, EMR disrupts the antioxidant defense system, including glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT); which may contribute to neuronal damage and cognitive impairment. Method This study examines the impact of intrauterine mobile phone radiation (MPR) exposure on hippocampal neurotransmitters and oxidative stress markers in albino mice and their offspring. Thirty-five healthy mice, obtained from pregnant females aged 10–14 weeks (weighing 18–20 g), were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 5 per group), Group I (control, no MPR exposure); Groups II–IV (exposed to 2G 0.9 GHz, 3G 1.5 GHz, and 4G 1.95 GHz MPR until parturition, respectively); and Groups V–VII (exposed to the same frequencies until weaning). Results After eight weeks of exposure, hippocampal tissues were analyzed for neurochemical markers (acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and glutamate (GLU)) as well as oxidative stress biomarkers (malondialdehyde (MDA), SOD, and GSH) and their histological structure. MPR exposure resulted in a significant reduction ( p  < 0.05) in AChE levels in groups III–VII, except for group II ( p  > 0.05), while GLU levels significantly increased ( p  < 0.05) in group VII. Oxidative stress analysis revealed significantly elevated MDA and SOD levels ( p  < 0.05) and a marked reduction in GSH levels across all exposed groups ( p  < 0.05). Conclusion Intrauterine exposure to MPR induces oxidative stress and neurochemical imbalances in albino mice, which is characterized by decreased AChE and GSH levels and increased MDA, SOD, and GLU concentrations. These findings suggest that prolonged MPR exposure may disrupt hippocampal function, potentially affecting cognitive and neurodevelopmental processes.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are immature progenitor cells that are found in developing and adult brains that have the potential of dividing actively and renewing themselves, with a complex form of gene expression. The generation of new brain cells in adult individuals was initially considered impossible, however, the landmark discovery of human neural stem cells in the hippocampus has been followed by further discoveries in other discreet regions of the brain. Investigation into the current state in Africa of the research and use of NSCs shows relatively limited activities on the continent. Information on the African application of NSCs for modelling disease mechanisms, drug discovery, and therapeutics is still limited. The International Brain Research Organization (IBRO)-African Regional Committee (ARC), with support from the Company of Biologists, and the Movement Disorder Society, sponsored the first African Basic School on NSC in Ibadan, Nigeria, with the vision of bringing together young neuroscientists and physicians across different fields in neuroscience to learn from leaders who have applied NSCs in stem cell research, the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, neuroanatomy, and neurotherapeutics. Twenty early-career researchers in academic institutions at junior and senior faculty cadres were selected from South Africa, Uganda and Nigeria. The students and organizer of the school, who wrote this review on the state of NSCs research in Africa, recommended the following: (1) other African countries can take a cue from South Africa and Nigeria in probing the phenomena of adult neurogenesis in unique animal species on the continent; (2) Africa should leverage the expertise and facilities of South African scientists and international collaborators in scaling up NSC research into these unique species and (3) Centers of Excellence should be established on the continent to serve as research hubs for training postgraduate students, and facilities for African scientists who trained overseas on NSCs.

