Mycelial protein production by Aspergillus niger using banana peels

The ability of Aspergillus niger to produce mycelia protein from pretreated banana peels as substrate was studied with yeast nitrogen base glucose broth as control. Banana peels gave the highest yield of mycelia protein with optical density of 0.28 (O.D) compared to the yeast nitrogen base glucose broth 0.08 (O.D). The residual glucose content in the banana peel medium decreased from 1800 μg/ml on the first day to 320 μg/ml on the 7th day. In the yeast nitrogen base glucose broth, it decreased from 2440 μg/ml on day one to 420 μg/ml on the 7th day. The mycelia protein from banana peals had a crude content of 20.4% and a lipid content of 33.3%. The results indicate the possibility of using banana peels as substrates for mycelia protein production with A. niger. Keywords: Mycelial Protein, Banana Peels, A. niger

Prevalence of rotavirus diarrhoea among children under five years in Kaduna state, Nigeria

Rotavirus (RV) is a major etiological agent of acute infantile gastroenteritis and is associated with 20%-25% of diarrhoea cases in infants. Nigeria continues to be among the first five countries with greatest number of RV disease associated deaths per year. From September 2013-August 2014, 467 stool samples were collected from children under 5 years of age in Kaduna State, Nigeria and analysed for RV antigen using ELISA. An overall RV prevalence of 31.0% (143/467) was obtained with the infection occurring throughout the study period. Children from Kachia LGA had the highest prevalence of 53.8% (28/52), while children from Kagarko LGA had the lowest prevalence of 21.0% (10/74). The difference was significant (P=0.019). Highest prevalence of RV was recorded in March (75.0%:3/4) and the least in July (11.5%:3/26) with significant difference (P=0.003). Female children had highest prevalence of 32.1% (79/246) compared to male children (29.9%:66/221) with a non-significance difference (P=0.530). Children within 25-36 months had the highest prevalence of 36.4% (28/77), while children 49-60 months had the lowest prevalence of 17.6% (6/34) with no significant difference (P=0.517). The difference observed was not significant (P=0.477). The result showed no significant difference between the presence of RV infection with vomiting, fever, dehydration (P>0.05). The study has revealed that rotavirus remains an important cause of acute diarrhoea in children under five years in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Hence the need for the implemention of the vaccines into the childhood immunization programme in the country.Key words: Prevalence, Rotavirus, Children, Kaduna State, Nigeri

Assessment of heavy metal concentrations as indicator of pollution in Clarias gariepinus (African catfish) of Warwade reservoir, Dutse, Jigawa State-Nigeria

Pollution status of Warwade reservoir was assessed using heavy metals bioaccumulation in water, gills and liver samples of C. gariepinus between July and December, 2019. Heavy metals analyses were carried out using microwave plasma atomic spectroscopy (MP-AES). Water and fish were sampled fortnightly from the three sites coded as upstream (A), midstream (B) and downstream (C) between 7:00 – 7:30am for period of six months. The results revealed that heavy metal concentrations in water followed the order: Cr (2.15mg/L)>Cu (1.40mg/L) > Pb (0.89mg/L)> Cd (0.68mg/L). Bioaccumulation Factor (BAF) of heavy metal concentration in water decreased in the order of Cr > Pb > Cu >Cd. In the fish organs, gills had the highest value of Cr, followed by Pb, Cu and Cd recorded the lowest. The BAF in liver tissues decreased in the order of Cu > Pb > Cr >Cd. BAF for Cu was highest in liver tissue (2.90) while the lowest was obtained in the gills (1.04). Lead (Pb) had its highest value in liver (2.16) and the lowest value (1.33) was obtained in the gill. BAF in Cr had its highest value of 2.15 in water and the lowest was obtained in the gills. Heavy metals bioaccumulation differed significantly (p<0.05) between the sampling sites and seasons with the exception of cadmium which did not differed significantly (p>0.05). It can be deduced that heavy metals bioaccumulation in the fish tissue is attributed to the influx of chemicals into the reservoir as a result of agrochemicals input among other anthropogenic activities. It is recommended that indiscriminate release of the xenobiotic compounds should be minimized in order to avert degradation of the reservoir in the long run. Intervention by appropriate authorities to curtail the effects of heavy metals on fish species among other important biota is recommended

