Proximate and phytochemical compositions of some browse plant species of southeastern Nigeria

The proximate and phytochemical composition of some browse plant species were studied at the rainforests at Oban National Park and Umudike, Nigeria to determine their suitability as feeding material for wild and domestic animals. Questionnaire was served to 50 individuals who are either hunters or rear upto six goats or sheep within Umudike and Oban National Park enclave to know the plant species fed upon by wild animals and domestic animals. Two 10 - hectare blocks were laid at Oban National Park and the rain forest at Umudike. Leaves of all the plant species eaten by vertebrate animals within the 10 hectare blocks were collected and identified to species level at the Forest Herbarium, Forestry Research Institute at Jericho, Ibadan, Nigeria. Out of 27 plant species eaten by animals, 17 plant species were selected at random for study of their leaves proximate, phytochemical and mineral composition. It was observed that moisture content ranged between 8.08 and 11.10 per cent. The dry matter ranged between 88.90 and 91.92 per cent. The percent crude protein was highest in Uvaria chamae (21.88%) and least in Andropogeon tectorum (10.50%). The crude fat ranged from 1.38 percent in Gmelina arborea to 10.26 in U. chamae. The crude fibre was highest in Ficus exasperata (38.04%) and least in U.chamae with 8.96 per cent. The percent ash ranged from 5.98 to 9.44. The carbohydrates ranged from 37.76 to 54.56 per cent while the energy ranged from 226.08 to 387.30. In all of the studied plant species, the percent alkaloid, saponine, flavanoid, tannin and steroid were often less than 10 per cent. However, the Hydrogen cynide ranged from 0.05 in Uvaria chamae to 0.93 in Aspilia africana. The percent Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Lead, Cadmium and Manganese were often less than 5.0 percent. Mercury was in trace amount. Based on the contents of the leaves, these plants: Allophylus africanus, Costus afer, Uvaria chamae, Myrianthus arboreus, Carpolobia lutea, Ficus exasperata and Hannoa klaineana having upto 10% per cent crude protein, 5.00 percent crude fat and high palatability should be used in the establishment of fodder bank. The use of leaves of Treculia africana as fodder should be discouraged as itcontains little quantity of Cadmium and Chromium which could have cumulative adverse effects

Red, far red wavelength, the ratio red to far red, temperature and vegetation at a secondary forest regrowth and under the crowns of three plantation tree species at Umudike, Nigeria.

Measurements of temperature, red, far red wavelength of light and the ratio red to far red were made at every 10 minutes interval at marked points along a 15 m transect using thermometers and a Skye 660/730 Radiation Detector and Measuring unit (SKR100: SKR110) at Umudike, Nigeria. Readings were made during the dry and wet seasons under the forest floor of a secondary forest regrowth, under the crowns of Treculia africana, Dacryodes edulis, Irvingia gabonensis and in a 1 –year old abandonded farmland. Readings were taken at a height of 50cm above the ground. Plant species within 2.5 X 2.5m2 quadrats were enumerated every two months. Data revealed that there were variations within and between the red and far red wavelength at the studied sites. The ranges of the far red during the dry season were from -0.30 to 18.77; -0.42 to 10.18; -0.40 to 7.70; -0.60 to 1.36 and -0.39 to 0.31 in abandoned farmland, under the crowns of Treculia africana, Dacryodes edulis, Irvingia gabonensis and a secondary forest regrowth, respectively. The ranges during the wet season were – 0.88 – 16.79; - 0.86 – 5.54; - 0.86 – 4.26; - 0.70 – 3.38 ; - 0.83 – 0.12. The ranges of far red followed the same pattern. The ratio red to far red ranged between 1.7 and 1.8; 1.35 and 2.1; 1.4 and 1.8; 1.32 and 3.08 and 1.14 and 2.26. Simultaneous colonization of pioneers and climax tree species was not observed at the studied sites because of the poor dispersal appendages of most climax and pioneer tree species seeds within the studied areas. Grasses such as Alternathera sessilis were not observed at the secondary forest regrowth because adequate light for their seed germination was not available under the crown of the tree species. The grasses were abundant under the crowns of the plantation tree species especially Irvingia gabonensis. It was recommended that seeds of desirable tree species such as Khaya ivorensis and Entandrophragma cylindricum be germinated at the university nursery and the seedlings sold to farmers at cost lower than the cost of production

