Neuroprotective roles of flavonoid "hispidulin" in the central nervous system: A review.

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.

Neural stem cell research in Africa: current realities and future prospects.

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.

Depression in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mood disorders can be considered among the most common and debilitating mental disorders. Major depression, as an example of mood disorders, is known to severely reduce the quality of life as well as psychosocial functioning of those affected. Its impact on the burden of disease worldwide has been enormous, with the World Health Organisation projecting depression to be the leading cause of mental illness by 2030. Despite several studies on the subject, little has been done to contextualise the condition in Africa, coupled with the fact that there is still much to be understood on the subject. This review attempts to shed more light on the prevalence of depression in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), its pathophysiology, risk factors, diagnosis and the experimental models available to study depression within the sub-region. It also evaluates the contribution of the sub-region to the global research output of depression as well as bottlenecks associated with full exploitation of the sub region's resources to manage the disorder.