Determination of heavy metal profiles in Neem leaves (Azadirachta indica A) along some major streets in Minna metropolis Nigeria

Neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves collected from some major streets in Minna metropolis were determined for their heavy metal contamination using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results showed that the concentrations of analysed heavy metals along all the sampling route ranged from 14.5±1.15- 71.0 ± 6.17 µg/g Mn; 303.0±12.23-765.0 ± 19.27 µg/g Fe; 5.8± 0.55-40.0± 3.35 µg/g Cu; 59.4±3.50-361.0±12.53 µg/g Zn, with Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu along the various routes, while Cr, Cd and Pb were below detectable limit in all the samples. The result from this study indicate that the metal ion concentration in neem leaves along the various route studied were within the permissible level as recommended by WHO for plants to be used as food or for medicinal purposes and therefore will not contribute any toxicity or harmful effect to human health when taken orally or in the form of tea or for medicinal purposes or as part of diet. Keywords: Neem, Azadirachta indica, contamination, spectrophotometer, concentration toxicit

Remote sensing assessment of Jabi Lake and its environs: A developmental perspective

This paper is aimed at examining the relevance and impact of Jabi Lake in urban development and sustainable environmental change management. It uses a 2km radius buffer of remotely sensed satellite data from Landsat to examine the landuse/land cover dynamics within Jabi Lake and its environs in FCT-Abuja, Nigeria. Using maximum likelihood algorithm in ERDAS Imagine software, the supervised classification result shows that the lake water body decreased from 4.1 % in 1987 to 3.1% in 2006 and later increased to 4.0% in 2014. Built up experienced the highest landuse/land cover change from 3.17% in 1987 to 33.4% in 2006 and 37.5% in 2014. Light and dense vegetation reduced the most, while bare surface also showed an increase due to rapid urban development around the lake in the last 27 years. The focused group discussion (FGD) reveals that the conversion of previous agricultural land use and unplanned land uses to residential land use was due to high demand for residential housing around the lake. The perceived ambience scenery and accessible good road network were ranked as the first and second major positive centripetal forces of attraction to building near the lake while expensive land purchase and high rent were ranked first and second as the most negative centrifugal impacts of the lake on the environment. In conclusion, there is the need to monitor the progression of urban development so as to safeguard the lake for aquatic agriculture and it’s immediate environment from further deterioration

EVALUATION OF CHEMICAL NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF AFRICAN ELEMI PULP AND SEEDS

The aim of this study is to evaluate chemical nutritional constituents of the pulp and seed of African elemi. The evaluation of chemical compositions of pulp and seed of African elemi was obtained from Mararaba Jamma Market Jos, Plateau State in North Central Nigeria were determined using standard analytical methods. The parameters determined of proximate were protein, moisture, fat, ash as well as fibre of the seed were 6.90±0.60, 6.00±0.11, 61.00±0.33, 3.40±0.00 as well as 7.90±0.21 % respectively, in other hand the respective values of protein, moisture, fat, ash as well as fibre of the pulp were 6.80±0.10, 22.20±0.24, 44.50±0.31, 8.20±0.01 as well as 12.00±0.10 %. The carbohydrate content was lowest in the pulp (6.30±0.41%) and highest in the seed (14.80±0.22%). Energy values analyzed in this study were 2625.90±0.25 and 1869.20±0.01 KJ/100g for the samples seed and pulp respectively. These samples contained reasonable amounts of potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, calcium as well as magnesium. The anti-nutritional analysis revealed the presence of oxalate, phytate, saponins, alkaloids, and cyanide which were within the permissible limits. The pulp and seed of African elemi could, therefore, serve as an additional promising source of protein and mineral contents for human and animal feeds formulations

ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES OF FERMENTED AND UNFERMENTED SEED OF CISSUS POPULNAE FROM NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

The assessment of nutritional properties of fermented (for 24 and 48 h) and unfermented seeds of Cissus populnae from Niger State, Nigeria were determined using standard analytical methods. The proximate parameters determined were moisture, protein, ash, fat, fiber and carbohydrate.  The ranges of these values were from 12.44±0.03 (unfermented) to 15.21±0.51 (fermented for 48 h), 4.23±0.16 (unfermented) to 5.04±0.15% (fermentation at 48 h), 2.00±0.05 (unfermented) to 3.10±0.45 (fermented for 48 h), 7.20±0.60 (unfermented) to 9.01±0.11), 4.02±0.23% (fermentation for 48 h) to 7.00±0.06 (unfermented) and 63.62±0.46 (fermented at 48 h) to 67.13±0.53 (unfermented) % for the moisture, crude fiber, ash, crude protein, crude fat and crude carbohydrate contents respectively. The energy values obtained were 1522.61±0.21, 1446.82±0.33 and 1383.45±0.50 Kcal/100g for the unfermented, fermentation for 24 and 48 h respectively. From the results of this study, fermentation generally improved the mineral contents of the samples and decreased their anti-nutrient contents. Thus, large-scale production of fermented Cissus populnae seeds will be a valuable source of nutrition to man and his animals

