Boosting Non-oil Export Revenue in Nigeria Through Non-traditional Agricultural Export Commodities: How Feasible?

Available data indicated that, some traditional agricultural export commodities like cocoa and rubber have remained on Nigeria’s agricultural export list, while others like groundnut and coffee have almost disappeared from the export list. In the same vein, non-traditional agricultural export commodities like sesame seed and cashew nuts have started featuring prominently on the export list. In line with theory, the econometric analysis carried out confirmed that a major policy change, which can provide a boost for agricultural exports, is the depreciation of the real exchange rate. For all the agricultural export commodities analyzed in the study, the coefficient of the exchange rate was positive and highly significant

First report of Theileria annulata in Nigeria : findings from cattle ticks in Zamfara and Sokoto States

Background: Ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) represent a significant economic burden to cattle farming in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria. However, in the northern part of this country, where the largest livestock population resides, little is known about the contemporary diversity of ticks and TBPs. This area is particularly vulnerable to climate change, undergoing marked transformation of habitat and associated flora and fauna that is also likely to include ticks. This study aimed to document the occurrence of tick species and Apicomplexan TBPs in cattle from north-western Nigeria. Methods: In 2017, ticks were collected from cattle in Zamfara and Sokoto States and identified morphologically. Additionally, a subset of ticks was screened molecularly for the detection of apicomplexan DNA. Results: A total of 494 adult ticks were collected from 80 cattle in Zamfara and 65 cattle in Sokoto State. Nine tick species were encountered, among which the presence of one, Hyalomma turanicum, had not previously been recorded in Nigeria. Hyalomma rufipes was the most prevalent tick infesting cattle in Zamfara State (76%), while Hyalomma dromedarii was the most prevalent in Sokoto State (44%), confirming the widespread transfer of this species from camels onto livestock and its adaptation to cattle in the region. Of 159 ticks screened, 2 out of 54 (3.7%) from Zamfara State and 29 out of 105 (27.6%) from Sokoto State harboured DNA of Theileria annulata, the agent of tropical theileriosis. Conclusions: This study confirms the presence of a broad diversity of tick species in cattle from north-western Nigeria, providing the first locality records for Zamfara State. The occurrence of H. turanicum indicates a distribution of this tick beyond northern Africa. This study provides the first report for T. annulata in Nigerian ticks. Given its enormous burden on livestock farming in north Africa and across Asia, further investigations are needed to better understand its epidemiology, vector transmission and potential clinical significance in cattle from northern Nigeria and neighbouring Sahelian countries

Neuronal hyperactivity disturbs ATP microgradients, impairs microglial motility, and reduces phagocytic receptor expression triggering apoptosis/microglial phagocytosis uncoupling

Phagocytosis is essential to maintain tissue homeostasis in a large number of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, but its role in the diseased brain is poorly explored. Recent findings suggest that in the adult hippocampal neurogenic niche, where the excess of newborn cells undergo apoptosis in physiological conditions, phagocytosis is efficiently executed by surveillant, ramified microglia. To test whether microglia are efficient phagocytes in the diseased brain as well, we confronted them with a series of apoptotic challenges and discovered a generalized response. When challenged with excitotoxicity in vitro (via the glutamate agonist NMDA) or inflammation in vivo (via systemic administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharides or by omega 3 fatty acid deficient diets), microglia resorted to different strategies to boost their phagocytic efficiency and compensate for the increased number of apoptotic cells, thus maintaining phagocytosis and apoptosis tightly coupled. Unexpectedly, this coupling was chronically lost in a mouse model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) as well as in hippocampal tissue resected from individuals with MTLE, a major neurological disorder characterized by seizures, excitotoxicity, and inflammation. Importantly, the loss of phagocytosis/apoptosis coupling correlated with the expression of microglial proinflammatory, epileptogenic cytokines, suggesting its contribution to the pathophysiology of epilepsy. The phagocytic blockade resulted from reduced microglial surveillance and apoptotic cell recognition receptor expression and was not directly mediated by signaling through microglial glutamate receptors. Instead, it was related to the disruption of local ATP microgradients caused by the hyperactivity of the hippocampal network, at least in the acute phase of epilepsy. Finally, the uncoupling led to an accumulation of apoptotic newborn cells in the neurogenic niche that was due not to decreased survival but to delayed cell clearance after seizures. These results demonstrate that the efficiency of microglial phagocytosis critically affects the dynamics of apoptosis and urge to routinely assess the microglial phagocytic efficiency in neurodegenerative disorders

Effect of supplementation of soyabean diet with L-and D,L-methionine on the growth of mudfish Clarias anguillaris (L) fingerlings

Two experiments were carried out to study the effect of dietary supplements of methionine on the growth and food utilization of mudlish Clarias anguillaris. In bot11 studies C. anguillaris fingcrlings {17.20g and 1.02g. initial mean weight respectively) were fed full fat soybean diets supplemented with :raded levels of L-and D. L-methionine and the growth was monitored for 12 and 14 weeks respectively. Growili rate and food utilization were significantly higher (P<0.05) when they were fed soybean diets supplemented with 0.2% L-and D, L-methionine than 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8%. An increase in the level of Land D, L-metllionine beyond 0.2% resulted in a significam reduction in the growth rate of the fish. Growth and food utilizatinn were better in fish fed the casein and fish meal positive control diets tllan me 0.2% supplemented soybean diets. The unsupplernented soybean diets were poorly utilized by the mudfish fingerlings. The size disparity of fingerlings had no effect on the  dietary requirement for the L-and D, L-rnemionine. Since the less expensive D. L-methionine can substitute L-methionine in the diet, the use of D, L-mcthionine in dietary supplemenlS is more cost effective than the use of L-metbioninc

In Vivo and In Vitro Evaluatioon of the Inhibitory Effect of some Medicinal Plant Extracts on Haemozoin Cancentration

The resistance of current drugs against malaria parasite is increasing, thus the need for evaluation of the haemozoin (HZ) concentration in malaria parasite as a novel strategy for malaria control. Haemozoin load in the blood of patients was measured after taking antimalarials or plants extracts. The tested plant extracts were established to reduce HZ concentration in vivo. Haemozoin was extracted from the blood samples of all the malaria positive patients studied by centrifugation and the concentration analyzed spectrophotometrically at 400 nm wavelength. Comparative anti-malaria activity of some conventional drugs: Maldox, Halfan, Artecxin, Amatem, Mefloquine (quinolines) and Malmed, the leaf and stem back extracts of Sarcocephalius latifolius and Alstonia boonei, containing potent pyhytochemicals including tannins, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, was evaluated to establish the most effective agent for haemozoin reduction and subsequently, malaria therapy. Each agent was administered to patients in each malaria episode, and the absorbance of haemozoin produced determined at 4000 nm wavelength. Packed cell volume (PCV) was estimated to establish the proportion of red blood cells before and after haemozoin production, using microhaematocrit reader. All the chemical antimalarial drugs used effected reduction in haemozoin concentration. However, Mefloquine (Quinolines) showed the highest activity with significant difference of 0.01 (p<0.05). The plant extracts similarly exerted significant reduction in the haemozoin concentration. Nevertheless, Alstonia boonei extract was the most effective in haemozoin reduction at 0.00 significant level (p<0.05). Of all the therapeutants (chemical and plant extracts) tested, Alstonia boonei stem back extract most significantly reduced haemozoin production (p<0.05), indicating its potential for use in novel anti-plasmodium and antimalaria drug formulation.Keywords: Haemozoin, Antimalarial agents, Haemoglobin degradation, Plasmodium falciparu