Proximate, mineral, fibre, phytate–phosphate, vitamin E, amino acid and fatty acid composition of Terminalia sericea

AbstractTerminalia sericea is widely distributed in the African Savannah bushveld. It is one of the indigenous fruit bearing trees put to multiple uses. Research has focused on the phytochemical composition of its root, bark, and leaf extracts that are used in ethnomedicine neglecting the potential of its seed. This study purposed to determine, by chemical analyses, the nutritive value of T. sericea seed. 78.8% of the seed was found to be crude protein (46.2%) and lipid (32.6%). Ash made up 6.90% of the seed mass. Linoleic and oleic acids constituted 68.63% and 14.05%, respectively, of the seed oil. Phosphorus (1121.75±10.39mg100g−1 DM) and glutamic acid (8.07±0.13g100−1 DM) constituted the most concentrated mineral and amino acid, respectively. T. sericea seed could be utilized as a protein source in feeds and foods and could also be exploited as a non-conventional plant oil source of oleic acid and linoleic acid

EFFECTS OF FICUS THONNINGII EXTRACTS ON THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT AND CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY OF SUCKLING RATS

Ficus thonningii is commonly used in traditional medicine across the African continent. Using forty, 6-day old Sprague Dawley rats, we investigated the effects of crude Ficus thonningii extracts on growth, morphology and morphometry of the abdominal viscera, and clinical biochemistry of neonatal rats. The pups were orally gavaged once daily with either low (50 mg.kg-1 b.w), or high (500 mg.kg-1 b.w), doses of aqueous or methanolic F. thonningii leaf extracts while the control received distilled water. After 7, days of treatment, the pups were euthanased and gross morphometric measurements of the abdominal visceral organs were recorded. Samples of the liver, caecum and proximal small intestine were processed for histology. Plasma biochemical parameters were analysed colorimetrically. High methanolic doses of F. thonningii extracts exhibited trophic effects on the stomach while both aqueous and methanolic extracts had trophic effects on the ceacal mucosa of rats. No significant growth-promoting effects were observed in other visceral organs. Histological analysis revealed no mucosal damage or necrosis. Clinical biochemistry parameters were not abnormally altered. There was a significant decrease (

Neonatal orally administered zingerone attenuates alcohol-induced fatty liver disease in experimental rat models

Alcohol intake at different developmental stages can lead to the development of alcohol-induced fatty liver disease (AFLD). Zingerone (ZO) possess hepato-protective properties; thus, when administered neonatally, it could render protection against AFLD. This study aimed to evaluate the potential long-term protective effect of ZO against the development of AFLD. One hundred and twenty-three 10-day-old Sprague–Dawley rat pups (60 males; 63 females) were randomly assigned to four groups and orally administered the following treatment regimens daily during the pre-weaning period from postnatal day (PND) 12–21: group 1—nutritive milk (NM), group 2—NM +1 g/kg ethanol (Eth), group 3—NM + 40 mg/kg ZO, group 4—NM + Eth +ZO. From PND 46–100, each group from the neonatal stage was divided into two; subgroup I had tap water and subgroup II had ethanol solution as drinking fluid, respectively, for eight weeks. Mean daily ethanol intake, which ranged from 10 to 14.5 g/kg body mass/day, resulted in significant CYP2E1 elevation (p < 0.05). Both late single hit and double hit with alcohol increased liver fat content, caused hepatic macrosteatosis, dysregulated mRNA expression of SREBP1c and PPAR-α in male and female rats (p < 0.05). However, neonatal orally administered ZO protected against liver lipid accretion and SREBP1c upregulation in male rats only and attenuated the alcohol-induced hepatic PPAR-α downregulation and macrosteatosis in both sexes. This data suggests that neonatal orally administered zingerone can be a potential prophylactic agent against the development of AFLD.The National Research Foundation (NRF) Thuthuka Fund and the Medical Faculty Research Endowment Fund, Faculty of Health Sciences Research Committee and School of Physiology of the University of Witwatersrand.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/metaboliteshj2023Physiolog

Land ownership and range resources management in Zimbabwe: a histrorical review

Land ownership and range resources management and utilisation in Zimbabwe spans over three distinct historical times. In pre-colonial Zimbabwe, chiefs together with their aides and subordinates were custodians of land and its encampent resources. Low livestock and human populations then, coupled with a cultural common sense of purpose within communities created a framework for a kind of common property resource management that led to sustainable range resource utilisation. The colonial era through the Land Appor- tionment Act of 1930, Native Land Husbandry Act of 1951 and the Land Tenure Act of 1969 saw the emergence of Tribal Trust Lands located in fragile environs of agro-ecological zones IV to V that became home to black Zimbabweans who had been dispossessed of resource-rich lands of agro-ecological zones I to III by the settler whites. Sustainable range resource utilisation initiatives such as the construction of mechanical conservation works, demarcation of arable from grazing land and grazing schemes in the Tribal Trust Lands failed partly due to resistance by the indigenous communities and the increases in both human and livestock populations that led to fragmentation of arable plots and subsequent encroachment into grazing lands Independence brought with it rural development programmes and legislative changes aimed at stemming range resource degradation as well as bringing equity in land ownership among different races in Zimbabwe. Having purportedly failed to access enough land for resettlement via the willing-buyer willing-seller concept as stated during the Lancaster House Conference of 1979, the Government of Zimbabwe embarked on the Land Reform Programme that degenerated in the Fast Track Land Reform Programme whereby white- owned commercial farms were occupied without any prior logistical and infrastructural arrangements for the incoming settlers. The Fast Land Reform Programme has somewhat managed to avail prime pieces of land to hitherto disadvantaged black Zimbabweans. However the programme presents both threats and opportunities to sustainable range resources utilisation in rural Zimbabwe. A dire need exists for Government to create awareness, educate, enforce and police, through its line ministries, all resettled Zimbabweans to utilise land and its resources in a sustainable manner

