Programme: Applied Biology

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://itsupport.cu.edu.ng:4000/handle/123456789/28776

Here you will find works strictly related to Applied Biology

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Start date: 2020Subject: search.filters.subject.Malaria

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    Inhibitors of Protein Targets of Plasmodium falciparum
    (Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, 2024-11-24) Oranusi, Solomon Uche; Mameh, Emmanuel Ojochegbe; Oyegbade, Samuel Adeniyi; Balogun, Daniel Oluwatobiloba; Aririguzoh, Victoria-Grace Onyekachi
    The World Health Organization documented 247 million reported malaria cases worldwide resulting in 619,000 fatalities in 2021. More than 70% of these deaths are attributed to Children under five years of age and sub-Saharan Africa is the region in which the highest number of deaths occur. The Plasmodium falciparum parasite is the deadliest form of malaria, and treating falciparum infection is becoming more challenging due to the emergence of drug-resistant parasites, causing a decrease in the efficiency of antimalarial medications. Artemisinin combination therapy is now considered the gold standard for malaria treatment; however, this method is at risk due to parasites exhibiting delayed clearance to artemisinin and resistance to partner drugs such as lumefantrine, amodiaquine, mefloquine, piperaquine, and sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine. This review assessed drug targets in Plasmodium falciparum for the development of novel antimalarials. Over Eighty-five papers on malaria, Plasmodium falciparum protein targets, and protein inhibitors were gathered from Google Scholar, ProQuest, PubMed, and Science Direct, between 2012 and 2023. Only articles with comparable keywords on malaria drug targets concentrating on enzyme proteins, carrier molecules present in Plasmodium falciparum, and their inhibitors were retrieved for review, while articles within that range that did not provide definite data were excluded. Most recently, inhibitors of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), artefenomel (OZ439), and ferroquine have been reported and are being explored in combination with other partner medications to work against different stages of plasmodium parasite. In identifying target proteins for drug development, essentiality and vulnerability throughout the life cycle of the parasite, its druggability, and the availability of target-based assays are critical factors. The use of modern proteomics and cellular proteins from database search which assists in parasite proliferation delivers optimal information on the new generation of lead compounds. In addition, advances in in silico methods enable the identification of protein targets for drug development.
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    Prevalence and insecticide resistance in Anopheles coluzzii in Ado-Ota, Nigeria
    (Preprints, 2025-02-13) Nwinyi, Obinna Chukwuemeka; Balogun, D. O.; Isibor, P. O.
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    EXPRESSION PROFILES OF CYTOCHROME P450 GENES ASSOCIATED WITH PERMETHRIN RESISTANCE IN Anopheles gambiae s.l. IN ADO-ODO OTA, OGUN STATE
    (Covenant University Ota, 2025-10) AINA, Motunrayo Oluwabunmi; Covenant University Dissertation
    Malaria remains a significant tropical public health threat, where resistance to insecticides constitutes a severe hindrance to the efficacy of its primary vector control methods. Routinely applied pyrethroid insecticides are increasingly facing resistance associated with the overexpression of cytochrome P450 genes in the Anopheles gambiae sensu lato, underscoring the urgent search into these associated genes. This study assessed the expression profile of cytochrome P450 genes associated with permethrin resistance in Anopheles gambiae sensu lato collected from three localities in Ado-Odo, Ota. Ethical approval was obtained from the Covenant Health Research Ethics Committee (CHREC). Based on the WHO standard, female adult An. gambiae larvae (n=300) were collected using the dipping method and reared into adults in the Insectary Laboratory. These laboratory-reared mosquitoes were phenotypically identified using microscopy and genotypically characterised using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on species-specific primers. Thereafter, a WHO susceptibility bioassay was conducted in vivo for mosquitocidal activity against these adult mosquitoes in four replicates at a 0.75% permethrin concentration each on day 3 post-adult emergence. The relative expression of the cytochrome P450 genes (CYP6M2 and CYP6P3) was carried out using the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Higher occurrence rate of An. gambiae sensu lato. was