Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and motivations towards blood donations among blood donors in Lagos, Nigeria

Summary. interviewed with questionnaires on their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and motivations about blood donations. It was found that a large number of them (92.9%) donated because of the benefits they will obtain from the hospital. Such benefits include antenatal registration (67.1%) and saving the lives of relations (25.8%). Even though many of the donors are educated (98.9%), majority of whom have university degrees (36.1%) and have heard about blood donation before, 52.4% of them believe they can contact human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and/or hepatitis infection from blood donation. A good number (47.0%) are afraid of what they regard as side effects, such as weight loss (23.8%), sexual failure (5.9%), high blood pressure (5.2%), sudden death (3.3%), and convulsion (1.47%). About 41.0% prefers certificates as an incentive for donation, whereas 13.6% prefers money; less than 3% will like their names announced or published on the media and 2.58% will donate for nothing. It is recommended that an intensive blood donation campaign should be maintained. This will allow people to be well informed, turning the positive attitude of saving life through blood donation to a regular practice.     

文冠木及复方古日古木-7不同给药方式下主要成分的药代动力学性质

本文综述分析文献报道的文冠木及蒙药复方古日古木-7（G-7）主要成分的药代动力学性质等数据,探讨水煎剂和散剂（或甲醇提取物）可吸收成分的差异及原理。G-7含红花、石膏、麻黄、紫花地丁、诃子、蓝盆花、木通。其中诃子含有大量多酚成分,有抗丙肝病毒蛋白酶等活性。给药G-7后诃子主要成分的血药浓度-时间曲线下面积（AUC0~10 h）比单独给药诃子时明显增加。没食子酸、诃子裂酸、诃黎勒酸的AUC0~10 h分别增加了2.6、10.3、3.0倍,说明G-7中其他药材可增加诃子主要活性成分的吸收。给大鼠灌胃G-7甲醇提取物后,极性较小的鞣花酸的AUC0~10 h>没食子酸,而灌胃水煎剂时极性大的没食子酸的AUC0~10 h>鞣花酸。文冠木不能被溶剂提取出的大分子鞣质可被胃液降解成其组成单元——表儿茶素;灌胃文冠木全粉时表儿茶素的AUC0~10 h和最大血药浓度（Cmax）明显增加,分别达到灌胃其提取物时的1.1和1.2倍。甲醇提取物（或中药全粉的散剂）给药后,亲脂性及不可提取成分的体内吸收较多,因此,民族药散剂的体内药效物质与水煎剂有所不同,这可能是有些药材在民族医药与中医药中用途不同的科学原理;这些结果也提示,民族药散剂的主要质量控制指标成分也会与汤剂有所不同。     

The antiplasmodial effect of the extracts and formulated capsules of Phyllanthus amarus on Plasmodium yoelii infection in mice

ObjectiveTo investigate the antiplasmodial activity of the extracts of Phyllanthus amarus (P. amarus) on Plasmodium yoelii (P. yoelii) (a resistant malaria parasite strain used in animal studies) infection in mice.MethodsThe aqueous and ethanol extracts of the whole plant of Phyllanthus amarus was administered to Swiss albino mice at doses of 200 mg/kg/day, 400 mg/kg/day, 800 mg/kg/day and 1600 mg/kg/day and the prophylactic and chemotherapeutic effect of the extracts against P. yoelii infection in mice was investigated and compared with those of standard antimalaria drugs used in the treatment of malaria parasite infection. Acute toxicity test was carried out in mice to determine the safety of the plant extract when administered orally.ResultsThe results showed that the extracts demonstrated a dose—dependent prophylactic and chemotherapeutic activity with the aqueous extracts showing slightly higher effect than the ethanol extract. The antiplasmodial effects of the extracts were comparable to the standard prophylactic and chemotherapeutic drugs used in chloroquine resistant Plasmodium infection although the activity depended on the dose of the extract administered. The extracts showed prophylactic effect by significantly delaying the onset of infection with the suppression of 79% at a dose of 1600 mg/kg/day.ConclusionsThe results obtained indicate that the extracts of the whole plant of P. amarus possess repository and chemotherapeutic effects against resistant strains of P. yoelii in Swiss albino mice. The findings justify the use of the extract of P. amarus in traditional medicine practice, for the treatment of malaria infections.