Willingness to pay for safety label on sugar and vegetable oil among households in South – Western Nigeria

This study investigates willingness to pay for safety label on sugar and vegetable oil among households in South – Western Nigeria. In all, 390 consumers comprising 180 from Oyo and 210 from Lagos were sampled. Data collected include socio-economic, market and food safety information variables using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and logit regression model were used for data analysis. Most (61.6% and 70.0%) of sugar and vegetable oil consumers are in their active age bracket of 16 and 45 years. Gender wise 55.6% and 56.3% of female consumed sugar and vegetable oil, while the corresponding values for male are 44.4% and 43.7% respectively. Consumer distribution by monthly income showed that 34.4% of sugar consumers earned an average income of N48,500 (±8,445) while 32.5% of vegetable oil consumers earned an average income greater than N95,500 (±10,500). Majority of sugar (52.2%), vegetable oil (51.1%) consumers had primary and tertiary education respectively. The mean household size for sugar and vegetable oil consumers are 4 (±2) and 6 (±3) respectively. Fewer (33.3%) of consumers of sugar and (43.8%) of vegetable oil consumers are aware of food safety information. Consumers have higher (66.3%) level of awareness of Vitamin A in vegetable oil compared to sugar (21.1%). The consumer’s mean WTP for food safety information was N36.41k/kg for sugar and N15.98/litre of vegetable oil. This represented a market premium of 91.3% and 53.3% of the maximum bid for food safety in both sugar and vegetable oil. While increased in age (â = -0.11) reduced WTP for safety information in sugar, higher level of education increased WTP (â 0.4569) at P < 0.01. In the case of vegetable oil being a woman (â = 0.9521), having high income (â = 0.9956) and purchasing from registered shop (â = 0.9452) increased WTP at P < 0.05. Consumers are willing to pay more for food safety information on sugar compared with vegetable oil. However, consumers willingness to pay (WTP) for safety label increased with buying from registered shop and having high income

Incidence of Poverty among Fish Farming Households in Oyo and Osun States of Nigeria

The objective of the study is to analyse poverty among fish farming households based on functioning and capabilities in the study area. The study covered both Oyo and Osun states of Nigeria. Primary data were collected via structured questionnaire. The study employed multistage sampling technique. In all, a total of 280 respondents were used for the study. Information on dimensions of functioning, income and expenditure were derived from the data collected. Data were analysed using input distance function and Foster, Greer and Tobecke (FGT )1984 Poverty measure The study revealed that about 16% of fish farmers were non poor, 14% were moderately poor and 70% were core poor. Fish farmers in the study area did not enjoy moderate levels of standard of living (0.35).Moderate poverty incidence is highest in the households without formal education and lowest in the households with tertiary education. Household heads with age range of 31-40 years had highest moderate poverty incidence while those with age range of 41-50 years had highest core poverty incidence. Household heads that were divorced /separated had highest moderate poverty incidence while those that were married had highest core poverty incidence. Household heads that had no formal education had the highest poverty intensity of 60%. Household head with the age group of 41-50 years had the highest poverty intensity of 43%. Household heads with household size above ten members had the highest poverty intensity of 61%. Household heads that were married had the highest poverty intensity of 98%. Mean values for many constituents of standard of living reveals that the total durable asset dimension scores highest followed by education, housing condition and per capita income dimensions.Key words: Core poor, moderately poor, poverty incidence, poverty intensit

Effect of Garlic Supplemented Diets on the Haematologic and Lipid Profiles of Japanese Quail (Cotunix coturnix japonica)

The increasing demand for quail products is mounting immense pressure on its production in Nigeria. The effect of Allium sativum (garlic) supplements on plasma lipid profile and haematological indices of adult quail (16weeks) was investigated in a randomized controlled experiment. There was significant increase in the platelet and leucocyte counts (P&lt;0.05). The increase in triglyceride and HDL values were also significant (P&lt;0.05). The increase in leucocyte differential was only significant for lymphocyte count and not significant for heterophil, monocyte, eosinophil and basophil counts respectively. The utilization of garlic, balanced and formulated in a suitable dose can decrease mortality rate and increase immunity in locally raised quail.KEYWORDS: Quail, Allium sativum, Garlic, Haematology, Lipid, lmmunostimulan

Effects of Treatment on Haematology and Glucose Levels in Trypanosoma Brucei - Infected Grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus)

