Using satellite imageries for the survey of aquatic vegetation and other resources

(5 page document

Evaluation of Some Litter Traits and Heritability Estimates of Nigerian Indigenous Pigs

Cumulative litter records of 1494 progeny from 257 litters produced by 30 sires and 87 sows of Nigerian indigenous pigs (NIP) from the Swine Unit of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching and Research Farm for a period of fourteen years (1977-1990) were used for this study. Data were analysed with the use of SAS (1997), litter trait means and their heritability were estimated with the use of variance component analysis. Results showed that, mean birth weight and weaning weight were 0.93 ± 0.02 kg, and 4.03 ± 0.55 kg respectively, and the litter weights at birth and weaning were 5.44 ± 0.12 kg and 23.39 ± 0.55 kg. The mean litter sizes at birth and at weaning were 5.82 ± 0.11 and 5.53 ± 0.11 respectively. The heritability estimates were 0.00 ± 0.04 for litter size at weaning and 0.37 ± 0.12 for weaning weight. Others were 0.36 ± 0.09, 0.29 ± 0.07, 0.24 ± 0.07 and 0.27 ± 0.07 for birth weight, litter birth weight, litter size at birth and litter weaning weight respectively. It was concluded that individual selection may be appropriate for genetic improvement of birth weight and weaning weight while family selection may be effective for litter birth weight, litter size at birth and litter weaning weight for the NIP

Ethnobotanical survey of plants used in the management of hypertension in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

Background: Among diseases that affect humans, the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are quite a number of which hypertension is a leading member of the group and a leading contributory cause of death worldwide.Objective: To identify and document medicinal plants used in ethno-medical management of hypertension in selected communities within Ibadan metropolis. This is with the aim of contributing to a database of plants for future systematic biological and chemical evaluation for possible templates of anti-hypertensive agents and drug leads.Materials and methods: An inventory of plant species/natural remedies used in folk medicine to manage hypertension in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State was undertaken. Interviews using semi-structured questionnaires and open-ended conversations were conducted among one hundred and seventy-six (176) respondents aged 30 years and above to obtain relevant information.Results: A total of one hundred and one (101) plants belonging to fifty-four (54) families were identified of which the highest number of plants mentioned belong to family Compositae. The usage profiles of the plants were quantified by the quotation frequency/ mention index.Conclusion: It was observed that Ibadan is a rich source of plants indicated in management of hypertension. More scientific work especially biological studies are needed to ascertain the efficacy, toxicity, safety and appropriate dosage regimen of these ethno-medicinal remedies.Keywords: Hypertension, Kigelia africana, Non-communicable diseases, ethnobotanical surve

Production of methane from maize cob fed termites

Termites are detritivores, which means that by consuming decomposing organic matter they obtain nutrients. By feeding on cellulose matter, termites generate methane. Waste energy content offers good opportunities to generate low-cost and available energy. This can help increase energy access and reduce energy poverty in Africa. This work helps to determine the rate of gas production by termites when fed with maize cob. A simulated environment was created for Macrotermes Subhyhalinus Sp. of termites made with optically transparent polycarbonate material (plexiglas). Methane emission from termites’ simulated environment was monitored with the use of a gas flow meter. The termites’ production rate was highest at dry temperature 28.07oC with RH of 88.30%, and 0.630μg/termite/day flow rate was recorded form their simulated laboratory environment. The cellulose in maize shaft/cob is in the native state and the chemical composition not inhibited by processing; this led to the relatively high consumption and overall production rate of termites when they fed on it because maize cob was easier to digest.Keywords: Detritivores, Macrotermes Subhyalinus sp., simulated environment, Polycarbonat

Lipid Altering Potential of Moringa oleifera Lam Seed Extract and Isolated Constituents In Wistar Rats

