International Journal of Biochemistry Research & Review

Foxtail Millet (Seteria italica L.) A Climate-Resilient Functional Food for Nutritional Security and Health Promotion

Tauheed Ali — 2026-05-30

Foxtail millet is increasingly gaining global attention as a climate-smart and nutritionally superior cereal crop with substantial potential to contribute toward sustainable agriculture, food security, and human health. In the context of rapid climate change, declining agricultural resources, and the rising prevalence of lifestyle-related disorders, foxtail millet offers a promising alternative to major staple cereals due to its exceptional adaptability and rich nutritional profile. This review critically examines the agronomic importance, nutritional composition, functional attributes, therapeutic potential, and future prospects of foxtail millet in modern food systems. Foxtail millet demonstrates remarkable tolerance to drought, heat stress, and low soil fertility, while requiring minimal agricultural inputs, making it highly suitable for cultivation in arid, semi-arid, and climate-vulnerable regions. The crop is recognized for its sustainability, resilience, and ability to support agricultural productivity under adverse environmental conditions. Nutritionally, foxtail millet is an excellent source of dietary fiber, quality proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidants. These compounds impart significant functional and health-promoting properties, positioning foxtail millet as an important component of functional foods and nutraceutical formulations. The low glycemic index and gluten-free nature of foxtail millet make it particularly beneficial in the prevention and management of metabolic and chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, obesity, cardiovascular disorders, and gastrointestinal complications. Scientific evidence further highlights its role in improving lipid metabolism, enhancing gut microbiota, reducing oxidative stress, and promoting overall metabolic health. In addition, advancements in food processing technologies, biofortification approaches, and molecular breeding strategies have opened new avenues for enhancing the yield, nutritional quality, consumer acceptability, and stress tolerance of foxtail millet. Despite its immense potential, the large-scale utilization of foxtail millet remains constrained by limited consumer awareness, insufficient value chain development, poor market integration, and inadequate policy support. Therefore, strategic efforts involving research institutions, governmental agencies, food industries, and farming communities are essential to promote its cultivation, processing, and commercialization. In conclusion, foxtail millet represents a highly promising climate-resilient crop with multifaceted benefits for sustainable agriculture, nutritional security, and public health. Its integration into future food systems could play a vital role in addressing global challenges associated with climate change, malnutrition, and non-communicable diseases. Continued research, technological innovation, and policy-driven interventions will be crucial for unlocking the full potential of this ancient yet future-ready cereal crop.

Assessment of Prostate Specific Antigen and Some Inflammatory Markers in Male Military Cigarette Smokers and Alcohol Users Attending Military Hospital Abuja, Nigeria

Nwabotu, Chike D. — 2026-04-30

Background: Prostate surrounds the urethra, the tube responsible for conveying urine out of the body, and produces a thick, whitish fluid that combines with sperm to form semen in male. Despite extensive global research on prostate disorders, there remains a significant gap in understanding how lifestyle factors such as cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption influence prostate health, particularly in specific populations.

Aim: The study aims to assess the levels of prostate specific antigen and some inflammatory markers in male military cigarette smokers and alcohol users attending Military Hospital Abuja, Nigeria.

Study design, Place and Duration of Study: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Army Command and Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) Hospital, Asokoro, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria, between February and September 2024.

Methodology: This study randomly recruited 160 male military personnel aged between 25 to 64 years, who were cigarette smokers, alcohol consumers, individuals who both smoked and consumed alcohol, and non-exposed controls, with exposure status determined based on self-reported history of cigarette use and alcohol intake. Blood samples were collected by venipuncture and used for analysis. Serum tPSA, fPSA, CRP, and IL-6 levels were estimated quantitatively using immunofluorescence immunochromatographic methods, while serum GGT levels were estimated using colorimetric method. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 25. and results were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.

Results: Results obtained from this study revealed significant increases in tPSA and GGT, levels among smokers when compared with non-smokers. Among alcohol users, tPSA, GGT, IL-6, were significantly elevated. In the group that both smoked and consumed alcohol, tPSA, free PSA levels were significantly elevated. Analysis based on age revealed that among smokers, tPSA level varied significantly with age, while among alcohol users, only tPSA showed significant age-related variation. Cigarette smokers with 21–40 years of exposure had significantly higher tPSA levels compared to those with 0–20 years of use; among alcohol users, both tPSA and GGT varied significantly with duration.

Conclusion: These findings emphasize the potential health risks of smoking and alcohol use on prostate and systemic health in a vulnerable, physically active population.