Captive reared grasscutters were experimentally challenged with Trypanosome brucei, while the therapeutic effect of two trypanocides were compared based on animals’ clinical, haematologic, glucose level and microscopic assessments. Red blood cell indices of all the rats were determined using standard procedures while blood glucose levels were determined in situ using glucometer. There was a significant difference in the packed cell volume and blood glucose levels, red cell count across groups, before infection, after infection and after treatment. There are no significant changes in the weight of the experimental animals. Histopathology showed liver and kidney vacuolar and tubular epithelial degeneration, respectively, with thrombosis in alveolar blood vessels.Keywords: Grasscutter, Trypanosomosis, Hematology, Glucose, Trypanocides, Efficacy

Clinico-pathological effects of single oral dose of cypermethrin in guinea pigs

The effect of environmental intoxication and one time accidental oral  ingestion of cypermethrin was studied in the guinea pig through exposure to sublethal concentrations of the pesticide. The clinical, haematologic, and biochemical changes were monitored within 72 hours of exposure.  Haemocytometric method was used to evaluate the erythrogram and leucogram changes, and microscopy for histopathology. There were significant increases in the eosinophil count, ALP, creatinine, cholesterol, globulin and albumin and decrease in urea levels and thrombocytopaenia (P&gt;0.05). There were diffuse moderate vascular congestion and mononuclear cellular infiltrates in the interstitium of the lungs, and degeneration in the liver and kidney. Single oral ingestion of cypermethrin altered biochemical parameters commensurate with tissue changes. Cypermethrin exposure and intoxication of animals in the environment may contribute to morbidity and ecotoxicity.Keywords: Cavia, Cypermethrin, Environment, Toxicity, wildlif

The isolation and antibiogram of aerobic nasal bacterial flora of apparently healthy grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus Temminck, 1827)

Grasscutter meat is an important source of animal protein in many West African countries. Despite the obvious potential of the grasscutter towards protein availability, attempts towards domestication have been hampered by diseases of which pneumonic conditions are of extreme importance. This study evaluates the normal nasal microflora of apparently healthy grasscutter with a view of understanding the nasal bacterial flora dynamics in health. Sixteen healthy adult grasscutters were examined for nasal normal microflora using the culture method. The disc diffusion technique was used for the antibiotic sensitivity test. The following microorganisms were identified from the normal flora of the grasscutters, they are; Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus sp, Micrococcus sp, Bacillus cerus , E. coli, Serratia sp, Streptococcus sp, Pasteurella multocida, Streptacoccus, sp., Mannheimia heamolytica, Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp. and Proteus sp. There was no significant sex variation in the populations of the nasal normal microflora. Most of the bacteria were found to be susceptible to cloxacillin, ceftrazone, cefunoxime, ciprofloxacin and gentamycin, while they were resistant to ceflazidime, ampicillin, erythromycin, co-trimazole augmentin and nitrofurentoin. The findings provided the basis for the understanding of normal nasal bacterial flora and the possibility of their involvement in pneumopathies associated with this animal model and it will provided basis for the use of appropriate antibiotics to combat respiratory infections in grasscutter in captivity.Keywords: nasal, microflora, grasscutter, domesticate, pneumopathie

The evaluation of intranasal Lactobacillus fermentum and Mannheimia haemolytica bacterine in the control of Mannheimia haemolytica infection in grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus temminck, 1827)

This study evaluates the effect of recombinant Mannheimia hemolytica bacterine and Lactobacillus fermentum intranasal administration on experimental pneumonic Mannheimiosis in grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus Temminck, 1827). This investigation involved apparently healthy adult grasscutters that were divided into groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H of three (3) grasscutters each with group H serving as the control. Group A (vaccinated twice with bacterin and infected), group B (vaccinated once with bacterin and infected), group C, E (vaccinated, inoculated with Lactobacillus fermentum and infected), group D (inoculated with Lactobacillus fermentum alone), group F (infected), group G (grasscutters infected and later inoculated with Lactobacillus fermentum) and lastly group H (control). The mortality pattern, pathology of the respiratory tract and nasal bacterial load were assessed using standard methods. The result showed that intranasal application of Lactobacillus fermentum and or recombinant Mannheimia haemolytica bacterine reduces the nasal bacterial load, pathology and mortality pattern associated with experimental Mannheimia haemolytica infection in the grasscutter hence they could be useful in the control of respiratory disorders in grasscutters.Keywords: grasscutter, bacterin, experimental, respiratory, infectio