Physicochemical properties of Mucuna pruriens seed oil (MPSO), and the toxicological effects of a MPSO-based diet

The toxicological effects of Mucuna pruriens oil based diet were evaluated and compared with that of palm oil diet for 28 days. The physico-chemical analysis of the Mucuna pruriens oil showed that it has a moisture content of 7.85%, oil yield of 6.00%, pH of 5.65, density of 0.39, iodine value of 24.40/100g fat, acid value of 51.40mg NaOH/g, peroxide value of 0.10mEq/Kg, saponification value of 86.05mg/KOH/g, free fatty acid value of 0.40mg/dl, viscosity of 37.54 and unsaponififiable matters of 46.10. The aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities were significantly (p<0.05) increased in rats fed Mucuna pruriens oil meal compared to the palm oil group. The serum total and conjugated bilirubin, total proteins, albumin, creatinine and urea concentrations were also significantly (p<0.05) increased in the test group. Histological examination of the rat organs revealed the presence of lesions, tubular atrophy and mild oedema on organs from the test group.  This is an indication that Mucuna pruriens oil is not completely safe for consumption.Keywords: Mucuna pruriens, toxicological effect, histology, phytochemical

Assessment of Heavy Metal Content of Njere River in Umuakam, Okaiuga Nkwoegwu, Umuahia North L.G.A

Aims: To assess the heavy metal content of water from Njere river in Umuakam Okaiuga Nkwoegwu autonomous community in Umuahia North L.G.A of Abia State. Study Design: Purposive sampling was employed for sample collection. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemistry, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike from June 2009 to December 2009. Methodology: Water samples were collected from upstream, midstream and downstream locations of the Njere river. From each location, water was collected from three different points and combined to form a composite. The total, soluble and exchangeable metal ions were estimated by the use of Atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: Total Nickel, cadmium and zinc ion content exceeded the WHO standard in all the locations. Water soluble zinc ion was higher than the standard for all the samples. Exchangeable metal ions exceeded the standard for Ni, Cd, Zn and Pb. Conclusion: The water from the Njere river is not completely safe for domestic and agricultural activities

In vitro antioxidant assay of aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon and its effect on haematological parameters of rat.

Many medicinal plants possess antioxidant properties. Antioxidant potentials of Cynodon dactylon and its haematological effects on Wistar rats was evaluated. In vitro radical scavenging activity was assessed using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Sixteen male Wistar rats were grouped into four groups of four rats each. Control group was fed normal rat feed and water, group 1 received 100 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) extract, group 2 received 200 mg/kg b. w. extract while group 3 received 400 mg/kg b. w. extract respectively for 21 days. Results showed that C. dactylon produced its optimum antioxidant activity against DPPH radical at a concentration of 400 mg/ml. At 100 mg/ml, optimum antioxidant activity was produced using FRAP. There was no significant (p> 0.05) difference in haemoglobin, red blood cell, platelet, white blood cell, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils concentration when compared to the control group. Antioxidant activity of the plant was low compared to that of the ascorbic acid. The observed antioxidant activity of the plant could be as a result of certain antioxidant compounds present in the plant. The extract showed minimal toxicity to haematological parameters at the doses administered

