Collection of broodstock and juveniles of Macrobrachium vollenhovenii from the wild

A total of 457 broodstock and 143,000 juveniles of Macrobrachium vollenhovenii were collected at Isheri Olofin area and Okunmanya River over a period of time. They were transported live to the shrimp hatchery of NIOMR in Lagos. Live transportation of the broodstock of M.vollenhovenii with body weight ranging from 71.0-264.5g in liter-capacity plastic containers half-filled with water, recorded 98-100% survival rate between 80-110 minutes transportation time. However, live transportation of the juvenile in 50 liters capacity plastic containers without water recorded survival rates ranging from 20-66% while those carried with water and aerated recorded 12.5-93.75%. An air conditioned vehicle was used during the live transportation. Higher mortality rate was recorded for the juvenile than the broodstocks due to large number transported in additoin to the small-size gear used for trapping the jiveniles. The study has developed a simple technology for the collection and transportation of live specimens of broodstock and juveniles of M. vollenhovenii. Efforts will be made to increase survival of the juveniles through the use of larger containers and gears

Pharmacognostic and Acute Toxicity Study of Burkea Africana Root

Burkea africana is a plant that belongs to then family Fabaceae; it is widely spread in tropical Africa including Nigeria. It is of valuable in  ethnomedicine especially in the treatment of antidote for venomous stings and bites, cutaneous and sub cutaneous parasitic infection, convulsion and pulmonary troubles. Despite the fact that roots of Burkea africana have several medicinal properties, no standardization parameter has been  assessed. Due to lack of standard parameters, proper identification and ascertaining quality and purity in the events of adulteration has been thwarted. The objective of the study was to establish some important pharmacognostic profile and safety margin of Burkea africana root with the hope of assisting in its standardization for quality, purity and safety. Elemental analysis was carried out using acid digestion method and phytochemical composition of the plants was evaluated using standard method. Acute toxicity was achieved using Lorke method to determine the LD50. Chemomicroscopical evaluation revealed the presence of cellulose, tannins, starch, lignin, calcium oxalate, suberin, aleurone grain and mucilage with the exception of calcium carbonate. The average moisture contents, total ash, acid insoluble, water soluble ash, alcohol extractive value and water extractive values in the powdered plant material were 3.8%, 7.5%, 4.43%, 8.07%, 25.0% and 20.33% respectively. In addition, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Cd and Cu were found to be within the safety limit. Phytochemicals which include alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, carbohydrates and triterpenes were detected in both aqueous and methanolic extracts. The LD50 of Burkea africana was found to be greater than 5000 mg /kg and could be considered safe for consumption. Keywords: Elemental analysis, Burkea africana, Pharmacognostic, Phytochemica

Financial structure and economic growth link in African countries: a panel cointegration analysis

Purpose – This paper aims to use the newly developed panel data cointegration analysis and the dynamic time series modeling approach to examine the linkages between financial structure (market-based vs bank-based) and economic growth in African economies. Design/methodology/approach – The research investigates the dynamic relationship between financial structure and economic growth in a panel of a group of seven African developing countries over the period of 1986-2007. The paper uses various indicators/measures of financial structure and financial system, and employs the traditional time-series analysis for causality as well as the newly developed panel unit root and cointegration techniques and estimated finance-growth relationship using FMOLS for heterogeneous panel. Findings – From the dynamic heterogeneous panel approach, the paper firstly finds that market-based financial system is important for explaining output growth through enhancing efficiency and productivity. Second, the authors' empirical evidence supports the view that higher levels of banking system development are positively associated with capital accumulation growth and lead to faster rates of economic growth. Originality/value – Panel cointegration, group mean panel FMOLS and country-by-country time series investigations indicate that the market-based financial system is important for explaining output growth through enhancing efficiency and productivity, whereas the development of banking system is significantly associated with capital accumulation growth. Further results from the time-series approach show evidence of unidirectional causality running from market-oriented as well as bank-oriented financial systems to economic growth.Economic growth, Financial structure, Panel Cointegration, Sub Saharan Africa

Occupational Safety Practices among Butchers in Selected Abattoirsin Igabi LGA, North-Western Nigeria

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Irradiance levels of phototherapy devices fabricated in Nigeria

Background: Phototherapy (PT) remains difficult to deliver in many resource-constrained countries, including Nigeria due to the unavailability of devices that can deliver intensive PT (irradiance ≥30 μW/cm2/ nm) needed to treat the more severe cases of hyperbilirubinaemia. The basic equipment is expensive and replacement parts are often not available. Objective: To compare the blue light irradiance of four locally designed and fabricated PT devices with a proprietary device. Materials and Methods: Four types of intensive PT devices were locally fabricated. Irradiance was measured using an Olympic Medical Bili-Meter. The mean irradiance of triplicate measure- ments at three positions in the light footprint of each device was determine that distances of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60cm from light source to meter sensor. Results: The irradiance of the fabricated devices (F1-4) and commercial device (C) measured at the most common clinically-used distance of 30 cm for intensive PT were 29.5 ±6.3, 30.3 ±5.3, 25.8 ±5.0,49.0 ±10.5 and 39.2 ± 13.6μ W/cm2/nm respectively with corresponding maximum central irradiance of 36.4, 32.1, 31.2,59.5 and 54.5 μW/cm2/nm. At a distance of 25cm, all devices delivered irradiance ≥ 30μW/cm2/nm. The cost of each local device was less than 12% of the commercial one. Conclusions: Locally fabricated devices cost much less and were suitable for delivery of intensive phototherapy (≥30 μW/cm2/nm) at a distance of 25cm

Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Study of Jatropha curcus Root

This study investigated the use of Jatropha curcus as a medicinal plant used in treating many microbial infections. The lack of scientific standardization as well as possible therapeutic alternatives against antibiotic resistant bacterial and fungal infections indicates strong need for continuous effort to validate the use of plant material as alternative therapy regimens with similar or higher antibiotic beneficial properties. The present study describes the phytochemical activities and antibiotic properties of Jatropha curcus extracts against S. aureus, E. coli, Klebsiella, Shigella sp, Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. tropicalisand C. kfyer. The phytochemical analysis was carried out using hexane, ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts of root bark of the plant using standard methods. The antibacterial potency was initially determined by agar well diffusion method for crude extractsof Jatropha curcusfollowed by quantitative evaluation of antibacterial activity by Minimum inhibitory concentration and Minimumbactericidal/fungicidal concentration. Phytochemical screening of all the extracts revealed the presence of alkaloid, flavonoids, carbohydrate, triterpenes and tannins. Steroid was absent in hexane and ethyl acetate but present in methanol extract. Anthraquinones was absent in all the extracts. Sensitivity test result showed that all the test isolates were sensitive to hexane, ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts at 500mg/ml. Staphlococcus aureus, Shigella sp., Candida krusei were found to have Minimum Inhibitory and Minimum Bactericidal/Minimum Fungicidal Concentrations of 31.25mg/ml and 62.5mg/ml respectively in all the extracts. Thus this plant is a potential candidate for drug development for the treatment of diseases caused by these pathogens

Pharmacognostic and Antioxidant activity of Bryophyllum pinnatum Leaves

Bryophyllum pinnatum is used in ethno medicine for treatment of earache, burns, abscesses, ulcer, insect bites, and diarrhoea. In Nigeria, this herb is used to facilitate the dropping of the placenta of a newly born baby. To search for new sources of safe and inexpensive antioxidants, the leaf of Bryophyllum pinnatum was screened for its antioxidant activity. Sample of leaf from B. pinnatum was tested for organoleptic, phytochemical, thin layer chromatography and antioxidant activity using standard procedure. The leaf was found to be simple, petiolated 6.8cm in size. Microscopically, the leaf had irregularly shaped epidermal cells with numerous anisocytic stomata on the lower surface. Chemomicroscopical evaluation revealed the presence of cellulose, tannins, starch, lignin, calcium oxalate, suberin, aleurone grain and mucilage with the exception of calcium carbonate. Phytochemicals which include alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, carbohydrates and triterpenes were detected in both aqueous and methanolic extracts while anthraquinones was absent. Methanol extract when developed in Chloroform: Methanol (9:1) and virtualized with p-Anisaldehyde/H2SO4, it gave six spots. The DPPH radical scavenging ability of the extract showed the following trend Ascorbic acid > extract. These results suggested that B. pinnatum leaves have moderate antioxidant potentials. Further study is necessary for isolation and characterization of active antioxidant agents which can be used to treat various oxidative stress related diseases

Pharmacognostic, elemental and acute toxicity study of Fadogia agrestis root

An aphrodisiac is a type of food or drink that has the effect of making those who eat or drink it more aroused in a sexual way. Aphrodisiacs can be categorized according to their mode of action into three groups: substances that increase libido (i.e. sexual arousal), substances that increase sexual potency (i.e. effectiveness of erection) and substances that increase sexual pleasure. Fadogia agrestis (Schweing. Ex. Hiern), Rubiacea (Hausa: Bakin gagai; English name: Black aphrodisiac) is an erect shrub 1-3 feets high. Fadogia agrestis is a medicinal plant widely used for its reported antibacterial and aphrodisiac activities. The aim of this work is to carry out pharmacognostic standardization and safety profile on Fadogia agrestis root. Chemomicroscopic, physicochemical, elemental, phytochemical and acute toxicity studies were carried out using standard methods. The results obtained also provided scientific basis for the use of in folklore medicine. Chemomicroscopic characters present include; cellulosecell wall, lignified cell wall, tannins, starch, calcium oxalate and cutin. The physicochemical parameters evaluated include: moisture content (7.0%), total ash (10.5%), water soluble ash (4.1%), acid insoluble ash (8.33%), ethanol extract (15.0%), and water extractive value (12.0%). The quantitative phytochemical analysis showed that alkaloids (84.0 mg/g) was the highest phytochemical detected in the stem bark while the lowest was saponins (4.0 mg/g).LD50 of both extracts was above 5000 mg/kg and did not cause mortality in all the tested rats. The results of this investigation may be useful for deriving doses that are safe for human consumption of F. agrestis root.&nbsp