The use of natural products have become popular because of their minimal adverse effect, cost effectiveness and accessibility. Moringa oleifera, is a valued plant that has found use ethnomedicinally and economically. The leaves have been investigated in various researches for different activities. This study is aimed at evaluating the seeds for its serum lipid profile altering activities in animal models. Five groups of five animals (120-150 g) per group were made obese by feeding with a high fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks. The basal lipid profile was determined, and treatment commenced with methanol extracts of Moringa oleifera seed (MOSE) at 100 and 200 mg/kg b w for 6 weeks. Control groups were the Orlistat treated (50 mg/kg b w), untreated and normal diet groups. The antihyperlipidemic activity in-vivo and an enzyme anti lipase assay in-vitro were determined respectively. The characterisation of isolated compounds and derivative was by spectroscopic techniques. A significant decrease in Very Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDLc) at p< 0.01 was observed across the five groups when compared with the standard Orlistat. A significant increase in High Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) at p< 0.01 was observed in the group treated with 200 mg/kg MOSE. However, a dangerous significant increase in Athereogenic index (AI) was observed in the group treated with 100mg/kg MOSE The derived 4- acetyl benzylisothiocyanate-O –α-L rhamnopyranoside (2) from isolated 4- hydroxybenzylisothiocyanate-O-α-L rhamnopyranoside (1) revealed the highest activity of 99.17% at 0.5 mg/mL. The methanol extract of Moringa oleifera seed could alter lipid profile and a structure activity relationship was observed with respect to the isolated compound and its derivatized analogue

Endocrine Admissions in a Tertiary Hospital In Nigeria: A 5-Year Review of Pattern and Trend

Hospital admission is a reflection of prevailing disease pattern in an environment, impact of services rendered in the outpatient department and preventative healthcare services in the community. The aim of this study was to determine the pattern and trend of endocrine related admissions at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. This was a retrospective analysis of health records of patients with endocrine related disorders admitted into the medical wards of the hospital between 2008-2012. The diagnoses, based on WHO ICD-10 were documented. Endocrine related admissions were subdivided into diabetes related, thyroid related and non-diabetes hypoglycaemia. Data of interest were compared with Pearson’s Chi-Square and Student’s t test. There were 3818 admissions out of which 457 (12.0%) were endocrine related. Majority of the endocrine admission were DM related (93.9%), representing 11.8% of the total admissions. There was increase in endocrine-related admissions from 9.1%-18.0% and a 10.6% increase in the DM related admissions from 2008 to 2012, but a decline in absolute number of endocrine admissions notably among females (X2 = 39.88, p<0.001). Poor glucose control (42.8%) was the commonest reason for diabetic admission, followed by hyperglycaemic emergencies (31.1%), diabetic foot disease (15.9%), sepsis (2.6%), stroke (2.3%), nephropathy/renal failure (1.6%), diabetic hand (0.9%), hypoglycaemia (0.9%), heart failure (0.7%). Between 2010-2012, hyperglycaemic crisis emerged as the commonest reason for diabetic admission, but overall, there was significant reduction in the number of hospitalizations for all diabetic complications (X2 = 128.69, df= 36, p=0.000). More resources need to be allocated for the management of diabetes mellitus while efforts to prevent its complications through educational activities and public awareness should be sustained

Evaluation of the various orthometric height systems and the Nigerian scenario – A case study of Lagos State

AbstractThough considered the easiest in 3-Dimensional Point Positioning, the choice of a height system especially in areas with spatially-vast land mass is rather a complicated choice. Orthometric heights are naturally and fully referenced to the actual earth gravity field but laborious to compute considering the required approximations of gravity variation along the plumb-line from the surface to the geoid. Normal heights on the other hand are less laborious to compute and do not require actual gravity observations. Unfortunately, natural height systems are the only systems that can efficiently predict fluid flows. This paper has therefore examined the theory and practical possibility of replacing the use of Helmert Orthometric Heights with Normal Orthometric heights within Lagos State. A maximum height discrepancy of 1mm was obtained in the comparison of both systems and thus their replaceability found suitable to within 3rd order geodetic accuracy

Haematological changes of Clarias gariepinus juveniles fed different dietary lipid