Sediment Quality of Orashi River at Four Oil Producing Communities of Nigeria

Bed Sediment samples were collected in the Dry Season from Orashi River at three sampling sites each located in Mmahu, Opuoma, Abacheke and Ogwu Aniocha communities. Physicochemical parameters, hydrocarbon and heavy metal (As, Cd, Fe and Pb) concentrations were determined with standard methods. Results showed that total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) ranged from 0.11 \ub10.03 to 1.91 \ub10.25 mg/kg while total hydrocarbon content (THC) and oil and grease had ranges of 0.28 \ub10.06-2.98 \ub10.19 and 0.69 \ub10.09-3.60 \ub10.57 mg/kg respectively. The sediment samples were classified as unpolluted in terms of TPH. Mean values for pH had a range of 4.33 \ub10.22 - 6.60 \ub10.52 while the texture of most samples was sandy. Mean organic carbon contents ranged from 0.58\ub10.07 to 3.15\ub10.66 % and mean total nitrogen and total phosphorus had ranges of 0.30\ub10.00 -2.77\ub10.46 and 17.34\ub11.65 - 29.48\ub11.63 mg/kg respectively. Mean Mg concentrations were significantly higher (P<0.05) than the concentrations of other exchangeable bases and mean As concentration had a range of 1.175\ub10.086-1.291\ub10.335 mg/kg. Mean Cd concentrations ranged from 0.948\ub10.072 to 3.120\ub10.131 mg/kg while mean Fe and Pb concentrations had ranges of 57.324\ub110.530-159.707\ub141.192 and 1.300\ub10.295-7.462\ub10.861 mg/kg respectively. As and Pb values were lower than the sediment quality guidelines (SQG) but Cd values were higher than the guidelines in all sites. Contamination factors (CFs) for As and Pb indicated low contamination while CFs for Cd indicated moderate to considerable contamination. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) values for As and Pb at all sites and that of Cd at one site indicated unpolluted, Igeo values for Cd at all other sites ranged between 0.210 and 1.571 indicating unpolluted to moderately polluted status

Sediment Quality of Orashi River at Four Oil Producing Communities of Nigeria

Bed Sediment samples were collected in the Dry Season from Orashi River at three sampling sites each located in Mmahu, Opuoma, Abacheke and Ogwu Aniocha communities. Physicochemical parameters, hydrocarbon and heavy metal (As, Cd, Fe and Pb) concentrations were determined with standard methods. Results showed that total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) ranged from 0.11 ±0.03 to 1.91 ±0.25 mg/kg while total hydrocarbon content (THC) and oil and grease had ranges of 0.28 ±0.06-2.98 ±0.19 and 0.69 ±0.09-3.60 ±0.57 mg/kg respectively. The sediment samples were classified as unpolluted in terms of TPH. Mean values for pH had a range of 4.33 ±0.22 - 6.60 ±0.52 while the texture of most samples was sandy. Mean organic carbon contents ranged from 0.58±0.07 to 3.15±0.66 % and mean total nitrogen and total phosphorus had ranges of 0.30±0.00 -2.77±0.46 and 17.34±1.65 - 29.48±1.63 mg/kg respectively. Mean Mg concentrations were significantly higher (P<0.05) than the concentrations of other exchangeable bases and mean As concentration had a range of 1.175±0.086-1.291±0.335 mg/kg. Mean Cd concentrations ranged from 0.948±0.072 to 3.120±0.131 mg/kg while mean Fe and Pb concentrations had ranges of 57.324±10.530-159.707±41.192 and 1.300±0.295-7.462±0.861 mg/kg respectively. As and Pb values were lower than the sediment quality guidelines (SQG) but Cd values were higher than the guidelines in all sites. Contamination factors (CFs) for As and Pb indicated low contamination while CFs for Cd indicated moderate to considerable contamination. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) values for As and Pb at all sites and that of Cd at one site indicated unpolluted, Igeo values for Cd at all other sites ranged between 0.210 and 1.571 indicating unpolluted to moderately polluted status. Keywords: Sediment, Orashi, hydrocarbons, physicochemical, metals, contaminatio

Nonlinear Controller Design Via Inferenced-Augmentation of Equivalent Linearized System

Output compensation of nonlinear system response is studied in this work with an inference-based design method used to control the nonlinear dynamics in the presence of non-linear effects. This design which is driven by practical considerations is informed by the comparisons made between nonlinear models and their linearized derivatives. While a detailed mathematical route has not been followed here, the results seem to show the workability of the proposed method and at its core, the design is driven by its intuitiveness. The proposed technique utilizes as primary parameter for comparison, the steady state error term which is derived from the behavior of the linear dynamics. Possible application areas for this design is in reduced energy control of nonlinear systems. The method was tested in simulation on a generic nonlinear system and a cart-driven inverted pendulum benchmark system