recorded in Nestle (80%)), Chelsea (78%)) compared Gasline (30%) localities of Ado-Odo. In vivo insecticide susceptibility testing revealed consistently low mortality rates across all the replicates, ranging from 20% to 32% indicating increased resistance to permethrin. Results of relative expression of cytochrome P450 genes showed higher fold changes in CYP6M2 ranging from 0.63 to 122.4 than in CYP6P3 0.63 to 34.39 across the tested mosquito replicates. Thus, this study has further emphasized the prevalence of An. gambiae sensu lato members in Ado-Odo, Ota. Additionally, the results of higher permethrin resistant and upregulation of CYP6M2 and CYP6P3 genes inform the imminent need for integrated resistance surveillance with newer vector management for improved malaria control.
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    MOLECULAR DOCKING, LIGAND QUALITY AND ANTIPLASMODIAL EVALUATION OF BENZAMIDE, COUMARIN AND BENZODIAZEPINE ANALOGS
    (Covenant University Ota, 2025-04) ADEBAYO GLORY PIPELOLUWA; Covenant University Thesis
    Malaria chemotherapy is an essential strategy for malaria elimination but resistance has challenged existing antimalarials, including frontline artemisinin combination therapy (ACT); hence, new antimalarial drugs must be discovered and developed. This study investigated the antiplasmodial efficacy and cytotoxicity through in vitro models while also testing the antiplasmodial efficacy, and the in vivo acute toxicity of benzamide, coumarin and benzodiazepine analogss. This study also evaluated the ligand quality of the molecules and their possible Plasmodium falciparum protein targets. Three molecules, 4- amino-N-hydroxybenzamide (AHB), ethyl 2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carboxylate (ECC), and 2,2,4-trimethyl-2-3-dihyro-1H-benzo[b][1,4] diazepine (BDZ) were screened for their in vitro antiplasmodial activities tested against P. falciparum 3D7 standard strain using the SYBR Green Dye I measuring IC50 and their cytotoxicities against MCF-7 breast cancer cells using the [3(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assay. Their antiplasmodial efficacies were determined using Peter’s 4-day suppressive test against Plasmodium berghei in M. musculus while acute toxicities were investigated in the Mus musculus (mice). Ligand qualities were determined using ligand efficiency metrics, and molecular docking was conducted to determine the ligand interactions between ECC and the following enzymatic proteins, P. falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHOH) and P. falciparum purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PfPNP); and the molecular interaction between BDZ and PfDXR - Plasmodium falciparum 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase, P. falciparum falcipain-2 and P. falciparum plasmepsin X (PfPMX). AHB showed no cytotoxicity against MCF-7 at (CC50) = 277.7 μM, while ECC showed inhibition with CC50= 3.930 μM, and BDZ showed no cytotoxicity CC50= 7373 μM. The in vitro antiplasmodial activity showed potency at (AHB)IC50 = 0.0020 ± 0.008 μM, (ECC) IC50= 0.0010 ± 0.002 μM, (BDZ) IC50= 0.0036 ± 0.003 μM respectively. BDZ showed the highest selectivity index at > 200,000, suggesting that it exhibited the best safety/efficacy among the three compounds. AHB displayed LD50 = >5000 mg/kg while ECC and BDZ displayed LD50 = 3162.28 mg/kg. Histopathological examinations showed non-toxicity by the three analogs on the liver and kidney of M. musculus. The percentage suppression of AHB (80.53 ± 3.26 %) at 400 mg/kg, was comparable to the standard chloroquine (81.71 ± 1.82 %) at 100 mg/kg where the mean survival time for both exceeded 30 days. ECC and BDZ showed excellent efficacies (70.98 ± 20.89 % and 83.66 ± 11.67 %) at 200 mg/kg, comparable to chloroquine 80.97 ± 5.82 %. The chemosuppression values for AHB and BDZ were significant at P value < 0.05. The ligand quality of ECC and BDZ displayed good Ligand Efficiency compared to chloroquine and artemisinin and higher enzyme affinities, and ligand efficiency dependent lipophilicity than the standard drugs. ECC and BDZ displayed good characteristics. The docking studies displayed strong hydrophobic interactions between ECC, PfDHODH, and PfPNP, suggesting good potency. BDZ’s binding with PfDXR, Pffalcipain-2, and PfPMX also displayed potency derived from hydrophobic and hydrogen interactions. Conclusively, this study showed AHB, ECC and BDZ were non-toxic to mammalian cells rodents’ liver and kidneys. These molecules exhibited good antiplasmodial inhibitory potential against both P. falciparum in vitro and P. berghei in vivo. ECC and BDZ displayed high ligand efficiency and strong molecular interactions with their protein targets. Therefore, all three analogs can be moved for further optimization in drug development.