Effect of Encapsulated Noni Fruit Extract and Trace Elements (Zinc and Copper) on Carcass Traits and Meat Quality in Broilers

Mulyono Mulyono — 2026-04-30

Background: Broiler chickens are important for protein production, and using encapsulated phytobiotics like noni fruit with zinc and copper improves gut health, nutrient absorption, and lipid metabolism while addressing consumer demand for healthier meat.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of dietary encapsulated noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) extract with zinc and copper (EENZnCu) on broiler carcass weight and meat chemical quality.

Study Design: The experiment utilized a completely randomized design (CRD) with four treatments and five replicates per treatment, each replicate consisting of ten birds.

Place and Duration of Study: The in-vivo experiment and laboratory analyses were conducted at the Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia, from August 9 to September 14, 2024.

Methodology: We assigned 200 day-old Ross broiler chicks to four dietary groups: a control group receiving only the basal diet (T0) and three treatment groups receiving the basal diet supplemented with 0.06, 0.12, and 0.18% EENZnCu (T1, T2, and T3, respectively). Birds were reared for 35 days. At the conclusion of the experiment, carcass weight was recorded, and meat samples were analyzed for crude protein (Kjeldahl method), crude fat (Soxhlet extraction), and cholesterol (CHOD-PAP method). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan's Multiple Range Test.

Results: EENZnCu supplementation had a significant effect (P < 0.01) on all measured parameters. Post hoc comparisons indicated that the T3 treatment (0.18% EENZnCu) resulted in higher carcass weight (1,444.0 g) and meat crude protein content (19.84%) than the control group (1,288.6 g, 18.01%), respectively. This treatment also reduced crude fat in meat (4.10%) and cholesterol (66.04 mg/100 g) relative to control values of 6.54% and 139.12 mg/100 g, respectively. These results indicate measurable effects of EENZnCu supplementation on carcass and meat quality traits.

Conclusion: Dietary supplementation with 0.18% EENZnCu was identified as the most effective level for improving carcass yield and meat quality, including increased protein, reduced fat, and lower cholesterol content.

Anti-amnesic and Antioxidant Potentials of Bombax costatum for Mental Illness Treatment: A Traditional Medicinal Plant from Burkina Faso

Arthur Armand Arnaud Daboné — 2026-05-07

Aims: To evaluate anti-amnesic efficacy of Bombax costatum Pellegr. & Vuillet stem bark hydroethanolic extract. This plant is a traditional medicinal plant utilized in central-eastern of Burkina Faso for neurological and mental disorders such as insomnia, hallucinations, dementia, and behavioral issues. Memory disorders, including amnesia and dementia, represent a major global health challenge, affecting over 55 million people worldwide with nearly 10 million new cases annually; in low- and middle-income countries like Burkina Faso, hey contribute significantly to disability and economic burden.

Study Design: Experimental study involving in vivo behavioral assessment in mice and in vitro biochemical assays.

Place and Duration of Study: Laboratoire de Biochimie et Chimie Appliquées (LABIOCA) and related laboratories at Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The study was conducted according to ethics committee guidelines (CE-UJKZ/2026-02).

Method: We collected the stem bark of Bombax costatum, checked it, dried it, and then extracted it with 80% hydroethanol (50 g of powder in 400 mL of solvent, shaken for 48 hours). Female NMRI mice (n=6 per group) were given the extract by mouth at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight once a day for seven days. On the seventh day, scopolamine (0.7 mg/kg) was administered to induce amnesia. The Y-maze spontaneous alternation test was used to measure short-term spatial working memory. A modified Ellman method was used to test the inhibitory function of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in brain homogenates. We tested the antioxidant's effectiveness using Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and DPPH free radical scavenging (IC₅₀ determination). We did a phytochemical analysis of triterpenoids using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) using Liebermann-Burchard reagents. The Bradford assay told us how much total protein there was.

Results: The hydroethanolic extract (100 mg/kg) produced a slight, non-significant (p > 0.05) increase in spontaneous alternation percentage in the Y-maze test compared to scopolamine-treated controls (n=6/group), indicating modest improvement in short-term memory. It inhibited AChE activity by 23.7% and reduced thiocholine production by 18–24%. Antioxidant activity was strong: FRAP value of 59.84 ± 0.90 µmol ascorbic acid equivalent/100 mg extract; DPPH IC₅₀ of 0.071 µg/mL (comparable to quercetin at 0.066 µg/mL). TLC revealed the presence of the triterpenoid lupeol.

