Department of Biological Sciences
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Item Stakeholders’ perspectives on addressing climate change and respiratory health impacts in Nigeria(Pan African Medical Journal, 2025) Akinnola, Olayemi O.; Iseolorunkanmi, Alexander; Niyi-Odumosu, Faatihah; Akinnola, Olayemi O.; Ale, Boni Maxime; Adeloye, Davies; Ozoh, Obianuju BeatriceThe impacts of climate change on respiratory health are increasingly becoming a significant challenge in Nigerian cities, particularly in Lagos and Ogun States. Engaging stakeholders in discussions about climate change and health is crucial for addressing these challenges. The climate change and respiratory health (C2Rest) Nigeria Study team facilitated a stakeholder engagement to discuss climate change and health impacts in Nigeria, aiming to explore feasible solutions relevant to research, policy, and practice. A stakeholder meeting was conducted on April 23rd, 2024, involving from Gardner´s climate change engagement pathways, which examine key drivers (8 questions), barriers (7 questions), and adaptation pathways (3 questions). Data were collected through note-taking, written contributions, audio and video recording, and subsequently transcribed and analysed thematically. A total of 42 registered participants, comprising government officials, academicians, healthcare professionals, community and religious leaders, attended the stakeholder engagement meeting. Participants made group presentations and submitted a total of 380 written contributions. There were varying views on the drivers of climate change, but there was consensus that the most vulnerable populations include the poor, homeless, pregnant women, children, the elderly, and individuals with underlying health conditions. An important barrier identified was the sociocultural belief that climate change is an act of God or spirits. Financial constraints were a recurrent theme in discussions about mitigation and adaptation to climate change. This report provides valuable information on the most vulnerable population to the effects of climate change in Nigeria and identifies sociocultural beliefs and financial constraints as key barriers to the adoption of effective mitigation and adaptation behaviors.Item Epidemiological and Seasonal Patterns of Respiratory Diseases at a Community Health Facility in Southwest Nigeria: A Five-Year Retrospective Analysis(The Open Public Health Journal, 2025) Oshamika, Oyewumi Oluwaseun; Adebanjo, Ademola Oyeyemi; Onile-ere, Olabode Azeez; Akinnola, Olayemi O.; Eni, Angela ObiagelItem In vivo Evaluation of Plant Extracts against Common Phytopathogenic Fungi Isolated from Pawpaw (Carica papaya L.)(IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2025) Oniha, M. I.; Eni, A. O.; Akinnola, Olayemi O.; Omonigbehin, E. A.; Adegboye, B. E.; Taiwo, O. S.; Odetunmibi, O.A.; Oyejide, S.O.; Aina, M.O.; Isibor, P. O.; Ahuekwe, E.F.Plants possess various efficacious natural products to curtailing various problems associated with man and his environment. Fungi cause significant postharvest losses to global pawpaw (Carica papaya) production, particularly in Africa. Current control methods focus primarily on synthetic fungicides that are hazardous to the environment, while plant-based fungicides are characterised with biofriendly and costeffective potential. In this study, three plant extracts were investigated for their in vivo antifungal property opposed to three phytopathogenic mycoflora isolated from Carica papaya post harvest. Aqueous extracts of Moringa oleifera, Telfaira occidentalis and Bauhinia monandra leaves were evaluated at aaglomerations of 150 mg/ml and 75 mg/ml for their antifungal properties in papaya fruits for 7 days. In vivo antifungal evaluation revealed that the three plant extracts showed varying degrees of inhibitory activity against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Rhizopus oryzae. Of the three evaluated plants, B. monandra showed higher antifungal activity during the post-inoculation period. The concentration of 150 mg/ml of aqueous extracts of the plants preserved the fruits and inhibited fungal growth in a range of 3-5 days, while the 75mg/ml concentration of Moringa oleifera, Telfiaria occidentalis and Bauhinia monandria inhibited fungal growth for 3, 2 and 3 days after inoculation, respectively. Significant weight loss was observed in fruits inoculated for both treatments and controls at both concentrations (p-value <0.05). This experimentation has ssubstantiated that the aqueous leaf extracts of M. oleifera, T. occidentalis, and B. monandra possess the potential as natural antifungals for the control and management of fungal diseasesItem Exploring the impact of climate change on respiratory health in Nigeria: a scoping review of current research, government policies and programs(Climatic Change, 2025) Niyi-Odumosu, Faatihah; Ozoh, Obianuju B.; Ope, Victor Oloruntoba; Ale, Boni M.; Akinnola, Olayemi O.; Iseolorunkanmi, Alexander; Adeloye, DaviesClimate change significantly impacts health globally, especially in densely populated, rapidly industrialising and ecologically diverse countries like Nigeria. We analysed climate change policies, studies, programs, and events at the national and subnational levels in Nigeria and explored their effects on public and respiratory health. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMAScR) checklist, we searched PubMed, African Journals Online (AJoL), Google Scholar and government data repositories on January 10, 2024. We synthesised results using an adapted sector-level framework based on the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Our searches returned 262 items, of which 32, including research studies, reports and grey documents, were retained for synthesis. Although some policies and programmes, like the Climate Change Act and Nigerian Climate and Health Observatory, exist, implementation is limited across many settings. Key reported respiratory pollutants in Nigeria include particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), gaseous emissions (CO, SO₂, NOx), agricultural by-products (NH₃, H₂S), greenhouse gases (CH₄, CO₂), and microbial contaminants, which collectively increase the risk of respiratory inflammation, infections, and exacerbations of chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases. Our findings underscore a clear link between climate change and worsening respiratory health in many Nigerian settings. The current policies and programmes’ have limited impact, calling for comprehensive reforms, including improved enforcement and targeted action against major pollution sources, recognition of environmental rights, and stronger public health initiatives and community action.Item A possible role of urinary genotoxic Escherichia coli in prostate cancer in Nigerian patients(BMC Research Notes, 2025) Akinpelu, Sharon O.; Olasehinde, Grace I.; Akinnola, Olayemi O.Objective Infection and inflammation are potential initiating factors for the development and progression of prostate cancer. This study investigated the presence of bacterial genotoxins; colibactin (clb) and cytolethal distending toxin (cdt) in Escherichia coli isolated from urine samples of individuals diagnosed with prostate cancer as well as those with benign prostatic hyperplasia. E. coli was isolated from urine samples from prostate cancer patients (cases, n = 30) and men with benign prostate hyperplasia (controls, n = 40). The presence of colibactin (clb) and cytolethal distending toxin (cdt) genes was evaluated in E. coli isolates using polymerase chain reaction. Results The frequency of E. coli was 36.0% of prostate cancer patients and 30.0% of controls, respectively (p = 0.557). Furthermore, there was a higher occurrence of the clb gene in cases compared to controls (36.4% vs. 8.3%). Cytolethal distending toxin (cdt) gene was absent in all isolates examined. The analysis revealed no significant relationship between the selected genotoxins and prostate cancer (p = 0.104). The Gleason grade of the cancer was not a major determinant in the occurrence of clb within the cancer cases. The present study is the first report investigating bacterial genotoxins in urine samples of Nigerian prostate cancer patients. Our findings showed no association between bacterial genotoxins and prostate cancer. Additional investigations are warranted to further investigate the role of bacterial genotoxins in prostate cancer development.Item Prevalence and associated risk factors of Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization among a cohort of immunocompromised individuals in Lagos, Nigeria(BMC Infectious Diseases, 2025) Ogunleye, Bimpe O.; Oshamika, Oyewumi O.; Akinpelu, Sharon O.; Ajayi, Ayodeji S.; Akinduti, Paul A.; Oyedeji, Kolawole S.; Odeniy, Olalekan M.; Akinnola, Olayemi O.Background Immunocompromised individuals are highly vulnerable to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, virulence, and risk factors associated with S. aureus nasal carriage among immunocompromised individuals in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods A total of 350 participants were enrolled, including 150 HIV/AIDS cases, 50 HIV/TB co-infections, 100 diabetes cases, and 50 controls. Nasal swabs were collected and cultured on Mannitol salt agar for the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus. Presumptive isolates were confirmed using Gram staining, catalase, and coagulase tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method in accordance with CLSI guidelines. Molecular detection of resistance and virulence genes was performed using PCR targeting the mecA gene (methicillin resistance) and pvl (Panton-Valentine leukocidin). A structured questionnaire capturing clinical history and hygiene practices was used to evaluate risk factors for S. aureus carriage. Results The overall prevalence of S. aureus was 14.6% (51/350), S. aureus was isolated in 28% (14/50) of controls, 16.7% (25/150) of HIV/AIDS patients, 14% (7/50) of HIV/TB cases and 5% (5/100) of diabetes cases. Susceptibility to erythromycin was 80.4%, gentamycin, ciprofloxacin and Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim (64.7%) among all S. aureus isolated. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was detected in 78.4% (40/51) of isolates, predominantly among HIV/AIDS patients (52.5%). pvl genes were identified in 11.8% (6/51) of isolates. S. aureus carriage was significantly associated with recent antibiotic use (p = 0.003) and contact with animals (p = 0.018). Conclusion This study demonstrates a high prevalence of S. aureus among controls compared to immunocompromised individuals. These results highlight the need for further studies to elucidate the relationship between host factors and S. aureus colonization. This could inform targeted strategies for infection prevention and control.Item Dataset on characterisation of microbiome of prostate tissue and expressed prostatic secretions(Data in Brief (Elsevier), 2025) Akinnola, Olayemi O.; Samuel, Abosede E.; Omonhinmin, Conrad A.Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most prevalent cancer in men, particularly affecting those of Black African descent. Nigeria currently has the fourth highest risk for PCa mortality in the world. The microbiome of the prostate has emerged as a critical factor in understanding the aetiology and progres- sion of prostate diseases, such as prostate cancer (PCa), be- nign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) , benign stromal hyperpla- sia (BSH) and prostatitis (PRO). This study to comparatively characterise the microbiome present in prostate tissue and expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) from 30 study subjects diagnosed with PCa, BPH, BSH and PRO and sampled from the urology clinic of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Ikeja. Bacterial species community composition and diversity were analysed based on 16S rRNA metagenome nucleotide data to ensure the accuracy, reproducibility, and broader ap- plicability of microbiological and genomic research. Data in- formation allows for precise identification of organisms at the species or strain level, essential for verifying experi- mental results and comparisons of the isolated organism’s genome with related strains, providing insights into genetic diversity, virulence factors, and metabolic pathways of the sample population microbiome.