Assessment of bacterial quality of some fruits sold in selected markets within Kaduna metropolis

Microorganisms are known to contaminate or destroy fruits there by reducing the quality and the profits derived from them. Consumption of raw fruits often lead to food related disease outbreaks. The purpose of the study was to isolate, and identify bacteria present in fruits that are commonly sold in three different markets within Kaduna metropolis. A total of 54 different fruit samples of avocados, apples, and Sour sops were purchased from Bakin Dogo, Station and Kawo markets. All samples were analyzed for the density of microorganisms present using standard plate count method. The frequency of occurrence of the different types of bacteria present on the fruit samples were also determined using standard microbiological methods. The composition of nutrient in each fruit sample was also analyzed using standard method. The results of the study showed that the microbial loads of all the fruits examined ranged between 1.02 x 105 ± 0.60 x 105 CFU/ml to 1.38x105 ± 0.30x105 CFU/ml and the differences were found to be significant (P < 0.05). The sour sops obtained from Bakin dogo market had the highest mean microbial load of 1.38x105 ± 0.30x105 CFU/ml, followed by Avocado (1.24 x 105 ± 0.07 x 105 cfu/ml) from Kawo. The least microbial load of 1.02x105 ± 0.60 x 105 CFU/ml was each for apples obtained from Bakin dogo and Station markets respectively. The species of bacteria isolated from the fruit samples were Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella. Of the 81(100 %) total isolates of bacteria the most frequently isolated species were Staphylococcus (35.8 %) followed by Bacillus, Streptococcus and Escherichia coli (29.2, 16,0 and 9.9 %) while the least frequently isolated species were Pseudomonas (6.2 %) and Salmonella (2.6 %). Soursop has high ash, fiber, protein and carbohydrate contents while avocado has high fat content. Reduction of risk for illnesses associated with fruit consumption can be achieved by adequate microbiological knowledge of fruits, and adopting proper hygienic ways of harvesting, processing, handling and storage

Identification of Lubricating Oil-Degrading Microorganisms in Oil Polluted Soils from Five Auto- mechanic Workshops in Accra, Ghana

Trichothecium, Trichoderma, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium, and Penicillium spp. from oil contaminated soil from 5 Mechanic Shops in Accra, Ghana showed zones of clearance of oil on Minimum Salt Enrichment Medium (MSEM) Agar seeded with 1000ppm Engen™ Lubricating Oil (ELO), so were counted as presumptive lubricating oil-utilizing moulds. Significant increases (P ? 0.05) in viable counts, fungal dry weights and optical densities; significant decreases (P ? 0.05) in pH’s of pure cultures of the moulds in MSEM+1.0%(v/v) ELO medium at 30°C for 0 - 25 day’s; positive correlations between viable counts and fungal dry weights, viable counts and optical densities, and fungal dry weights and optical densities; and negative correlations between pH and viable counts, and pH and optical densities, confirmed the moulds as lubricating oil consuming fungi with potential for use in bioremediation of oil polluted soils. Aspergillus niger exhibited the highest bioremediation capacity and Trichothecium the least. Keywords: Lubricating Oil, Pollution, Fungi, Bioremediatio

Assessing Municipal Solid Waste Management Practices and Challenges in the Techiman Municipality, Ghana

Managing waste efficiently is essential for building sustainable, livable and healthy communities but this remains a challenge for many municipal governments due to limited municipal budget and other logistical challenges. Such challenges result in ineffective waste collection and disposal. However, identifying the challenges associated with municipal solid waste management often lead to developing solutions to mitigate the problem. This paper assesses the waste management practices and challenges within the Techiman municipality, the regional capital of the Bono East Region. By sampling residents’ perceptions and experiences it was observed that households and patrons were dissatisfied with Techiman’s Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM). Statistically the per capita per day rate of waste generation was 0.48kg/ per capita/per day, being higher than Ghana’s municipal waste generation of 0.40 kg/per capita/per day. Lack of collection of waste from the transfer stations to the landfill sites has resulted in about 67 heaps of uncollected waste in the municipality. The results show that lack of source separation and recycling, broken down trucks, low participation of private sector in waste collection, non-compliance of by-laws, poor road infrastructure leading to the landfill site, and inefficient landfill site have contributed to the waste problem in the municipality. Resorting to source separation, educating the public on waste management bye laws, increasing private sector participation and establishing engineered landfill sites can substantially contribute to sustainable Municipal Waste Management in the Techiman Municipality

Assessment of Radiological Hazards Indices in Vegetables Grown Around Ririwai Tin Mines, Kano State, North Western Nigeria

Mining industry in Nigeria provides economic benefits of wealth creation and employment opportunities. Presently there are numbers of artisanal and large scale mining activities going on across Nigeria and most of these artisanal miners currently under take only surface mining. The process produced large volumes of tailings and waste that may contain naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs). Some of the NORMs are soluble in water and have the tendency to leach into water bodies and farm lands.    This work assessed the radiological hazard indices in vegetable grown around Ririwai Tin Mine Kano State North Western Nigeria using Direct Gamma Spectroscopy (NaI (Tl)), The results shows that the mean activity concentration in vegetable samples were 259.25±4.77, 28.05±4.97 and 54.56±2.58Bq/kg respectively for 40K, 226Ra and 232Th, the mean absorbed dose rate was 45.043±1.98nGyh-1 the mean committed effective dose for 40K is 0.091±0.002mSv/year, 226Ra has a mean committed effective dose of 0.471±0.083mSv/year while 232Th has a mean committed effective dose of 0.753±0.036mSv/year. The total committed effective dose in vegetable has a mean value of 1.320±0.125mSv/year. The risk estimated for fatality cancer, lifetime  fatality cancer risk, severe hereditary effect and life time hereditary effect in vegetable were 7.26 x 10-5, 5.29 x 10-3, 2.60 x 10-6 and 1.84 x 10-4 respectively. The values obtained in this study are relatively high such that consumption of vegetable grown in the area could pose  radiological health hazards. Keywords: Activity Concentrations, Absorbed dose, Committed effective dose, Risk

Anticonvulsant screening of three novel isomeric forms of 4[(dimethylphenyl) amino]-4-oxobut-2-enoic acid in chicks and mice

Epilepsy is a disorder of public concern and has been widely treated using various pharmacotherapeutic approaches. Despite many breakthrough in its current management, there is no one drug that is devoid of shortcomings particularly toxicity and cost. Advances in pharmaceutical research have led to the need for a structure guided pharmacologic activity of novel compounds. The aim of this study is to evaluate the anticonvulsant activity of three (3) novel isomeric forms of 4[(dimethylphenyl) amino]-4-oxobut-2-enoic acid in chicks and mice. The 3 isomeric forms i.e. {4-[(2, 4- dimethylphenyl) amino]-4-oxobutenoic acid (A), 4-[(2, 5- dimethylphenyl) amino]-4-oxobutenoic acid (B) and 4-[(2, 6- dimethylphenyl) amino]-4-oxobutenoic acid (C)} were subjected to acute toxicity studies using Lorke’s method of 1983 and anticonvulsant screening using Maximum Electro-Shock Test (MEST) and Pentylenetetrazole test (PTZ). The Median lethal doses (LD50) of compounds A, B, and C were estimated to be 775, 1131, and 1131 mg/kg respectively. In the MEST, compound A (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) and B (75, 150 and 300 mg/kg) did not show protection at all the doses tested, while compound C (75, 150 and 300 mg/kg) showed a 20% protection across all the doses tested. In the PTZ, compound A, B and C showed no protection. In conclusion, all the 3 isomeric forms of 4[(dimethylphenyl) amino]-4-oxobut-2- enoic acid though possessed some level of protection but not significant against MEST and PTZ models.Keywords: Anticonvulsant, Epilepsy, Isomers, MEST, PT

Sero-prevalence of hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag) among blood donors attending ahmadu bello university teaching hospital (Abuth), Zaria, Nigeria

A study on the sero-prevalence of Hepatitis B surface Antigen among 100 blood donors attending Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Shika, Zaria, Kaduna Nigeria was carried out in June, 2008 using hepatitis B surface Antigen latex. Higher prevalence rate was observed between the age range of 30 – 39years. No prevalence was observed between 15 – 19 and 45-54years. The findings revealed high prevalence in males as compared to females (p < 0.05)