Conclusion: The hydroethanolic extract of Bombax costatum bark shows moderate acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and strong antioxidant properties, justifying its use in traditional medicine for neurological disorders. The flavonoid- and lupeol-mediated effects suggest the potential of a naturally derived neuroprotective agent. Additional studies, including dose-response curves, the isolation of active compounds, and long-term models, are required to progress therapeutic development and encourage the sustainable conservation of this species in the Sudanese savanna.

Association of Serum Vitamin D with Glycemic Control and Lipid Profile among Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Adults in Tertiary Care Hospitals of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Yasin Arafat — 2026-05-20

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been increasingly associated with impaired glucose metabolism and metabolic abnormalities among patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. However, comparative data regarding serum vitamin D levels among diabetic and non-diabetic adults in Dhaka remain limited.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association of serum vitamin D levels with glycemic control and lipid profile among diabetic and non-diabetic adults attending tertiary care hospitals in Dhaka city.

Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2025 to December 2025 among 200 adult participants, including 100 diabetic and 100 non-diabetic individuals attending tertiary care hospitals in Dhaka city. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Venous blood samples were collected following overnight fasting for estimation of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], fasting blood glucose (FBG), HbA1c, and lipid profile parameters using standard laboratory procedures. Statistical analyses were performed using appropriate statistical software, and p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: The mean serum vitamin D level was significantly lower among diabetic participants compared to non-diabetic controls (18.7 ± 6.5 ng/mL vs. 29.8 ± 8.3 ng/mL; p<0.001). Vitamin D deficiency was observed in 64% of diabetic participants and 22% of non-diabetic participants. Significant negative correlations were identified between serum vitamin D levels and fasting blood glucose (r = −0.482, p<0.001), HbA1c (r = −0.527, p<0.001), triglycerides (r = −0.446, p<0.001), LDL-C (r = −0.401, p=0.001), and BMI (r = −0.298, p=0.011). A positive correlation was observed between vitamin D and HDL-C levels (r = 0.314, p=0.007). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified diabetes mellitus, elevated HbA1c, increased BMI, and reduced HDL-C as significant predictors of vitamin D deficiency.

Conclusion: Serum vitamin D levels were significantly lower among diabetic adults and were associated with poor glycemic control and adverse lipid profile parameters. Routine monitoring of vitamin D status may be beneficial among diabetic patients for improved metabolic management.

In silico Analysis of RpoB Sequence Variations and Rifampicin Binding Interactions in Mycobacterial Strains

Sundar Annadurai — 2026-05-27

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health challenge, particularly due to the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. The present study investigated sequence variation and molecular interactions of the rifampicin drug target, RNA polymerase beta subunit (RpoB), using in silico approaches. Ten RpoB protein sequences from different Mycobacterial strains showing 98–100% similarity were retrieved and analysed through multiple sequence alignment using Clustal Omega. Sequence analysis revealed conserved regions along with amino acid gaps, substitutions and truncations, particularly within functionally important regions associated with rifampicin resistance. Three-dimensional structures of all proteins were generated using SWISS-MODEL and validated by Ramachandran plot analysis, which confirmed approximately 98% residues within favoured and allowed regions indicating good stereochemical quality of the modelled structures. Rifampicin ligand preparation and molecular docking were performed using Discovery Studio 2020 with the LibDock algorithm. Docking analysis identified 39–41 active binding sites across the proteins, with binding sites 3, 5 and 6 consistently demonstrating strong molecular interactions. The highest LibDock score (137.73) was recorded for WP_003900992.1, while WP_202581977.1 showed a notable score of 120.06. Key interacting residues included arginine, glutamate, lysine, and aspartate residues, ranging from 4 to 13 residues depending on the binding site and target protein, and were involved in hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions with rifampicin. The study demonstrated that sequence-level variations in RpoB can alter protein conformation, binding pocket architecture and rifampicin-binding affinity, thereby contributing to drug resistance. Overall, the integrated in silico workflow proved effective for understanding resistance-associated structural and functional changes in Mycobacterium drug targets.

Investigation of the Chemical Variability of Essential Oils from Zingiber officinale Cultivars Using Integrated GC–MS and ¹³C NMR Analytical Approaches

Doukourou Côme Ruffin Djedje — 2026-05-28

Background and Aims: Zingiber officinale is grown in various regions of Côte d’Ivoire in two varieties (yellow and white). This study aims to identify the chemical markers that distinguish the essential oils of the cultivars of this aromatic plant.