PHYTOCHEMICALS AND HYPOGLYCEMIC PROPERTIES OF METHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF PHYLLANTHUS AMARUS

Plants and plant products are continuously being explored in medicine against diabetics. In the present study, phytochemical screening and hypoglycemic properties of methanol leaf extract of Phyllanthus amarus against alloxan-induced diabetic rats were conducted. A total of fifteen (15) albino rats were randomly selected into 5 groups of 3 rats per group. Groups 1-3 rats were treated with   250 and 500 mg/kg methanol extract of Phyllanthus amarus and 5 mg/kg of glibenclamide respectively, while groups 4 and 5 served as diabetic and normal controls respectively. All treatments were administered orally, once daily for fifteen days. Results revealed the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, total phenols and tannins. A significant (P<0.05) and a progressive increase in blood glucose level were observed in diabetic untreated rats throughout the experimental periods. At the end of the treatment period rat treated with 250 & 500 mg/kg, P. amarus had final glucose level of 117.00±5.43 mg/dl & 106.00±4.56 mg/kg. Rats treated with 2.5mg/kg glibenclamide had final glucose level of 117.33±5.43 while the untreated rat had final glucose level of 562.50±15.45 mg/dl. The extract of phyllanthus amarus at 250 and 500 mg/kg also cause a significant improvement in body weight gain of the rat. It is concluded that phyllanthus amarus contains some useful phytochemicals with potential hypoglycemic reputations. Thus, it may be considered as a natural source of the drug for therapeutic purposes

Physical factors contributing to rural water supply functionality performance in Malawi

This report communicates the findings generated from one of the project surveys – deconstruction and forensic analysis of 50 individual water points in Malawi. The report presents the new data generated to Malawi’s groundwater resource potential; the nature and condition of hand-pump borehole installations; and the significance of both of these factors to service performance. Based on the evidence collected, the main physical factor affecting functionality performance within Malawi is shown to be the poor condition of handpump components. Functionality of handpumps is considerably higher than in the other study countries, Ethiopia and Uganda, and the resource potential, depth to groundwater and recharge are generally favourable. Improved systems for rapid maintenance and repair would help increase functionality further. This finding should not, however, be considered to be the only driving force of functionality outcomes in these regions of Malawi, and the results of this survey need to be examined alongside the wider project findings. Wider institutional arrangements, resources and dynamics, are likely to play a significant role in the implementation of appropriate borehole construction, siting and design; procurement processes; and the management capacity available for water points at national to local levels

Assessment of Selected Heavy Metal Content on Dumpsites Soil and Vegetables Grown in Muwo Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria

This study examines the concentration of heavy metals in soil samples and some vegetables (spinach, water leaf, bitter leaf and jute mallow) cultivated around dumpsites in Muwo Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria. The soil samples and vegetable were analyzed for Ni, Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd using AA500 spectrophotometer after acid digestion. Data obtained show that, the Pb (1.684 mg/kg of Jute) content was high compared to other metals study in this work. Concentration of Zn was 1.993, 0.862 and 0.443 mg/kg for water leaf, soil and control sample respectively. The content of Pb was 1.727, 1.738 and ND mg/kg for water leaf, soil and control sample respectively. Also, the concentration of Pb was 1.736, ND and 0.457 mg/kg for spinach, soil and control sample respectively. However, the content of Zn was 0.786, 0.751 and 0.554 mg/kg for spinach, soil and control sample respectively The accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural soils is of increasing concern because of, potential health risks, food safety as well as its detrimental effects on the soil ecosystem and human health. The pollution indexes of Ni contents are 0.439, 0.378, and 0.083 for jute, soil and control sample respectively. While Zn concentration was 1.117, 0.858 and 0.492 for jute, soil and control sample respectively. The result of this study shows that Pb concentrations are present in high levels in the study area at the different level of contamination

Effectiveness of Monovalent Rotavirus Vaccine in Mozambique, a Country with a High Burden of Chronic Malnutrition

Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded by GAVI through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta and World Health Organization, Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO). African Research in Neglected Tropical Diseases (EFINTD, grant number 89539); Deutsche Forschungsge-meinschaft (DFG; grant number JO369/5-1); Fundo Nacional de Investigação (FNI); United States Agency for International Development (USAID; grant number AID-656-F-16-00002); the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation from where A.C., F.M., and J.S. have a PhD fellowship. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Mozambique introduced monovalent rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix® ) in September 2015. We evaluated the effectiveness of Rotarix® under conditions of routine use in Mozambican children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis (AGE). A test negative case-control analysis was performed on data collected during 2017–2019 from children <5 years old, admitted with AGE in seven sentinel hospital sites in Mozambique. Adjusted VE was calculated for ≥1 dose of vaccine vs. zero doses using unconditional logistic regression, where VE = (1 − aOR) × 100%. VE estimates were stratified by age group, AGE severity, malnutrition, and genotype. Among 689 children eligible for analysis, 23.7% were rotavirus positive (cases) and 76.3% were negative (controls). The adjusted VE of ≥1 dose in children aged 6–11 months was 52.0% (95% CI, −11, 79), and −24.0% (95% CI, −459, 62) among children aged 12–23 months. Estimated VE was lower in stunted than non-stunted children (14% (95% CI, −138, 66) vs. 59% (95% CI, −125, 91)). Rotavirus vaccination appeared moderately effective against rotavirus gastroenteritis hospitalization in young Mozambican children. VE point estimates were lower in older and stunted children, although confidence intervals were wide and overlapped across strata. These findings provide additional evidence for other high-mortality countries considering rotavirus vaccine introduction.publishersversionpublishe

Effect of index HIV self-testing for sexual partners of clients enrolled in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs in Malawi: A randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundHIV testing among the sexual partners of HIV-positive clients is critical for case identification and reduced transmission in southern and eastern Africa. HIV self-testing (HIVST) may improve uptake of HIV services among sexual partners of antiretroviral therapy (ART) clients, but the impact of HIVST on partner testing and subsequent ART initiation remains unclear.Methods and findingsWe conducted an individually randomized, unblinded trial to assess if an index HIVST intervention targeting the partners of ART clients improves uptake of testing and treatment services in Malawi. The trial was conducted at 3 high-burden facilities in central and southern Malawi. ART clients attending HIV treatment clinics were randomized using simple randomization 1:2·5 to: (1) standard partner referral slip (PRS) whereby ART clients were given facility referral slips to distribute to their primary sexual partners; or (2) index HIVST whereby ART clients were given HIVST kits + HIVST instructions and facility referral slips to distribute to their primary sexual partners. Inclusion criteria for ART clients were: ≥15 years of age, primary partner with unknown HIV status, no history of interpersonal violence (IPV) with partner, and partner lives in facility catchment area. The primary outcome was partner testing 4-weeks after enrollment, reported by ART clients using endline surveys. Medical chart reviews and tracing activities with partners with a reactive HIV test measured ART initiation at 12 months. Analyses were conducted based on modified intention-to-treat principles, whereby we excluded individuals who did not have complete endline data (i.e., were loss to follow up from the study). Adjusted models controlled for the effects of age and marital status. A total of 4,237 ART clients were screened and 484 were eligible and enrolled (77% female) between March 28, 2018 and January 5, 2020. A total of 365 participants completed an endline survey (257/34 index HIVST arm; 107/13 PRS arm) and were included in the final analysis (78% female). Testing coverage among sexual partners was 71% (183/257) in the index HIVST arm and 25% (27/107) in the PRS arm (aRR: 2·77, 95% CI [2·56 to 3·00], p ≤ 0.001). Reported HIV positivity rates did not significantly differ by arm (16% (30/183) in HIVST versus 15% (4/27) in PRS; p = 0.99). ART initiation at 12 months was 47% (14/30) in HIVST versus 75% (3/4) in PRS arms; however, index HIVST still resulted in a 94% increase in the proportion of all partners initiating ART due to higher HIV testing rates in the HIVST arm (5% partners initiated ART in HVIST versus 3% in PRS). Adverse events including IPV and termination of the relationship did not vary by arm (IPV: 3/257 index HIVST versus 4/10 PRS; p = 0.57). Limitations include reliance on secondary report by ART clients, potential social desirability bias, and not powered for sex disaggregated analyses.ConclusionsIndex HIVST significantly increased HIV testing and the absolute number of partners initiating ART in Malawi, without increased risk of adverse events. Additional research is needed to improve linkage to HIV treatment services after HIVST use.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03271307, and Pan African Clinical Trials, PACTR201711002697316