Nutritional Qualities of Three Medicinal Plant Parts (Xylopia aethiopica, Blighia sapida and Parinari polyandra) commonly used by Pregnant Women in the Western Part of Nigeria

The nutritional potentials of three medicinal plant parts used by pregnant women in the western part of Nigeria Parinari polyandra, Blighia sapida and Xylopia aethiopica were evaluated through their proximate compositions as well as percentage mineral elements composition. Blighia sapida was high in crude fibre (44.09±2.20%) compared with Parinari polyandra and Xylopia aethiopica that were 4.21±1.10% and 12.14±0.70% respectively. Moisture contents of Xylopia aethiopica and Blighia sapida were 16.04±1.25% and 10.17±2.60% respectively while that of Parinari polyandra was 30.65±5.02%. The total ash contents of Parinari polyandra, Blighia sapida and Xylopia aethiopica were 2.53±1.20%, 3.66±1.20% and 4.37±0.85% respectively. The total fat of Xylopia aethiopica, Blighia sapida and Parinari polyandra were 9.55±2.10%, 1.25±0.20% and 0.53±0.15% respectively while the total protein of Blighia sapida, Xylopia aethiopica and Parinari polyandra were 2.1±0.25%, 2.1±0.20% and 7.09±0.20% respectively. The total carbohydrate of Xylopia aethiopica was 55.80±4.26%, that of Parinari polyandra was 54.27±3.20% and that of Blighia sapida was 39.45±2.20%. Xylopia aethiopica can be a good source of magnesium (2.236±0.095), phosphorus (0.620±0.04) and potassium (0.510±0.04) as the amount of these mineral elements were higher than that of the other plant parts with the exception of Parinari polyandra having 0.690±0.11% phosphorus. Blighia sapida is also a good source of phosphorus (0.400±0.20), magnesium (0.430±0.20) and calcium (0.348±0.15). Other mineral elements detected in reasonable amounts were calcium, zinc and sodium. Further tests revealed that heavy metals such as lead, chromium and cadmium were not detected. The results of this research indicated that the three plants parts have nutritional qualities that could provide the users with additional nutrients

Debt-output gap nexus in Nigeria: Does inflationary pressure matter?

Abstract. The study examined the impact of external debt on economic growth in Nigeria using Extended Hausman Rodrick Valesco growth diagnostic framework and Three Gap Model. Annual time series data sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin between 1981-2018 was regressed using the Augmented Dickey Fuller test (ADF) to check the stationary properties of the series, and the Engel-Granger Co-integration test to estimate the long-run relationship of the variables. The results show that external debt had negative impact on the Nigerian economy.Keywords. External debt, Economic growth, Economic development, Johansen Cointegration, Time series models, Nigeria.JEL. F34, F43, F63, C01

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometric (GC-MS) Analysis of Ethanolic Extract of the Peel of Dioscorea bulbifera Linn (Air Potatoe)

The bioactive chemical compounds in the ethanolic extracts of the peel of Dioscorea bulbifera Linn, native to Nigeria was investigated and characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis. The relatively high concentration of the phytochemicals in the peel of this tuber; saponin (32.28mg/g), terpenoid (22.90mg/g), cardiac glycoside (15.90mg/g), flavonoid (9.17mg/g), tannin (4.79mg/g) and phlobatannin (1.87mg/g), was the most attractive factors that triggered the present study. The GC-MS analysis of the ethanolic extract of the peel of D. bulbifera shows 4 prominent peaks as R-(-)-1,2-Propanediol (C3H8O2) with retention time of 6.103min and the highest peak area of 86.05%; 1-Methylhexylhydroperoxide (C7H16O2) with retention time of 42.567min and peak area of 5.57%; Cis-3-hexenyllactate (C9H16O3) with retention time of 45.395min and peak area of 5.01%; and Pyrrole (C4H5N) showed peak of 3.37% with retention time of 45.508min. Other less prominent peaks at other retention times included; 2-Nitro-Dimethylnitromethane (C3H7NO2) with retention time of 37.355min, Ethylenimine (C2H5N) with retention time of 42.665min, N-Formyl-N-Methyl-formamide (C3H5NO2) with retention time of 44.225min, and Guanidine (CH5N3) with retention 44.225min. This work which is the first-time report on the bioactive compounds in the organic crude extracts of Dioscorea bulbifera native to Nigeria, using the GC-MS, has however established the presence of quite number of chemical compounds in the peel of the tuber, to which their pharmacological activities could be attributed. The presence of these secondary metabolites in the peel of Dioscorea bulbifera, is hence, the major contributing factors behind its antimicrobial potential. Keywords: GC-MS, Dioscorea bulbifera, antimicrobial properties, bioactive compounds, ethanolic extrac