Objectives Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen with a high capacity to acquire antimicrobial resistance determinants, including OXA-type β-lactamases, which confer resistance to carbapenems. Environmental reservoirs play a crucial role in the persistence and spread of the bacteria; yet, limited data exist on variants of A. baumannii from non-hospital environments; an area critical to epidemiological studies in Nigeria. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of A. baumannii strains from different non-hospital environments in Nigeria, determine their sequence types, and characterize their resistance genes. Results In the course of investigating the prevalence of A. baumannii in 440 environmental samples of soil, sewage, water, and air, collected from three non-hospital communities in Nigeria, isolates with novel features were discovered. Using culture-based and molecular identification, 33 isolates which is equivalent to 7.5% were confirmed as A. baumannii . Whole-genome sequencing of three A. baumannii isolates revealed novel genetic features: isolate S6, obtained from community sewage, harbored a novel bla OXA-51-like variant, bla OXA-1328 , which diverges from bla OXA-180 variants previously detected in Nigerian soil environments; isolate S5, recovered from an incinerator surface, carried a new sequence type, ST3457/2790; and isolate S4, from semi-pristine soil, harbored the rare variant bla OXA-707 , previously reported only once in a stork bird from Poland. The three isolates were highly susceptible to imipenem, meropenem, ceftazidime, sulfamethoxazole, piperacillin–tazobactam, ampicillin–sulbactam, ciprofloxacin, and 100% resistant to ceftriaxone. An intermediate susceptibility to colistin was observed in all isolates. The strain isolated from an incinerator surface clustered with strains recovered from human oral sources in China, suggesting a potential link to clinical strains.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen with a high capacity to acquire antimicrobial resistance determinants, including OXA-type β-lactamases, which confer resistance to carbapenems. Environmental reservoirs play a crucial role in the persistence and spread of the bacteria; yet, limited data exist on variants of A. baumannii from non-hospital environments; an area critical to epidemiological studies in Nigeria. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of A. baumannii strains from different non-hospital environments in Nigeria, determine their sequence types, and characterize their resistance genes. In the course of investigating the prevalence of A. baumannii in 440 environmental samples of soil, sewage, water, and air, collected from three non-hospital communities in Nigeria, isolates with novel features were discovered. Using culture-based and molecular identification, 33 isolates which is equivalent to 7.5% were confirmed as A. baumannii. Whole-genome sequencing of three A. baumannii isolates revealed novel genetic features: isolate S6, obtained from community sewage, harbored a novel bla variant, bla , which diverges from bla variants previously detected in Nigerian soil environments; isolate S5, recovered from an incinerator surface, carried a new sequence type, ST3457/2790; and isolate S4, from semi-pristine soil, harbored the rare variant bla , previously reported only once in a stork bird from Poland. The three isolates were highly susceptible to imipenem, meropenem, ceftazidime, sulfamethoxazole, piperacillin-tazobactam, ampicillin-sulbactam, ciprofloxacin, and 100% resistant to ceftriaxone. An intermediate susceptibility to colistin was observed in all isolates. The strain isolated from an incinerator surface clustered with strains recovered from human oral sources in China, suggesting a potential link to clinical strains.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen with a high capacity to acquire antimicrobial resistance determinants, including OXA-type [beta]-lactamases, which confer resistance to carbapenems. Environmental reservoirs play a crucial role in the persistence and spread of the bacteria; yet, limited data exist on variants of A. baumannii from non-hospital environments; an area critical to epidemiological studies in Nigeria. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of A. baumannii strains from different non-hospital environments in Nigeria, determine their sequence types, and characterize their resistance genes. In the course of investigating the prevalence of A. baumannii in 440 environmental samples of soil, sewage, water, and air, collected from three non-hospital communities in Nigeria, isolates with novel features were discovered. Using culture-based and molecular identification, 33 isolates which is equivalent to 7.5% were confirmed as A. baumannii. Whole-genome sequencing of three A. baumannii isolates revealed novel genetic features: isolate S6, obtained from community sewage, harbored a novel bla.sub.OXA-51-like variant, bla.sub.OXA-1328, which diverges from bla.sub.OXA-180 variants previously detected in Nigerian soil environments; isolate S5, recovered from an incinerator surface, carried a new sequence type, ST3457/2790; and isolate S4, from semi-pristine soil, harbored the rare variant bla.sub.OXA-707, previously reported only once in a stork bird from Poland. The three isolates were highly susceptible to imipenem, meropenem, ceftazidime, sulfamethoxazole, piperacillin-tazobactam, ampicillin-sulbactam, ciprofloxacin, and 100% resistant to ceftriaxone. An intermediate susceptibility to colistin was observed in all isolates. The strain isolated from an incinerator surface clustered with strains recovered from human oral sources in China, suggesting a potential link to clinical strains.

Despite the high prevalence of mental illness among prisoners in Africa, the continent still grapples with the challenge of an underdeveloped state of structured treatment and correctional services. The current model of mental health care in prisons relies on general medical prison clinics run by medical staff that have little or no mental health training. Psychiatric hospitals in Africa are financially under-resourced, and can scarcely absorb the cost of providing needed security for the transferred prison inmates into their custody. The correctional services system should therefore be better positioned to bear the burden of service provision for this category of inmates. This chapter explores the various treatment models that have been adopted in providing mental health care in prisons across Africa and discusses innovations with the potential to drive the field forward. This is with the view to bringing about policy changes in the care of mentally ill offenders in resource-constrained facilities in Africa.