Epidemiological studies on rotavirus associated with diarrhoea among calves and children in Kaduna state, Nigeria

Rotaviruses are enteric pathogens causing acute, watery, dehydrating diarrhoea in various host species, including birds and mammals. A total of 716 diarrhoeic stool samples were collected comprising of 249 from calves and 467 from children within Kaduna State Nigeria. Rotavirus antigen was detected in the stools of calves by NSP3 Real-Time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction, while RV antigens were detected in children using Enzyme Linked Immunosobent Assay (ELISA). Rotavirus was detected in 34 of the 249 stool sample from calves (13.7%). The infection was higher in males (15.7%:16/102) compared to females calves (12.3%: 11/147). The highest number of cases was detected among calves 2-3 months of age (22.9%:8/35). Further analysis of the result showed no significant difference between rotavirus infection in calves with mode of feeding and presence of other animals in the farm (p>0.05). There was significant difference between rotavirus infection and sanitation on farm and source of water for calves (p<0.05). An overall RV prevalence of 31.0% (143/467) was obtained in children. The infection was higher in females (32.1%:79/246) compared to males (29.9%:66/221). The highest burden was detected in children 25-36 months of age (36.4%:22/77). There was no significant association between source of drinking water boiling of drinking water, attendance of day care and playing with toys and the prevalence of rotavirus (P>0.05). The study has revealed that rotavirus remains an important cause of acute diarrhoea among calves and children in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Hence the need for improvement in sanitation and the implemention of the vaccines into the childhood immunization programme.Key words: Rotaviruses, Stools, Calves, Children, Risk factors, Diarrhoea

Evaluation of phytochemical and antibacterial properties of Terminalia avicennioides crude extract against selected bacteria from diarrhoeic patients

Phytochemical screening of aqueous and ethanol crude extracts of the different plant parts of Terminalia avicennioides was carried out using standard chemical evaluation methods. The antibacterial effects of aqueous and ethanol crude extracts of Terminalia avicennioides against E.coli and S.typhimurium clinical and reference isolates from diarrhoeic patients were also evaluated using agar-well diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of aqueous and ethanol crude extracts were evaluated by broth dilution techniques. The result revealed the presence of carbohydrates, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids saponins, triterpens and glycosides. All bacteria were found to be susceptible to the extracts which were indicated by the various zones of inhibition. The activity of extracts was concentration dependent. The reference strains were less susceptible to all extracts at low concentrations of 12.5mg/ml, but highly susceptible to extracts at varied concentrations of 25, 50 and 100mg/ml. However, all test bacteria were more susceptible to the ethanol extracts compared to the aqueous extracts with mean zones of inhibition ranging between 0.68 + 2.54 mm to 22.08 + 1.75 mm on E. coli clinical isolates, 0.0 + 0.0 mm to 20.00+0.mm on E. coli reference isolate, 3.08 + 6.0 mm to 21.50 + 0.00 mm on S. typhimurium clinical isolates and 0.00 + 0.mm to 20.00 + 0.0 mm on S. typhimurium reference isolate. The ethanol crude extracts exhibited lower MICs (12.5 to 25mg/ml) and MBCs (25 to 50mg/ml) values indicating higher efficacy of ethanol extracts, with the leaf extract demonstrating the highest activity against all the bacterial isolates. The important bioactive compounds present in the plant may be responsible for the observed antibacterial activity of the plant and hence its potential use as an antibacterial agent.Keywords: Phytochemical, Antibacterial effect, Terminalia avicennioides, diarrhoeaic patients

Bioconversion of cassava starch to ethanol in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process by co-cultures of Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ethanol production by co-cultures of A. niger (GS4) and S. cerevisiae (BK6) was studied using cassava starch as substrate. At 1% substrate concentration ethanol yield was 0.35g/100ml while the ethanol concentration increased to a maximum of 3.60g/100ml at 8% substrate concentration. When the culture conditions were optimized, the ethanol yield further increased to 4.30g/100ml at a temperature of 35oC, pH 5.0, 300rpm agitation rate and reduced fermentation period of 4 days. Keywords: A. niger, S. cerevisiae, Fermentation, Ethanol, Cell dry weight, Residual suga

Prevalence and factors associated with dengue fever among febrile patients attending secondary health facilities in Kano metropolis, Nigeria