Life cycle, morphometrics and damage assessment of the Khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) on stored groundnut

The life cycle of the Khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) on stored groundnut was studied under fluctuating laboratory conditions of 25±5°C and 70±5% relative humidity. There were five larval instars and the total development time from egg to adult ranged from 37 to 40 days with an average of 37.95 days. The duration of each developmental stage was egg: 6.05 days; first instar: 3.8 days; second instar: 4.7 days; third instar: 5.6 days; fourth instar: 6.2 days; fifth instar: 6.8 days and pupa: 4.8 days. Females had an average fecundity of 80.2 eggs. Mean adult longevity was 12.4 days.

Surface Response Methodology for Mildsteel Corrosion Inhibition by Ethyl Esters of Castor and Rubber Seed Oils

Surface Response Methodology was conducted for Mildsteel Corrosion Inhibition by Ethyl esters of Castor and Rubber Seed Oils. Inhibitor concentration-in-acid medium, temperature and time were considered as the independent variables, in order to know the effect of the response (dependent) variable, which is the weight loss. The design matrix was constructed on the basis of different conditions of the independent variables at varying coded levels of design consideration (-α, -1, 0, +1 and +α), upon which corrosion inhibition experiments were conducted. Contour plots were used to show the combined effects of the factors (concentration, temperature and time) on the inhibition rate of the two study samples: Castor Seed Oil (CSO) and Rubber Seed Oil, RSO. Weight loss for CSO at combined effects of temperature-concentration, time-concentration and time-temperature were found to be 33.01g, 41.11g and 43.30g respectively, while those of RSO are 30.99g 38.16g and 40.15g respectively. This indicates that the time of the corrosion reaction is the most significant factor among the three factors considered in this study, while reaction temperature is more significant, and the inhibitor concentration is least significant. This high significance of reaction time was eventually manifested at the point of optimization, which indicated the highest response value of 44.52g and 43.89g for CSO and RSO respectively. The results, therefore, identifies RSO (with least weight loss, Z=30.99g) as possessing a better inhibition efficiency, when compared to CSO, and the model equations for both samples are of second order (Pure Quadratic)

In vitro

The in vitro antimicrobial and in vivo heavy metal abatement properties of aqueous extracts of Garcinia kola Heckel (bitter cola) were investigated using opportunistic pathogens and Wistar rats as experimental models. A marked inhibitory activity against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans was recorded at 100 mg/ml of the crude relative to ketoconozole and fluconazole drugs. Similarly, different concentrations (25 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml) of the crude extracts of bitter cola inhibited species of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa almost as effectively as the control drug of streptomycine used. Chronic lead acetate poisoned wistar rats in groups B, C, D, E exposed to G. kola supplemented feed and water ad libitum showed variable decrease in the serum alkaline phosphatase level while aspartate and alanine aminotransferases level reduces in C and D groups compared to the negative control group. The kidney biomarkers; serum creatinine and urea concentrations were not significantly different at P â¤Â 0.05 for rat groups C, D, E when compared with the positive and negative control groups respectively. Mild infiltration and cell distortion were observed in the liver and kidney sections of the rats exposed to uncoated bitter cola supplemented feed while suggesting an overriding effect from the nut coats. The study reaffirms the medicinal potential of coated and uncoated bitter cola to act as abatement of lead toxicity and alternative antimicrobial. Furthermore, G. kola could be a double-edged drug for the spontaneous amelioration of lead toxicity and secondary infections due to lead poisoning. Keywords: Garcinia kola, Antimicrobial, Lead abatement, Histopathology, Opportunistic pathogen