Controlling bruchid pests of stored cowpea seeds with dried leaves of Artemisia annua and two other common botanicals

Insecticidal activities of dried Artemisia annua L. leaves were evaluated against bruchid (Callosobruchus maculatus F.) pests in comparison with those of Azadirachta indica, Ocimum gratissimum and a conventional grain storage insecticide, Actellic® 2% dust. Each treatment was added to a mixture of 250 g cowpea seeds and 25 adult bruchids and laid out in a completely randomized design with four replicates. Irrespective of the concentration tested, all three plant materials significantly (P < 0.05) increased mortality rate of adult insects earlier than the control. Higher concentrations of the botanical pesticides equally resulted in an increased reduction in the number of surviving bruchids and reduction to seed damage through a lower number of eggs laid and weevil perforation index (WPI) after 90 days. Comparatively, A. annua was more effective than the other plant materials at all levels evaluated though it was not as effective as Actellic 2% dust. Moreover, differences amongst the efficiency rates and interactions between A. annua and A. indica in three treatment combinations produced a significant (P < 0.05) effect on two of the parameters evaluated. Taken together, all plant materials evaluated here were seen to have significant insecticidal properties and could therefore, be used as environmentally friendly products for controlling bruchid pests during storage of cowpeas with no adverse effects on eventual mammalian consumers as observed during an animal feeding trial in this study.Key words: Actellic 2% dust, botanical pesticides, Callosobruchus maculatus, Vigna unguiculata, weevil perforation index

Auxin pretreatment promotes regeneration of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) midrib segment explants

We have developed a new, simple, quick and genotype-independent method for direct regeneration of sugarcane using novel midrib segment explants. Our protocol involves two steps: the pretreatment of starting material on MS (Murashige and Skoog (1962) Physiol Plant 15:473–497) medium containing 3.0 mg/l 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) for 8 days under continuous dark and subsequent transfer of the explants to MS medium augmented with 0.1 mg/l benzyladenine (BA) and 0.1 mg/l naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) under light-dark conditions. On the regeneration medium, numerous globular structures appeared from the explants and subsequently differentiated into shoots. Regenerated shoots attained 2–5 cm height within 30 days of culture initiation and readily rooted on MS basal medium. Hardened plants were successfully established in the greenhouse. The regulation of sugarcane morphogenesis by auxin pretreatment is discussed

Brucellosis as an Emerging Threat in Developing Economies:Lessons from Nigeria

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, has a large proportion of the world's poor livestock keepers, and is a hotspot for neglected zoonoses. A review of the 127 accessible publications on brucellosis in Nigeria reveals only scant and fragmented evidence on its spatial and temporal distribution in different epidemiological contexts. The few bacteriological studies conducted demonstrate the existence of Brucella abortus in cattle and sheep, but evidence for B. melitensis in small ruminants is dated and unclear. The bulk of the evidence consists of seroprevalence studies, but test standardization and validation are not always adequately described, and misinterpretations exist with regard to sensitivity and/or specificity and ability to identify the infecting Brucella species. Despite this, early studies suggest that although brucellosis was endemic in extensive nomadic systems, seroprevalence was low, and brucellosis was not perceived as a real burden; recent studies, however, may reflect a changing trend. Concerning human brucellosis, no studies have identified the Brucella species and most reports provide only serological evidence of contact with Brucella in the classical risk groups; some suggest brucellosis misdiagnoses as malaria or other febrile conditions. The investigation of a severe outbreak that occurred in the late 1970s describes the emergence of animal and human disease caused by the settling of previously nomadic populations during the Sahelian drought. There appears to be an increasing risk of re-emergence of brucellosis in sub-Saharan Africa, as a result of the co-existence of pastoralist movements and the increase of intensive management resulting from growing urbanization and food demand. Highly contagious zoonoses like brucellosis pose a threat with far-reaching social and political consequences

Building a golden triangle for the production and use of artemisinin derivatives against falciparum malaria in Africa

Use of the conventional quinoline- and sulphanamide-based drugs for the symptomatic treatment of malaria is gradually being replaced by artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) due to increasing resistance by the Plasmodium parasite. This development has drastically increased artemisinin demand worldwide, and Artemisia annua L. is currently the only commercial source for thesupply of this vital antimalarial drug to the international market. Recent advances, however, demonstrate that the production of isoprenoid precursors in microorganisms is a feasible complementary strategy that would help reduce artemisinin cost in the future. The key genes encoding for enzymes regulating the biosynthesis of artemisinin in planta are fully understood to enable metabolic engineering of the pathway, and results from pilot genetic engineering studies in microbialstrains thus far are very inspiring. This review, therefore, explores the current status of artemisinin derived drugs against malaria and highlights some implications of crop agronomy, biotechnology andsolvent extraction strategies in enhancing the total yield of artemisinin for the production of ACTs, which are responsible for saving the lives of countless numbers of patients in malaria-stricken societies and are currently in very high demand, especially in Africa