A Multidimensional Approach to Carbodiphosphorane–Bismuth Coordination Chemistry: Cationization, Redox-Flexibility, and Stabilization of a Crystalline Bismuth Hydridoborate

Bismuth complexes stabilized by carbon-based donor ligands are underserved by their instability, often due to facile ligand dissociation and deleterious protonolysis. Herein, we show that the ortho-bismuthination of hexaphenylcarbodiphosphorane enables a robust framework with geometrically constrained carbone–bismuth bonding interactions, which are highly tunable by cationization. The carbodiphosphorane bismuth halides (1 and 2) are remarkably air-stable and feature unprecedented trans carboneC–Bi–X ligation, resulting in highly elongated Bi–X bonds. In contrast to known carbone–bismuth complexes, hydrolytic activation of the carbone yields well-defined organobismuth complexes, and subsequent dehydrohalogenation is feasible using potassium bis­(trimethylsilyl)­amide or N-heterocyclic carbenes. The redox-flexibility of this framework was evaluated in the high catalytic activity of 1 and 2 for silylation of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (TEMPO) under mild conditions (50 °C, 24–96 h) and low catalyst loadings (5–10 mol %), which suggests the accessibility of short-lived hydridic and radical bismuth species. The reaction of 1, PhSiH3, and tris­(pentafluorophenyl)­borane (BCF) yields the first crystallographically characterized bismuth hydridoborate complex as an ionic species (9), presumably by BCF-mediated hydride abstraction from an unobserved [Bi]–H intermediate. All isolated compounds have been characterized by heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography, and the bonding situation in representative complexes (1, 2, 5, and 9) were further evaluated using density functional theory

Room Temperature Alkali Metal Reduction of Carbon Dioxide

The reduction of the relatively inert carbon–oxygen bonds of CO2 to access useful CO2-derived organic products is one of the most important fundamental challenges in synthetic chemistry. Facilitating this bond-cleavage using earth-abundant, non-toxic main group elements (MGEs) is especially arduous because of the difficulty in achieving strong inner-sphere interactions between CO2 and the MGE. Herein we report the first successful chemical reduction of CO2 at room temperature by alkali metals, promoted by a cyclic(alkyl)(amino) carbene (CAAC). One-electron reduction of CAAC-CO2 adduct (1) with lithium, sodium or potassium metal yields stable monoanionic radicals clusters [M(CAAC–CO2)]n(M = Li, Na, K, 2-4) and two-electron alkali metal reduction affords open-shell, dianionic clusters of the general formula [M2(CAAC–CO2)]n (5-8). It is notable that these crystalline clusters of reduced CO2 may also be isolated via the “one-pot” reaction of free CO2 with free CAAC followed by the addition of alkali metals – a reductive process which does not occur in the absence of carbene. Each of the products 2-8 were investigated using a combination of experimental and theoretical methods.<br /

Bis(9-Boraphenanthrene) and Its Stable Biradical

Selective and site-specific boron-doping of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon frameworks often give rise to redox and/or photophysical properties that are not easily accessible with the analogous all-carbon systems. Herein, we report ligand-mediated control of boraphenanthrene closed- and open-shell electronic states, which has led to the first structurally characterized examples of neutral bis(9-boraphenanthrene) (2–3) and its corresponding biradical (4). Notably, compounds 2 and 3 show intramolecular charge transfer absorption from the 9-boraphenanthrene units to p-quinodimethane, exhibiting dual (red-shifted) emission in solution due to excited state conjugation enhancement (ESCE). Moreover, while boron-centered monoradicals are ubiquitous, biradical 4 represents a rare type of open-shell singlet compound with 95% biradical character, among the highest of any reported boron-based polycyclic species with two radical sites