Phytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Activities of Aframomum melegueta (K. Schum) Seed Extracts on Salmonella typhi and Klebsiella pneumoniae

The phytochemical screening and antibacterial effects of Aframomum melegueta (K. Schum)on Salmonella typhi and Klebsiella pneumoniae was carried out. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, anthraquinones, terpenoids, glycosides and phenols in the seed extract. The susceptibility test showedzones of inhibition (ZOI) of S. typhi (11.0mm) and K. pneumonia (13.0mm) with methanolic seed extract (MSE), while the hot aqueous seed extract (HASE) recorded 3.0mmas ZOI for both test organisms. The Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 200mg/ml and 100mg/ml were recorded against S. typhi and K. pneumoniae respectively with MSE, while HASE indicated 400mg/ml and 200mg/ml MICs against S. typhi and K. pneumoniae respectively. The Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) obtained from MSE were 200 mg/ml and 25mg/ml for S. typhiand K. pneumoniae, while HASE had > 400mg/ml for test microbes. The effectiveness of different concentrations of the test plant extracts on the test organisms was significant (P<0.05). Further trials involving other clinical isolates and botanicals at different concentrations be conducted, to optimize theprocess

Assessment of Biodiesel Fuel Potentials of Seed Crude Oil Extracts of Balanites aegyptiaaca (L.) Del

Study on assessmentof biodiesel fuel potentials of seed crude oil extracts of Balanites aegyptiaaca (L.) Del was carriedout. Standard methods of the Association of Official and Analytical Chemist (AOAC) were adopted to evaluate the proximate, physico-chemical properties and fatty acid compositions of crude seed oil extracts of the test plant. The proximate constituents of the crude seed oil extract gave crude protein (22.09%), crude fat (56.75%), moisturecontent (1.35%), ash (4.70%), crudefiber (12.75%) and carbohydrate (2.36%). The crude oil physicochemical properties included saponification value(216.439mgKOH/g), peroxide value(4.84meq/kg), acid value(2.18mgKOH/g), iodine value(77.08g/100g), viscosity value(150.3@30\ub0C) and cetane number(54.08), refractive index(1.487 @30\ub0C), relative density (0.949g/cm3) while calorific value was 39.03(MJ/kg). The fatty acids composition of crude kernel oil extract of B. aegyptiaca indicated the presence of four (4) fatty acids, with relative percentage abundance (RPA) in the order of 67.17% (9,12-Octadecanoic acid (C19H3402)) > 16.22% (Pentadecanoic acid (C17H3402)) > 11.8kg% (Heptacosanoic acid (C28H5602)) > 4.72% (Oleic acid(C18H3402)). These properties conferred relative prospects on the crude oil of the test plant as a suitable potential biodiesel substrate and consequently, large scale aforestation efforts be renewed, to guarantee ready availability of the raw materials