Study Design: The objective was to assess the chemical variability of Zingiber officinale cultivars according to their growing region in Côte d'Ivoire.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Natural Products, University Nangui ABROGOUA (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire) between 2021 and 2022.

Methodology: Chemical analysis was performed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) on samples of essential oil extracted from the yellow and white rhizomes of Z. officinale via Clevenger hydrodistillation.

Results: The yields obtained ranged from 0.1512 to 0.1824% for the white cultivar and from 0.1452 to 0.1908% for the yellow cultivar. A total of 74 volatile compounds were identified in each sample, accounting for more than 97% of the constituents of these essential oils. The essential oils consist mainly of monoterpenes (77.26–83.68% for the white cultivar and 79.27–79.58% for the yellow cultivar), dominated by 1,8-cineole, camphene, geranial, and neral. Sesquiterpenes constitute the second largest class of compounds (11.69–17.76% and 14.43–15.39%, respectively), followed by small proportions of aliphatic compounds (~2%) and diterpenes, notably geranyl linalool (<1%).

Conclusion: These results highlight a qualitative homogeneity in the chemical composition of the ginger essential oils studied, despite quantitative variations related to geographic origin and cultivar.

Consumption of Citrus sinensis Albedo Supplemented Edikang Ikong and Garri Modulates Diabetic-induced Body Weight and Serum Glucose, Insulin and Lipid Perturbations in STZ-induced Diabetic Wistar Rat Model

Mojisola T. Babalola — 2026-05-30

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with Citrus sinensis albedo on the biochemical parameters of diabetic Wistar rats to assess its viability in diet planning for diabetes. Fifty-six Wistar rats (165 + 5g) were randomly assigned to nine groups. Group 1 served as the normal control. Groups 2 through 9 were induced with diabetes using Streptozotocin. Group 2 was the diabetic control, while Group 3 received Metformin treatment. The remaining diabetic groups were pair-fed three different base diets- bread, Fried rice, Garri and Edikang ikong soup either supplemented or unsupplemented with Citrus sinensis albedo. Over a 28-day period, rats received 25g and water ad libitum. Fasting blood glucose and body weights were monitored weekly. After 28 days, rats were sacrificed; whole blood and serum were collected for biochemical analysis using standard methods and statistically analysed. Results indicated that supplementing the diet with Citrus sinensis albedo significantly lowered fasting blood glucose, improved body weight gain, enhanced insulin secretion, and provided better glycemic control. Furthermore, the supplementation rectified dyslipidemia by decreasing total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and LDL cholesterol, while elevating HDL cholesterol. The albedo prevented the overweight condition in type 1 diabetic rats while increasing insulin secretion. Vulnerable organs were protected by the supplemented diet’s ability to favourably modulate liver and kidney function markers. Notably, these positive outcomes were consistent regardless of diet type, indicating the versatility of Citrus sinensis albedo as a functional additive in diverse food matrices. In conclusion, Citrus Sinensis albedo is a rich source of dietary fibre that offers significant therapeutic potential in managing diabetes. Its inclusion represents a cost-effective, natural dietary intervention that is highly beneficial for diabetic diet planning.

Scrotal Dermatitis and Its Potential Implications on Male Reproductive Function: A Case Report of Demodicosis with Secondary Bacterial Infection in a Dog

Diksha Upreti — 2026-05-15

Scrotal dermatitis in dogs is often considered a localised dermatological condition; however, it can have significant implications on male reproductive function due to its effect on testicular thermoregulation. This case report describes a 7.5-year-old intact male dog presented with a history of progressive erythema, alopecia and irritation in the scrotal region, accompanied by pruritus and frequent licking. Clinical examination revealed inflamed, thickened, and edematous scrotal skin, while both testes were normal in size, consistency, and position, ruling out primary testicular pathology. Diagnostic evaluation through deep skin scraping confirmed demodicosis, and cytological examination indicated secondary bacterial pyoderma. Haematological findings revealed leukocytosis, supporting an active inflammatory process. Based on these clinical and laboratory findings, the case was diagnosed as scrotal dermatitis associated with demodicosis and secondary bacterial infection. Therapeutic management—including systemic acaricidals, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, topical therapy, and nutritional support resulted in marked clinical improvement. The case highlights that scrotal dermatitis may impair thermoregulation of the testes and potentially affect spermatogenesis if left untreated. Early diagnosis, prompt therapeutic intervention, and proper management are essential to prevent secondary complications and preserve reproductive function in male dogs.