Sero-prevalence of Bovine brucellosis in the Gokwe Smallholder Dairy Project Herd of Zimbabwe

No Abstract

Optimization of Phytase Concentration from Aspergillus ficuum for Phytate-bound Phosphorus Release in Cereal Meals

In order to determine the optimum phytase dose needed to release phytate-phosphorus in Zea mays, Triticum aestivum and Sorghum bicolor meals, six phytase concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300, 500 & 1 000 μg/kg) prepared from a commercial phytase (Natuphos®) derived from Aspergillus ficuum, were investigated. A dose-dependent increase in phytate-phosphorus release with an increase in phytase concentration was noted. The optimum phytase dose for phytate-phosphorus release from Z. mays, T. aestivum and S. bicolor meals was 700, 567 and 667 μg/kg, respectively. Non-phytate phosphorus concentration at the optima phytase doses were 1.4868, 5.742 and 2.136 g/kg for Z. mays, T. aestivum and S. bicolor meals,respectively; translating into incremental phosphorus release of 166.8, 31.0 and 161.4%, respectively. The optimum dose of A.ficuum derived phytase required for release of phytate-phosphorus is dependent on cereal type. Key Words: Cereals; Exogenous phytase; Phytate-bound phosphorus; Nutrient-chelatin

Nutrient intake, digestibility and nitrogen retention in indigenous goats fed on Acacia nilotica fruits treated for condensed tannins

Polyethylene glycol (PEG 4000), Browse PlusTM (BP), wood ash (WA) and boiling water were evaluated as tannin deactivation methods on tannins in Acacia nilotica fruits. Twenty four Matebele goats of mean body mass, 38.7 ± 3.12 kg, were used in a digestibility and nitrogen balance trial. A completely randomized design was used, and the initial weight was used as a covariate in data analysis. The goats were randomly allocated to the treatments and were fed for 28 days on a basal diet of hay and A. nilotica fruits treated with PEG (MW 4000), BP, WA or boiling water. Acacia nilotica fruits had 4.39% catechin equivalents of condensed tannins, thus the amount of PEG, BP and WA used to treat the fruits was 1.5 parts per part of condensed tannin in the fruits. It was hypothesized that treating the fruits would deactivate the tannins in them and increase intake, digestibility and nitrogen retention. Treating the fruits for condensed tannins had no effect on hay and fruit intake. None of the treatments had an effect on the apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, neutral and acid detergent fibre and nitrogen retention in the goats. The goats that were fed on the boiled fruits had a negative N retention of –1.03 g/day. It was concluded that none of the detannification methods improved feed intake, apparent nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention. It is recommended that each detannification method should be tested on different types of tannins and at different concentrations before totally dismissing the treatments as not useful.Keywords: Boiling, Browse Plus, pods, proanthocyanidins, PEG, wood as

Dietary effects of optizyme P5* on the growth performance of day-old Struthip camelus var. domesticus (ostrich) chicks

No Abstract. SAJEST Vol. 2 (1) 2007: pp. 2-

A comparison of the nutrient and antinutrient composition of industrially processed Zimbabwean Jatropha curcas and Glycine max meals

In a study to compare the nutritive and Anti-nutritional Factors (ANFs) composition of industrially processed shelled Jatropha curcas (Physic nut) kernels and soyabean (Glycine max) seed; samples of industrially processed Soyabean Meal (SBM) generated from the traditional industrial hexane extraction method were used. Samples of J. curcas Meal (JCM) were derived from double solvent extraction of shelled J. curcas kernels in a hexane-ethanol extraction system followed wet extrusion (126°C, 2 atmospheres, 10 min contact time) and then re-extraction with hexane. The re-extracted JCM was then heated with pressurized steam at 121°C for 30 min before dried samples were used in the laboratory analyses. Significant differences (p<0.05) in both the nutrient and ANFs existed between the seed meals. The JCM had a significantly higher (p<0.05) Crude Protein (CP) with 577.00 g kg-1 DM versus 470.80 g kg-1 DM in SBM. Similarly JCM had a higher (p<0.05) ash, calcium and phosphorus content with 119.7, 12.4 and 22.26 g kg-1 DM, respectively versus the 73.8, 3.43 and 7.31 g kg-1 DM, respectively in SBM. The SBM and JCM registered statistically similar levels of Acid Detergent Fibre (ADF); however JCM had a significantly higher (p<0.05) Neutral Detergent Fibre content (NDF) at 177.30 g kg-1 DM with the SBM having 125.60 g kg-1 DM Neutral Detergent Fibre. The JCM had a residual Phorbol Esters (PEs) concentration of 0.8 mg g-1 that was equivalent to a decrease of 87.69% from the 6.5 mg g-1 PEs content in raw shelled Jatropha curcas kernels. The SBM registered 19.40 TUI mg-1 as trypsin inhibitor activity while the JCM did not show any such activity. Both meals did not cause agglutination and haemolysis of erythrocytes indicating that lectins and saponins were completely inactivated during the industrial processing of each meal