Twelve weeks feeding trial was conducted to determine the effects of different dietary lipid sources on the hematological changes in Clarias gariepinus juveniles. Six (6) iso-nitroginous diets were formulated at 45% CP and fed to triplicate groups of 15 juveniles. The feed contained (Palm Seed Oil (PSO), Ugwu Seed (USO), Soya Bean Oil (SBO), Almond Seed Oil (ASO), Mixture Of All the vegetable oil + the fish oil (MOA) and Cod Liver Oil (CLO) which is the control. The oils were added at 5% inclusion level respectively. Fish of mean weight 22.83 ~c 0.30g were fed these experimental diets in triplicate groups. The hematological analyses of fish showed that red blood cell, white blood cell, Erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( ESR), Mean cell volume (MCV), Mean cell Haemoglobin (MCH) and packed cell volume were not significantly different (p0.05). The present study showed that PSO, USO, ASO, SBO and MOA can effectively replace cod liver oil without compromising the health of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus

Performance evaluation and variability analysis for morpho-physiological traits of orange fleshed tomato varieties introduced in Nigeria climatic conditions

Received: April 29th, 2023 ; Accepted: August 22nd, 2023 ; Published: October 24th, 2023 ; Correspondence: [email protected] introduction of orange flesh tomato in Nigeria climatic conditions through characterization is the best way to understand its adaptability and fight against the lack of ß-carotene in the landraces and improved varieties currently cultivated in the country. This study was aimed to evaluate7 tomato varieties comprised of 4orange-fleshed tomato imported from New Zealand and 3 local varieties for their morphological, agronomic and chemical composition and fruit quality characters. Phenotyping was used to assess the morphological and agronomic traits and while biochemical assays was used for fruit quality characters. The four orange fleshed tomato varieties were indeterminate and the 3 local varieties were determinate. There were significant variability and differences in plant height (54.93 cm to 72.23 cm), leaf number (14 to 24), leaf length (24.10 cm to 28.53 cm), length width (15.13 cm to 16.93 cm), internode length (2.41 cm to 3.29 cm), root collar (3.46 cm to 4.53 cm), days to 1% flowering (20 to 23), days to maturity (34 to 42), number of clusters per plant (5 to 10), fruits per cluster (4 to 6), fruit weight (72.64 g to 488.58 g), fruit length (27 mm to54.89 mm), fruit diameter (23.67 mm to 28 mm), transverse fruit section (1 mm to 3 mm), moisture content (92.30 to 95.33%), protein (0.15 to 1.02%), fat (0.15 to 1.02%), fibre (0.92 to 2.37%) and carbohydrate (1.86 to 6.41%). At the time the local varieties senesced they showed higher yields than the introduced varieties, but as indeterminate they were better than the local ones because they continued fruiting after the local ones died off. Flesh color of pericarps and ripened fruit color ranged from orange to red while fruit shape varied from highly rounded to cylindrical (long oblong). Fruit size showed variation from small to moderate size

Sero-prevalence of newcastle disease in apparently healthy normal feathered local chickens in Ido and Atiba Local Government Areas, Oyo State, Nigeria

A study was conducted at Ido and Atiba Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Oyo State, Nigeria, to investigate the prevalence of Newcastle disease  (ND) using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) techniques. A total of 376 normal feathered local chickens were sampled by collecting 2 ml of blood from each bird. Sera that emanated from them were subjected to detection of ND antibodies using ELISA test kit. The data collected were analyzed by inferential statistics. The results showed that the prevalence of ND as 11.70% and 15.43% at Ido and Atiba LGAs, respectively. Adult males showed higher prevalence as compared to adult females in the two LGAs. Meanwhile the prevalence of ND in adults was higher than in the young in Ido but the reverse at Atiba LGA. Combined prevalence was averaged at 13.56% in the two LGAs. The combined results further showed that males (8.24%) were more susceptible to ND than females (5.32%) just like adults (7.45%) were more susceptible than the growers (6.11%). It can be concluded that ND is prevalent in the study areas. It can therefore be recommended that vaccination of local chickens should be vigorously  implemented since they are in the common environment/space with intensively managed birds to avert cross infection. Key words: antibodies, ELISA, local chickens, Newcastle disease, prevalenc