Incidence of Lipolytic Mycoflora in Domestic Wastewater

The decomposition of domestic effluent by mycoflora was investigated. The microbial load enumerated for the period of 13 days, using standard microbiological techniques revealed the average total bacterial count between the range of 1.97 x 106 CFU/ml and 1.25 x 107 CFU/ml, the total coliform count have a mean range between 1.29 x 106 CFU/ml and 0.56 x 107 CFU/ml while the total fungal count showed a mean range of 3.17 x 106 CFU/ml to 2.14 x 107 CFU/ml. One hundred and twenty fungal isolates were obtained from the wastewater with the highest occurred organism as Fusarium moniliforme (19.2% occurrence), followed by Fusarium oxysporium (14.2%) and the least occurred organism Aspergillus versiculor (0.8%). The acidic pH and turbidity values obtained ranged from 3.41 - 5.98 and 1.63 - 1.79 respectively. Only 39 (32.5%) of the fungi isolates showed ability to degrade lipids with varying potentials; of which four (10.3%) were grouped among high and slight lipolysis. Among the lipolytic fungal isolates, Aspergillus spp. showed the highest occurrence of 79.5%, followed by 5.1% occurrence of Penicillium spp., Fusarium spp. and Rhizopus spp. while Absidia spp. and Thermophillus spp. showed the laeast occurrence (2.6%). It is significant that fungi associated with oil-rich wastewater also attribute the potentials of degrading the lipid component of sewages, an advantage in the treatment process. Keywords: Mycoflora, oil-rich wastewater, lipolytic, fung

SCREENING FOR ANTIMICROBIAL, PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIOXIDANT PROFILE OF SOME WILD FRUITS AND SEEDS IN CANAANLAND, OTA, NIGERIA

The spread of antimicrobial resistance among pathogenic microorganisms has rendered most conventional drugs redundant. New sources of antimicrobial agents are being harnessed to develop novel drugs. The antibacterial activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of twenty fruits and seeds were evaluated against some multi-drug resistant clinical isolates Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhii, Pseudomonas aeruginiosa and Escherichia coli. Standard methods of antimicrobial and phytochemical assays, DPPH and nitric oxide radical scavenging, total antioxidant capacity and reducing power assays were employed. Broad spectrum antibacterial activity was shown by extracts of six out of the twenty plants: Caryota mitis, Cassia javanica, Syzygium samarangense, Veitchia merrilli, Bauhinia tomentosa and Cassia fistula with inhibition zones ranging from 20:t0.8 to 25:t0.1 mm. The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of the extracts were between 7.8 to 31.2 mg/ml and 15.6 and 62.5 mg/ml respectively. Phytochemicals present includes saponins, alkaloids, terpenoids, glycosides and high phenol and flavonoid contents in the range of 71.19 - 50.20mg/100g and 47.14 - 34.42mg/100g respectively. The extracts had considerably high antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 41.121-lg/ml in B. tomentosa and 36.57!-lg/ml in C. fistula. C. mitis had a total antioxidant capacity of 34.89 mg/100g. High phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts significantly correlated with high antioxidant capacity. The presence of antimicrobial and antioxidant properties in these wild fruits and seeds opens up a new perspective in biotherapy as they could be harnessed as alternative drugs for treatment of microbial infections and management of disease

Factors that affect the uptake of community-based health insurance in low-income and middle-income countries : a systematic protocol

Many people residing in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are regularly exposed to catastrophic healthcare expenditure. It is therefore pertinent that LMICs should finance their health systems in ways that ensure that their citizens can use needed healthcare services and are protected from potential impoverishment arising from having to pay for services. Ways of financing health systems include government funding, health insurance schemes and out-of-pocket payment. A health insurance scheme refers to pooling of prepaid funds in a way that allows for risks to be shared. The health insurance scheme particularly suitable for the rural poor and the informal sector in LMICs is community-based health insurance (CBHI), that is, insurance schemes operated by organisations other than governments or private for-profit companies. We plan to search for and summarise currently available evidence on factors associated with the uptake of CBHI, as we are not aware of previous systematic reviews that have looked at this important topic

