Sialic acid complement of indigenous Nigerian lizards and frogs

The sialic acid complement of some selected organs of indigenous Nigerian Agama agama lizards and frogs, namely, heart, brain, liver, lungs and kidney, was determined using the thiobarbituric acid assay method and it was observed that the mean sialic acid concentration was highest in the kidney of female frogs (9.80?±?1.20 mg/ml) followed by the liver of male frogs (9.0?±?1.0 mg/ml) and least in the liver of female frogs (0.50?±?0.080 mg/ml). Apart from establishing the baseline data on the sialic acid complement of the aforementioned organs in the above-mentioned species, this study also provides good information on the best organs for sialic acid isolation and preparation of sialic acid standard for research. Results from the present study suggest that lower vertebrates offer a more appealing alternative for sialic acid isolation, for the preparation of sialic acid standards, in the place of calves and this advantage should be exploited. It is concluded that the sialic acid complement in the organs of interest investigated in this study should be characterized to document their nomenclature and configuration in indigenous Nigerian A. agama lizards and frogs.