Background: The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has categorized dengue fever as a priority epidemic-prone disease. Kano metropolis is a hub for international trade and has seen rapid population growth with unplanned urbanisation. This provides the right environment for dengue virus transmission and spread. Most fevers in Nigeria and Kano in particular are treated as malaria or typhoid. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with dengue fever and dengue-malaria co-infection among febrile patients in Kano metropolis. Methodology: We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study among febrile patients attending secondary health facilities in Kano metropolis. We used multistage sampling technique to recruit 440 participants into the study. An interviewer administered structured questionnaire was used to collect participants’ information, while blood was screened for malaria using rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kit and tested for dengue fever using an ELISA kit for dengue IgM. Data was cleaned and analysed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and Epi Info version 7.2 to calculate frequencies, proportions and odds ratios. Results: The median age of participants was 24 years (IQR= 13-36 years) while the age-group most represented was the 10-19 years’ age group with 97 (22.9%) participants. Males constituted 257 (60.6%) while most were single 238 (56.1%). Dengue IgM was positive for 332 (78.3%), while malaria RDT was positive for 81 (19.1%) and 67 (15.8%) were positive for both. Those aged above 25 years were less likely to present with dengue fever (OR=0.6; 95% CI=0.33-0.97). Dengue fever contributes a high percentage to febrile illnesses seen in Kano metropolis. Significant proportions of febrile patients have both dengue and malaria co-infection. None of the participants had dengue as a presumptive diagnosis. Conclusion: These findings imply dengue fever should feature as a prominent differential for febrile illnesses and dengue screening tests should be made available for all cases seen in Kano. Keywords: seroprevalence; dengue fever; RDT; secondary health facilities; Nigeria French Title: Prévalence et facteurs associés à la dengue chez les patients fébriles fréquentant les établissements de santé secondaires de la métropole de Kano, au Nigéria Contexte: Le Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) a classé la dengue parmi les maladies à tendance épidémique prioritaires. La métropole de Kano est une plaque tournante du commerce international et a connu une croissance démographique rapide avec une urbanisation imprévue. Cela fournit le bon environnement pour la transmission et la propagation du virus de la dengue. La plupart des fièvres au Nigeria et à Kano en particulier sont traitées comme le paludisme ou la typhoïde. Cette étude visait à déterminer la prévalence et les facteurs associés à la dengue et à la co-infection dengue-paludisme chez les patients fébriles de la métropole de Kano. Méthodologie: Nous avons mené une étude transversale en milieu hospitalier auprès de patients fébriles fréquentant des établissements de santé secondaires de la métropole de Kano. Nous avons utilisé une technique d'échantillonnage en plusieurs étapes pour recruter 440 participants dans l'étude. Un questionnaire structuré administré par un intervieweur a été utilisé pour collecter les informations des participants, tandis que le sang a été testé pour le paludisme à l'aide d'un kit de test de diagnostic rapide (TDR) et testé pour la dengue à l'aide d'un kit ELISA pour les IgM de la dengue. Les données ont été nettoyées et analysées à l'aide de Microsoft Excel 2016 et d'Epi Info version 7.2 pour calculer les fréquences, les proportions et les rapports de cotes. Résultats: L'âge médian des participants était de 24 ans (IQR=13-36 ans) tandis que le groupe d'âge le plus représenté était le groupe d'âge 10-19 ans avec 97 (22,9%) participants. Les hommes en constituaient 257 (60,6%) tandis que la plupart étaient célibataires 238 (56,1%). Les IgM de la dengue étaient positives pour 332 (78,3%), tandis que les TDR du paludisme étaient positifs pour 81 (19,1%) et 67 (15,8%) étaient positifs pour les deux. Les personnes âgées de plus de 25 ans étaient moins susceptibles de présenter une fièvre dengue (OR=0,6; IC à 95%=0,33-0,97). La dengue contribue à un pourcentage élevé des maladies fébriles observées dans la métropole de Kano. Des proportions significatives de patients fébriles présentent une co-infection à la fois par la dengue et le paludisme. Aucun des participants n'avait de dengue comme diagnostic présumé. Conclusion: Ces résultats impliquent que la dengue devrait apparaître comme un différentiel important pour les maladies fébriles et des tests de dépistage de la dengue devraient être disponibles pour tous les cas observés à Kano. Mots-clés: séroprévalence; la fièvre de la dengue; RDT; établissements de santé secondaires; Nigeri