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT, ITS ADAPTATION MEASURES ON FISHERMEN LIVELIHOOD STATUS IN COASTAL AREA OF SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Climate change effect and adaptation measure on the livelihood deeds of artisanal Fishermen was carried out within the coastal areas of Southwest Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 263 fishermen from Lagos, Ogun and Ondo States. Information obtained was with the use of structured interviewed schedule and subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance. Findings shows that majority (65.4%) of the Fishermen were between 45-64 years of age, 77.9% married, 67.7% had above 11 years of fishing experience across the Coastal area of Southwest, Nigeria. Also, 22.4% of Fishermen in the coastal area have access to extension services while 22.4% of them only had access to extension services. Major livelihood activities were fishing gathering (95.1%), fish processing (91.6%) and fish marketing (81.7%) in the selected area. the main effect of climate change on the fishermen activities were flooding (x̄= 2.43), while increased waves were (x̄ = 2.24), ocean surge (x̄ =2.23), rainfall intensity (x̄ = 2.07) and high temperature (x̄ = 2.06) respectively across the selected states respectively. Majority of the artisanal Fisherfolk utilized different adaptation measures/practices towards climate change. There were significant relationship (p < 0.05) between the respondent sex (c2 = 19.342, df = 1), educational level (c2 = 11.242, df = 4), ethnicity (c2 = 10.523) and climate change effect on livelihood deeds of artisanal Fishermen across selected states. Correlation result also reveals significant relationship (p < 0.05) between age (r = 0.872), household size (r = 0.653), years of fishing experience (r = 0.815) and the climate change effect on livelihood activities of artisanal Fishermen across selected States, Results also showed that there is significant difference in the effect of climate change on livelihood of artisanal Fishermen (F = 16.325; P = 0.001) across the selected states. The study realized that Artisanal Fishermen sampled experienced high effect of climate change in term of flooding, increased waves, ocean surges, rainfall intensity and high temperature across the selected States sampled. The study recommended that Artisanal Fishermen should be participating in policy and strategy formulation in mitigate climate change impacts on their fishing and livelihood activities so as to reduce the vulnerability of the effects caused by climate change in the coastal areas. Keywords: Artisanal, Climate change, Coastal communities, Fishermen, Livelihood activities, Southwest. DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/14-12-07 Publication date:September 30th 2023

INVITRO ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF Carica papaya AND Azadirachta indica LEAF AND STEM BARK EXTRACTS ON SELECTED CLINICAL ISOLATES

The search for alternative sources of antibiotic is a global challenge due to the increase in the emergence of resistant strams. Plants have been in use in traditional medicine before the era of chemotherapeutics and about 80% of the global population still uses them . . Azadirachta indica (neem) and Carica papaya are trees that have been found to possess antibacterial, antifungal, antiinflammatory, anti-tumour properties and also used as a pest icide. In this work, antibacterial, phytochemical and antioxidant potentials of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Carica papaya and Azadirachta indica leaf and stem bark was determined using antimicrobial sensitivity assay, minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum lethal concentration, Ferric reducing antioxidant power assay and Total antioxidant activity of extracts as indices. The test organisms were Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus au reus. Azadirachta indica leaf water extract and Azadirachta indica stem bark ethanol extract showed a clear zone of inhibition ranging from 10±0mm to 15.5±0.71mm and 10±0mm to 15.5±2.12mm respectively against all four test isolates, while others extracts had clear zones of inhibition against at least three test isolates with inhibition zones ranging from 10.5±0. 71mm to 15±1.41mm. Ethanolic extract of Carica papaya leaf was active against Bacillus subtilis alone (11.5±0.71mm).Some combined extracts expressed activity against all four isolate, while the highest individual extract inhibition zone was 15.5±2.12mm, combined extract was 18.5±0. 71mm against Salmonella typhimurium. All extracts had antioxidant activity and some of the phytochemicals present in the extracts include saponins, flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanin, betacyanin, quinones, cardiac glycoside, terpenoids, and phenols. However further research is still needed to identify the active phytochemica/s and their concentrations in the extract