Low serum ferritin and G6PD deficiency as potential predictors of anaemia in pregnant women visiting Prime Care Hospital Enugu Nigeria.

OBJECTIVES: Though iron deficiency is known to be a major risk factor of anaemia, the association of G6PD deficiency and malaria with anaemia still remains unclear. Hence, a cross-sectional study involving 95 pregnant women visiting Prime Care Hospital in Trans-Ekulu region of Enugu Nigeria was conducted to determine possible predictors of anaemia in pregnancy. RESULTS: The prevalence of anaemia, malaria and G6PD deficiency were 53.7, 12.6 and 60% respectively. Low serum ferritin (OR 5.500, CI 2.25-13.42, p < 0.05) and G6PD deficiency (OR 0.087, CI 0.03-0.23, p < 0.05) were associated with anaemia in pregnancy. On the other hand, malaria did not significantly associate (OR 1.184, CI 0.35-3.97, p = 0.964) with anaemia in pregnant women. These findings showed high prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women with low serum ferritin level and G6PD deficiency as high risk factors of anaemia.

Potential Antioxidant Activity of New Tetracyclic and Pentacyclic Nonlinear Phenothiazine Derivatives.

The global increase in oxidative stress related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, and inflammatory diseases caused by overwhelming level of free radicals in the body has encouraged the search for new antioxidant agents. Based on the ability of newly synthesized phenothiazine derivatives (6-chloro-11-azabenzo[a]phenothiazine-5-one and 6-[4-bromophenyl]-10-methyl-11-azabenzo[a]phenothiazine-5-one) to oxidize H2O2, a known free radical to sulfoxide, this study assessed the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity. The synthesized phenothiazine derivatives exhibited reducing power potential to convert Fe(3+) to Fe(2+) and high ability to scavenge H2O2 free radical in vitro. These activities were comparable to ascorbic acid, a standard antioxidant. The catalase activity significantly increased (p < 0.05) in groups 1 and 2 animals that received the phenothiazine derivatives compared to the controls (groups 3 and 4) suggesting the ability of the phenothiazine derivatives to scavenge H2O2 in vivo. The malondialdehyde level in groups 1 and 2 animals was lower than that in group 3 that received the reference compound (ascorbic acid) and group 4 that received the solvent suggesting the ability of the phenothiazine derivatives to prevent lipid membrane damage. AST and bilirubin levels were higher in group 2 animals which received 6-[4-bromophenyl]-10-methyl-11-azabenzo[a]phenothiazine-5-one compared to group 3, the positive control. The results suggest that phenothiazine derivatives, especially 6-chloro-11-azabenzo[a]phenothiazine-5-one, possess antioxidant activity though 6-[4-bromophenyl]-10-methyl-11-azabenzo[a]phenothiazine-5-one was slightly toxic. This activity may be due to the presence of electron donors such as sulfur as well as the richness of hydrogen in the additional benzene rings for substitution. Further study is needed to identify tolerable doses for possible therapeutic purposes.