Prevalence of rotavirus among children under five years of age with diarrhea in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Rotavirus (RV) is a major etiological agent of acute infantile gastroenteritis and is associated with 20%-25% of diarrhea cases in infants. Nigeria continues to be among the first five countries with greatest number of RV disease associated deaths per year. The objective was to determine some demographic factors that might be associated with rotavirus diarrhea among children in Kaduna State. From September 2013-August 2014, 401 diarrheic stool samples were collected from children under 5 years of age in Kaduna State, Nigeria and analyzed for RV antigen using ELISA. An overall RV prevalence of 32.2% (129/401) was obtained with the infection occurring throughout the study period. The infection was higher in males (33.0%:63/111) compared to females (31.4%:66/210). The highest burden was detected in children 25 -36 months of age (37.3%:22/59). Highest prevalence was detected in children whose parents had primary education (35.8%:19/53) and those whose parents were civil servants (35.6%:36/101). There was no statistically significant association between breast feeding and RV infection (P> 0.05). The study has revealed that rotavirus remains an important cause of acute diarrhea in children under five years in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Hence the need to introduce the vaccines into the childhood immunization program in the countryKeywords: Prevalence, Rotavirus, Children, Kaduna State, Nigeri

Risk Factors that contributes to Hookworm Infection among Primary School Pupils in Some Communities of Kaduna State, Nigeria

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate and possible risk factors associated with transmission of hookworm infection among primary school children in parts of Kaduna state, Nigeria. Nine hundred (900) faecal samples were collected and analyzed for hookworm infection using the direct wet mount and formol-ether concentration techniques. The data were subjected to chi-square analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 and the significant level (0.05) determined at 95%confidence interval. The overall prevalence of the infection was 5.8%. The prevalence was higher among males 7.0% (32/457) and rainy season 7.1%. Also, the prevalence was highest among children aged 12-13 years 7.2%, whose parents were artisans 7.3%, children who used to defaecate in the bush and those who used well as source of water 5.6%. Statistical analysis showed significant association in the prevalence of hookworm infection with respect to gender (P = 0.03) and age group (P = 0.0013). However, there was no significant association between the prevalence of the infection and parent’s occupation (p=0.21), type of toilet used (p=0.20), children’s source of drinking water (P=0.16) and season (P=0.16). The present study has established that the transmission  hookworm is on-going among the school children in the study area. There is need for sustained mass de-worming programme, health education, provision of portable drinking water and toilet facilities in public schools within the study area

Mortality and Inhibitory Effects of Aqueous and Methanolic Extracts of Artemisia annua L. on Biomphalaria pfeifferi (Krauss) and Shedding of Cercariae

The search for bioactive plants which can be used as non-conventional anthelmintics has received considerable attention in recent times because of the increasing, worldwide development of resistance to synthetic anthelminthes worm populations. However, scientific evidence to validate the use of raw plants materials remain limited. This study evaluated the mortality and inhibitory effects of the crude aqueous and methanolic extract of Artemisia annua L. against the shedding of cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni from Biomphalaria pfeifferi. The phytochemical screening of the plant was done using standard procedure, after which the mortality effects of the plant extracts and effects on the shedding of cercariae from B. pfeifferi snails were assessed for 24 hour of exposure. Methanolic extract with the highest concentration of 1.77mg/µL had an inhibitory effect of 63.06±1.84 while the least concentration with 0.12mg/µL had 22.41±2.17 inhibitory effect. For the aqueous extract, the highest concentration with 2.73mg/µL had an inhibitory effect of  55.75±1.94 while the least concentration of 0.23mg/µL had 21.80±1.45. Inhibitory effect of cercariae in the snail vector was  concentration dependent, and there was significance difference (P<0.05) between the treatment mean when compared with the control group. This study has shown that this plant material has some inhibitory effect on the shedding of of S. mansoni cercariae and toxicityeffect on the B. pfeifferisnails, and can therefore be used for the control of the disease causing agent as well as the vector. Keywords: Artemisia annua, Inhibitory effects, cercariae, Biomphalaria pfeiffer