Traditional medicinal plants used for treating emerging and re-emerging viral diseases in northern Nigeria.

Introduction: For decades, viral diseases have been treated using medicinal plants and herbal practices in the northern part of Nigeria. Though scarcely investigated, these medicinal plants could serve as potential sources for novel antiviral drugs against emerging and remerging viral diseases. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating the medicinal practices and plants used to treat emerging and re-emerging viral diseases including hepatitis, poliomyelitis, monkeypox, smallpox, yellow fever, Lassa fever, meningitis, and COVID-19 in some northern states; Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara and Sokoto states. Method: Administered questionnaires and oral interviews were used to collect information on medicinal plants, method of preparation of herbal formulations, diagnosis, and treatment of viral diseases. Medicinal plants were collected, botanically identified, and assigned voucher numbers. The plant names were verified using www.theplantlist.org, www.worldfloraonline.org and the international plant names index. Result: A total of 280 participating herbal medicine practitioners (HMPs) mentioned 131 plants belonging to 65 families. Plant parts such as roots, bark, leaf, seed, and fruit were prepared as a decoction, concoction, infusion, or ointment for oral and topical treatment of viral diseases. Moringa oleifera (75.3%), Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (80%), and Acacia nilotica (70%) were the most frequently mentioned plants in Kebbi, Kwara and Sokoto states, respectively. Conclusion: The study revealed scarcely investigated and uninvestigated medicinal plants used to treat hepatitis, poliomyelitis, monkeypox, smallpox, yellow fever, Lassa fever, meningitis, and COVID-19. Future studies should be conducted to determine the antiviral potency and isolate novel bioactive agents from these plants against viral diseases.

Osteomorphometry of the bones of the thigh, crus and foot in the New Zealand white rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

The morphology and morphometry of the bones of the thigh, crus and foot of ten adult New Zealand white rabbits were investigated to outline the peculiarities of the species and attempt to establish a morpho-functional paradigm. The femur, tibia-fibular, tarsus, metatarsals and digits of the right and left limbs were extracted and properly macerated. Gross observations of the femur revealed the presence of three trochanters. The greater trochanter was considerably higher than the head of the femur. The femoral head possessed a fovea capitis. The distal part of the femur had prominent condylus lateralis, condylus medialis, epicondylus lateralis and epicondylus medialis. The femur had an average length of 8.230 cm (SD +/- 0.086). The proximal aspect of the tibia possessed a prominent tuberosity and two condyles. Distal fusion of the tibia and fibula was observed since about half of the total tibia length. The distal articular surface of the tibia was about twice as wide medio-laterally than dorso-ventrally and deeply excavated to accommodate the relief of the talus trochlea. The right and left tibia length measured 9.100 cm (+/- 0.119) and 9.080 cm (+/- 0.120), respectively. Six distinct tarsal bones were observed. The foot was complete with four digits. The relative lengths of the metatarsal bones were III > II > IV > I. Various other parameters were measured. Bilateral asymmetry was observed in all the considered parameters.