Antioxidant Properties of Phenolic Extracts of African Mistletoes (Loranthus begwensis L.) from Kolanut and Breadfruit Trees

Mistletoe (Loranthus begwensis L.) has been used ethno-botanically for the management of several tropical diseases for centuries; and the medicinal properties have been associated with their host plant. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the antioxidant properties of mistletoe from two host plants (breadfruit and kolanut trees). The result of the study revealed that mistletoe from kolanut tree (0.69 mg/g) had higher total phenol content than that of breadfruit tree (0.49 mg/g). Furthermore, the extracts chelate Fe2+ and scavenge DPPH radicals in a dose-dependent (0 – 30 mg/ml) pattern. Nevertheless, the EC50 revealed mistletoes from kolanut as having higher DPPH scavenging (15.77mg/ml) than that of breadfruit (16.29mg/ml), while L.begwensis from Breadfruit tree had higher Fe2+ chelating ability (1.97mg/ml) than that of Kolanut tree (2.23mg/ml). Likewise, mistletoe from kolanut (27.5mg/AAE g) had higher ferric reducing ability (FRAP) than that of breadfruit (22.0mg/AAE g). Although both mistletoe extracts showed promise as good antioxidant sources, the total phenol content and the antioxidant capacity pattern of the extracts suggest host dependency. Keywords: antioxidant, breadfruit tree, kolanut tree, Loranthus begwensis L

Influence of Poultry Manure on Growth and Fruit Yield of Selected Pepper Species and Their Qualities after Storage in Various Structures

The production of pepper is low due to decrease in fertility of soil and inadequate storage structures. The study was aimed at evaluating the growth, yield and storage qualities of selected pepper varieties as influenced by poultry manure and storage structures in Ibadan, Nigeria. A field experiment was carried out at Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan between November, 2017 and April, 2018 growing season. Two varieties of pepper (Capsicum annum and Capsicum frutescens) were used, with four treatments consisting of different rates of poultry manure. Controls of 0 g of poultry manure (T1), 12.5 g (T2), 25 g (T3) and 37.5 g (T4) were laid out in a complete randomised design and replicated four times. Storage experiment was carried out in the Department and at Nigeria Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Ibadan in June, 2018. The storage experiment comprised of four treatments with ambient condition (open shelf), wet basket, Evaporative Coolant Structure (ECS/Pot-in-pot), and plastic crates used as storage structures, laid out in a completely randomised design and replicated three times. The physical parameters obtained in days in storage (DIS) included weight loss (%), firmness, freshness, among others. Data observed were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means separated using least significant difference (LSD) at p>0.05. The result obtained showed that pepper growth was enhanced using Capsicum frutescens under 25 g poultry manure application rate which resulted to superior pepper yield. The combination of pot-in-pot with sawdust as storage structures enhanced the storage qualities of pepper fruits within the two weeks of storage. Although, the different manure treatments had no significant effect on the postharvest quality of pepper, the ECS can be effectively used in the storage of pepper fruits in order to improve postharvest quality, extend shelf life and enhance affordability of the commodity at all seasons

Modulation of Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels in Plasmodium berghei Malarial Infection by Crude Aqueous Extract of Ganoderma lucidum

In this study, attempt is made to establish changes in serum and liver lipoprotein cholesterols accompanying Plasmodium berghei malarial infection in mice treated with aqueous extract of Ganoderma lucidum at 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg body weight in comparison with 15 mg/kg chloroquine (CQ). Significant increases in all the lipoprotein fractions were observed in infected untreated mice compared with normal control mice. Treatment with 100 and 250 mg/kg G. lucidum extract produced significant reduction in serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density cholesterol (LDL-C) contents compared with 500 mg/kg G. lucidum and CQ. Treatment with CQ, however, produced significant reduction in hepatic TC and LDL-C compared with the extract. A dosedependent significant increase in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was observed in the G. lucidum treated mice compared with normal control but significantly lower compared with CQ-treated mice. Liver HDL-C level was significantly higher in CQ-treated mice compared with normal control and significantly lower compared with G. lucidum-treated and infected untreated mice. A dose-dependent effect of the extract was observed in both serum and liver very-low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C). The implication of these results is discussed with respect to the parasite survival and proliferation in the serum and liver

Prioritising plant-parasitic nematode species biosecurity risks using self organising maps

The biosecurity risks from many plant-parasitic nematode (PPN) species are poorly known and remain a major challenge for identifying potentially invasive species. A self organising map (SOM) was used to prioritise biosecurity risks from PPN to the whole of continental Australia as well as each of the states and the Northern Territory separately. The SOM used the recorded worldwide distributions of 250 systematically selected species from 43 genera, and identified 18 different countries spanning Asia, Africa, North and Central America, Europe and the Pacific with very similar PPN assemblages to Australia as a whole. Many of the species in these countries are not recorded in Australia, and therefore pose a biosecurity risk. Analysed separately, the states and territories were identified as forming five separate clusters, each with a different region of the world, and with different characteristic PPN. Many of the PPN found in the regions clustered with an Australian state have not been recorded from anywhere in Australia, and others have very restricted distributions within Australia, thus posing different biosecurity risks. The SOM analysis ranked the risks of the different PPN based on likelihoods of establishment. The rankings confirmed the risks from frequently quarantined PPN, but more importantly identified species, which upon further investigation could be new threats. This method can be used to identify previously overlooked species for more detailed risk assessments