Proximate composition and the mineral contents of soya beans (Glycine max) available in Kano State, Nigeria

Soya bean is an important source of high-quality protein and oil, as well as other nutritious substances. The higher the content of these nutritious substances in a given soya bean, the higher it’s quality. The mineral and proximate contents of the variety of soya beans available in Kano state, Nigeria, were determined using standard procedures. The percentage (%) proximate composition was found to be Moisture 8.13%, Crude Protein 39.24%, Crude Fibre 6.84%, Crude Lipid 30.31%, Ash 4.61%, and Carbohydrate 5.08%. While the average mineral contents (%) were found to be 0.003 (Na), 0.216 (K), 0.281 (Mg), 0.324 (Ca), 0.722 (P), 0.003 (Zn), 0.002 (Cu), 0.291 (Mn) and 0.018 (Fe). The result is an indication of the nutritional importance of soya beans, and thus its production and quality require to be improved.Keywords: Mineral content, Nutritional value, Proximate composition, Soya bean

Phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of the root bark extracts of Neocarya macrophylla

Neocarya macrophylla is a medicinal plant commonly used in traditional medicine in Northern Nigeria to treat asthma, skin infections, treatment of wounds, dysentery, pulmonary troubles and a number of inflammations, as ell as treatment of eye and ear infections. In this work, the root back extracts of Neocarya macrophylla were screened for phytochemical constituents as well as the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, an ear infection-causing pathogen. The results revealed that some of the common phytoconstituents are present in most of the extracts. The susceptibility test results gives inhibition range of 13, 13, 13, 14 and 13 mm for the crude extract (NM), methanol extract (NM4), ethyl acetate extract (NM3), chloroform extract (NM2) and n-hexame extract (NM1) respectively against test organism at 50 mg/ml. The test results also showed inhibition range of 12, 11, 11, 12 and 12 mm for NM, NM4, NM3, NM2 and NM1 respectively at 25 mg/ml. Lastly, the results showed inhibition range of 11, 10, 09, 10 and 11 mm for NM, NM4, NM3, NM2 and NM1 respectively at 12.5 mg/ml. This indicates that NM2 is the most active fraction against the organism at 50 mg/ml, and the least active fraction was NM3 at 12.5 mg/ml. The test results also show that the root back extract NM2 has the potentials of providing the active components that could be developed into new antibacterial agents.Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Escherichia coli, Neocarya macrophylla, Phytochemical

Challenges of Decentralized, Farmer-Led and Fee-For-Service Extension

Agricultural extension services are crucial for the rapid spread of research results to farmers and for transmitting information about farmers’ needs, circumstances, and problems to researchers. In developing countries, public extension organizations are dominant. These public extension systems are often inadequately funded, have high costs, and their effectiveness is limited by many administrative and design deficiencies and challenges. Chief among these are the large scale and complexity of extension operations, the weak links between extension and research, problems of accountability, weak political commitment and support, weak management systems, severe difficulties of fiscal unsustainability, and difficulties of tracing extension impact. Disenchantment with the traditional, public extension programmes has led to the emergence of other approaches aimed at overcoming some of the weaknesses inherent in the public extension systems. This paper reviews the challenges of decentralized, farmer-led and fee-for-service extension

Challenges of Decentralized, Farmer-Led and Fee-For-Service Extension

Agricultural extension services are crucial for the rapid spread of research results to farmers and for transmitting information about farmers’ needs, circumstances, and problems to researchers. In developing countries, public extension organizations are dominant. These public extension systems are often inadequately funded, have high costs, and their effectiveness is limited by many administrative and design deficiencies and challenges. Chief among these are the large scale and complexity of extension operations, the weak links between extension and research, problems of accountability, weak political commitment and support, weak management systems, severe difficulties of fiscal unsustainability, and difficulties of tracing extension impact. Disenchantment with the traditional, public extension programmes has led to the emergence of other approaches aimed at overcoming some of the weaknesses inherent in the public extension systems. This paper reviews the challenges of decentralized, farmer-led and fee-for-service extension

Biochemical Charactarization of Lectin Isolated from the Seeds of Shear Butter Tree (Vitellaria Paradoxa)

The study on biochemical characterization of lectin isolated from the seeds of shear butter tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) was carried out. The plants materials were obtained fresh from Kaduna metropolis. Seeds extracts from different plant sources were assay for the presence of lectins. Haemagglutinating activity of the crude extract was determined. Blood samples of 5ml each were collected from the three healthy donors belonging to the A, B and O blood group within Kaduna metropolis for its specificity in agglutination in all human erythrocyte type. Biochemical characterization of V. paradoxa seed lectin was also determined. Hemagglutinating activity of lectin from V. Paradoxa seeds was monitored using human erythrocytes. V. Paradoxa showed no specificity for human erythrocytes of ABO blood groups. It was concluded that lectin was inhibited by D-glucose and fructose making it a super-lectin since it was able to recognize structurally two different sugars. Its maximum agglutinating activity was obtained at pH of 7.5 and temperature of 25OC. It is recommended that lectins need to be isolated, purified and characterized to ascertain any similarity or difference in their properties between them and that of the seed. The molecular analysis also needs to be carried out on the lectins from the various plant parts. It is only from the genes that it can be ascertained that the lectin from the seed, leaf and stem back of V. paradoxaare the same or differ. The isolated lectin can also be tested against micro-organisms to ascertain if it has any anti-microbial property