Occurrence, distribution and alternative hosts of Wheat streak mosaic virus infecting ginger in Kaduna State, Nigeria

A field survey was conducted during the 2018 rainy season (June – October) in three major ginger producing Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kaduna State, Nigeria to determine the occurrence and spread of wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) infecting ginger. Symptomatic and asymptomatic ginger leaf samples (n=180) and weed samples (n=45) were collected from the surveyed fields and indexed against WSMV using Double Antibody Sandwich Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (DAS-ELISA). The results obtained showed that WSMV occurred in all the LGAs surveyed but with significant (P = 0.05) variation in distribution. Jaba had the highest virus incidence (22.67\,\%) followed by Kagarko (17.67\,\%) while Kachia had the lowest virus incidence of 10.00\,\%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of WSMV infecting ginger in Nigeria. Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Clayton and Setaria barbata (Lam.) Kunth tested positive against WSMV as alternative weed hosts of the virus. The incidence of WSMV even at lower percentage is significant as population build-up could lead to a disease outbreak. Awareness programs need to be organised for farmers on yield loss potential of WSMV on ginger crop and the role of cultural practices on the incidence and management of the virus

Antioxidant activities of the leaves of Chrysophyllum Albidum G.

Chrysophyllum albidum G. is a tropical plant and commonly found in Nigeria. It belongs to the sapotaceae family and used in folklore in the treatment of yellow fever, malaria, diarrhea, vaginal and dermatological infections. The study was aimed at investigating the antioxidant properties of this plant by employing the in vitro and in vivo experimental models. The effect of DPPH free radical scavenging activity on the fractions of petroleum ether, ethanol, butanol, ethylacetate, and water of C. albidum was determined. The ethyl acetate fraction was purified in colunm chromatography to obtain myricetin rhamnoside. Structure elucidation was done by NMR and mass spectroscopic techniques. Furthermore, ethanol extract was administered to five groups of eight rats per group. The animals in the normal group were administered with vehicle alone for 7 days. The positive control animals were given vehicle on the first four days, and with the vehicle and hepatotoxin (CCl4) on the fifth, sixth and seventh day. The animals in the treatment category were respectively administered with 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/kg b.w. of extract & distilled water for the first four days, and with distilled water, extract and CCl4 on the last three days. Animals were subsequently anaesthetized and blood samples were collected for catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced gluthathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assays. The petroleum ether fraction showed the least antiradical activity (4057.5 ± 809.6 g/kg) while ethyl ether exhibited the highest activity (414.4 ± 92.0 g/kg). Myricetin rhamnoside also exhibited an excellent radical scavenging activity (314.1 ± 60.2) which was comparable to the positive control. Result from animal study showed that C. albidum exhibited significant (p < 0.05) differences on the activity of CAT, MDA and GSH. The plant could therefore be employed as sources of natural antioxidant boosters and for the treatment of some oxidative stress disorders in which free radicals are implicated