Dietary inclusion of dried Artemisia annua leaves for management of coccidiosis and growth enhancement in chickens

Coccidiosis constitutes a major problem in poultry rearing. Recourse to the use of prophylactic chemotherapy, for example, is only a short-term solution. Ostensibly, the drugs used are effective but they are also expensive. In the present study, the influence of adding dried Artemisia annua L. leaves as a botanical coccidistat in coccidia-infested broilers was investigated. Concurrently, the feed consumption pattern and weight gain in broilers as well as egg production rate and size in layers,respectively, were also evaluated. In untreated broilers, trophozoites increased an average of four-fold over 84 days. Inhibition of parasite growth in birds fed with rations containing A. annua leaves wasobserved just like with a commercial anticoccidial therapy. In addition, there was a higher feed intake which resulted in higher weight gain in the broilers. Weekly egg production rate, size and intensity of egg yolk colour were equally improved in all the layers fed with a mixture of commercial mash and A. annua leaves. This is an implicit indication that the addition of A. annua leaves to poultry feed serves asa potentially rich source of medication and nourishment for the birds

Controlling bruchid pests of stored cowpea seeds with dried leaves of Artemisia annua and two other common botanicals

Insecticidal activities of dried Artemisia annua L. leaves were evaluated against bruchid (Callosobruchus maculatus F.) pests in comparison with those of Azadirachta indica, Ocimum gratissimum and a conventional grain storage insecticide, Actellic (R) 2% dust. Each treatment was added to a mixture of 250 g cowpea seeds and 25 adult bruchids and laid out in a completely randomized design with four replicates. Irrespective of the concentration tested, all three plant materials significantly (P < 0.05) increased mortality rate of adult insects earlier than the control. Higher concentrations of the botanical pesticides equally resulted in an increased reduction in the number of surviving bruchids and reduction to seed damage through a lower number of eggs laid and weevil perforation index (WPI) after 90 days. Comparatively, A. annua was more effective than the other plant materials at all levels evaluated though it was not as effective as Actellic 2% dust. Moreover, differences amongst the efficiency rates and interactions between A. annua and A. indica in three treatment combinations produced a significant (P < 0.05) effect on two of the parameters evaluated. Taken together, all plant materials evaluated here were seen to have significant insecticidal properties and could therefore, be used as environmentally friendly products for controlling bruchid pests during storage of cowpeas with no adverse effects on eventual mammalian consumers as observed during an animal feeding trial in this study.10479586959

Nutritional characterisation and antioxidant capacity of different tissues of Artemisia annua L.

Evaluation of different tissues of Artemisia annua for their nutritional contents and antioxidant potential demonstrated that the leaves and inflorescences had the highest percentage of protein, crude fat and in vitro digestible fractions but the lowest levels of detergent fibres. These tissues also had the highest composition of the major elements as well as manganese and copper. Their relatively high amino acid and vitamin profiles equally reflect a desirable nutritional balance adding to their high antioxidant capacities. Collectively, these high levels of the different nutritional constituents and antioxidant activities coupled with the very low and often negligible levels of inherent anti-nutritive factors, especially in the leaves, which are far below recommended toxic levels, establishes A. annua as a good reservoir of nutrients and antioxidants that might favour its use as a potential herbal tonic by humans or an important supplementary feed additive for livestock production systems. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.11541240124

Adaptation and agronomic performance of Artemisia annua L. under lowland humid tropical conditions

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Demand for new chemotherapies against malaria is increasing as Plasmodium, the causative organism of the disease, has shown a high degree of resistance against most standard anti-malarial drugs. One of the few highly effective compounds is artemisinin, the major sesquiterpene for the production of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). This antimalarial drug is extracted from the leaves of Artemisia annua, a plant that is mainly cultivated under cool (temperate) climate and high altitudes. The current study examined the possibility of introducingA. annua germplasm into the agricultural landscape of the lowland humid tropics in field experiments and identified promising accessions that are capable of producing high leaf biomass and artemisinin yields. Differences amongst seed origin, planting season and soil moisture availability had highly significant (P<0.01) effects on most of the agronomic characteristics evaluated, suggesting that these are very critical factors when considering the cultivation of A. annua in the humid tropics. Two non-photoperiodic hybrid lines evaluated in the trials had suitable agronomic potential, including the production of fresh leaf biomass yield in excess of 30 tonnes/ha with up to 1.0975% artemisinin concentration. This study shows that with improved management practices and using the right accessions, there is an inspiring possibility that the cultivation of A. annua can be optimized in the humid tropics for commercial production of the life saving artemisinin drug, which is most needed in these regions where malaria is endemic. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.39190197Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq