Photophysical techniques were employed as a tool to determine the binding interaction of an Intramolecular Charge Transfer (ICT) based dye 4- Dicyanomethylene-2,6-dimethyl-4H-pyran (DDP) with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) in water. Addition of BSA to DDP dye results no significant change in the ICT absorption maximum but a well-marked enhancement in the fluorescence quantum yield of the dye. The enhancement on the addition of BSA shows that the excited state characteristics of dye are influenced by the protein that comprises several hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acid moieties. Fluorescence lifetime decay characteristics of DDP dye with BSA exhibits a tri-exponential decay with a large variation in the fluorescence lifetime and relative amplitude distribution. The dye is situated predominantly in the hydrophobic interior rather in the aqueous phase is established from time resolved fluorescence lifetime studies. The coexistence of three different fluorescence lifetime components of dye in the presence of BSA signifies the existence of dye in a heterogeneous micro environment with varying proportion. The existence of multi environment is authenticated by electrochemical impedance spectral studies (EIS). BSA markedly influences the redox potential properties of dye which reveals that the presence of charged species (zwitter ionic structure of amino acids), polar and non-polar moieties governs the electrochemical nature of DDP dye.

Antioxidants have been found to terminate the attack of reactive oxygen species which have been implicated in the pathophysiology of many diseases. This study is reporting the antioxidant activity and the preliminary phytochemistry of the ethanol extract from the stem of Anchomanes difformis. The ethanol extract (ADES) was obtained by cold maceration and partitioned into: n-hexane (ADHS), dichloromethane (ADDS) and aqueous (ADAS) fractions. Free radical scavenging activity was done using the standard diphenylpicrylhydrazine (DPPH) spectrophotometric method with ascorbic acid as the standard for comparison. Phytochemical screening was done using standard phytochemical screening reagents. Chromatography (Column and thin layer) techniques was used for the separation of antioxidant compounds from the bioactive fractions with antioxidant activity identified after spraying the developed thin layer chromatography plates with DPPH. Infra-red (IR) spectroscopy was used for functional group characterization of the isolated antioxidant compounds. The significant {p<0.05) trend in free radical scavenging activity (IC50 mg/ml) was: ADHS (>10.0) ˂ ADES (> 10.0) ˂ ADAS (4.0) ˂ ADDS (1.8) ˂ ascorbic acid (<0.3125). Saponins, sugar derivatives and triterpenoids were present as class of phytochemicals with alkaloids, anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides and phenolics absent. From IR spectroscopy analysis, antioxidant component coded ADD1 isolated from the ADDS fraction was partially characterized to be an aromatic (but not phenolic) compound having either a hydroxylated aliphatic or glycosylated side chain while the antioxidant component ADA1 isolated from the ADAS fraction was partially characterized to be a glycoside derivative with a saturated ketone aglycone moiety. The ADES was relatively safe (LD50>5000 mg/kgbw). This result is suggestive that the ADDS and ADAS fractions are containing constituents that could act as good free radical scavengers and probably have the ability to inhibit the progression of tissue damage due to oxidative stress.

Despite the challenge, some complex surgical interventions will require a general anaesthesia which must be of rapid onset and recovery qualities to minimize the risks. Propofol, a phenolic compound meets the requirement of general anaesthetic agent in ruminants with its rapid onset and recovery properties and minimal effect on the vital and haematological parameters. Propofol has been used without adverse effects on cardiopulmonary and haematological parameters in pregnant goats. Like in other breeds of goat studied, we therefore hypothesized that propofol has no adverse effects or cardiopulmonary system and haematologic parameters and is safe for pregnant Red Sokoto goats. Five (5) healthy pregnant Red Sokoto does (19±0.6kg) were acquired for the purpose of this study and stage of pregnancy was ascertained with the aid B-mode real time transcutaneous ultrasonography. After 14 days of acclimatization, propofol anaesthesia was induced at 4 mg kg-1 and maintained at 0.4 mgkg-1min-1 continuous infusion rate for 60 minutes. Vital parameters were taken using the standard procedures and blood samples were collected through a pre-placed intravenous catheter at pre-induction period (0 minute) to serve as the baseline and at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 120 minutes during anaesthesia. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference (P>0.05) for all the parameters measure except the respiratory rate, MCV and MCH that increased significantly (P<0.05) at the 120 minute period of observation. We therefore concluded that propofol is safe for anaesthesia in pregnant RSG with minimal to no effect on vital and haematological parameters.