The nutritional value of fourteen species of edible insects in southwestern Nigeria

Seventeen species of edible insects representing nine families from south western Nigeria were analyzed for nutrient composition. They include the orders of Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Isoptera. Analeptes trifasciata, Rhynchophorus phoenicis and Zonocerus variegatus has the highest crude protein content (29.62, 28.42 and 26.8%, respectively). The Ether Extract content ranged from 1.50 to 31.40%, and the highest amount was found in R. phoenicis (31.4%), Macrotermes bellicosus (28.2%) and Macrotermes notalensis (22.5%). The nitrogen free extract content ranged from 38.5 to 85.3%, with highest values in Brachytrypes spp. and Oryctes boas. The insect richest in Vitamin A, B2 and C was Apis mellifera (12.44 ug/100 g, 3.24 mg/100g and 10.25 mg/100 g, respectively). Highest calcium and phosphorus contents of 61.28 mg/100g and 136.4 mg/100g were found in Analeptes trifasciata. Iron was found highest in M.notalensi and magnesium in Zonocerus variegatus. These insects which are sources of delicacy are also pests of certain crops at developmental stages of their life. Despite this they constitute a significant component of diet among the people of south western Nigeria.Keywords: Nutrition, insects, Nigeri

The ‘fear factor’ : Nigerian women and practitioners’ views on the factors affecting attendance in mammography screening

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death amongst women. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a significant increase in the incidence of breast cancer is expected in developing countries (such as Nigeria) by 2030. Mammography screening can significantly reduce the mortality and morbidity resulting from breast cancer. In Nigeria, however, 70% of the breast cancer cases are reported at its later stages, and evidence concludes that the participation level of eligible women in the mammography-screening programme is low. This study is the first to explore the factors affecting women’s attendance in mammography screening in the Lagos state via a qualitative approach. A qualitative descriptive approach is used to explore the views of susceptible women living in Lagos state. Seven focus group discussions (n= 65) and face-to-face interviews with five mammography practitioners in Lagos state were conducted. The study was guided by the theory of care seeking behaviour, and participants were questioned through semi-structured interviews and focus group guides. A conventional content analysis method was used to analyse the information gathered from the participants. Results have shown that lack of awareness among women influences their knowledge of benefits and risks, thus exposing them to several forms of fear and cultural issues (such as, trust in wonder drugs, believe in God, and the culture of non-disclosure of problems) which may directly affect their participation in mammography screenings. In addition, professionalism of mammography staff and government’s role in providing an effective mammography screening service were external factors found to influence women’s attendance. To conclude, the need for targeted education within the society is essential, as the participants identified that education might improve awareness, reduce fear and improve women’s attendance. Keywords: Mammography, Attendance, Breast cancer, Health promotion

Synthesis, characterization and biological activity studies of mixed paracetamol- ascorbic acid metal complexes

Mixed ligand-metal complexes of Paracetamol and Ascorbic acid were synthesized using FeCl2.4H2O, CuCl2.2H2O, NiCl2.6H2O, CoCl2.6H2O and ZnSO4 salts based on two concentrations (3mmol and 5mmol). The complexes were characterized using some physical techniques such as melting point, solubility, conductivity measurement and spectroscopic analyses such as UV-Visible spectroscopy, Atomic absorption spectroscopy, and Infrared spectroscopy. Based on the physical and spectroscopic results, the coordination of the metal was through the phenolic oxygen and carbonyl oxygen in paracetamol while it was through the carbonyl oxygen and C-2 hydroxyl group in ascorbic acid. The complexes were also screened for their antimicrobial activities against some isolates of Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, Klebsiella sp., Helicobacter pylori. Keywords: Metal, Mixed ligand-metal complexes, Paracetamol, Ascorbic acid, Isolates

Farmer's knowledge and perception of horticultural insect pest problems in southwestern Nigeria

This survey was carried out in three states of southwestern Nigeria (Ogun, Oyo and Lagos states) on farmer's perception of horticultural insect pest problems. The survey was conducted between August 2002 and January 2003. A large number of the farmers were above 25 years old (91%). They were predominantly male (73%) and about 76% were married. Some farmers cultivate both tree and vegetables (36.5%) while a few of them plant trees, vegetable and ornamentals together (5.4%). Whilst 89% were aware of insect pest problems, only 35% used chemical treatment even though about 79% thought that pest damage ranged from mild to severe. Majority of the farmers adopt diverse number of traditional methods in pest control. Key words: Farmers, pests, horticultural crops, vegetable, control African Journal of Biotechnology Vol.2(11) 2003: 434-43

Organic Residues Affect Soil P Availability, Cowpea Yield And Nutrient Uptake on a Near Neutral P-Deficient Alfisol in Southwestern Nigeria

In the moist savanna zone of West Africa, it has been suggested that application of organic residues may play central roles in increasing the availability of inherent soil phosphorus and the dissolution and utilization of phosphate rock (PR) by food crops. Laboratory incubation study was carried out with plant residues of different chemical compositions (leaves of Flemingia macrophylla, Leucaena leucocephala, and maize stover (Zea mays L.) in pots containing a P-deficient Alfisol from SW Nigeria with ground Togo PR for 3 months to determine the dynamics of Olsen extractable P in the absence of growing plants. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) was planted in the incubated soils thereafter to evaluate treatment effects on cowpea yield and P uptake. A control treatment (no PR, no plant residues) was included for comparison. The pot trial was laid out as completely randomised design replicated four times. Generally, soil P availability increased with increasing length of incubation. Compared with the initial soil P value of 3.14 mg kg-1, after 12 weeks of incubation Leucaena +PR had the highest soil P (9. 9 mg kg soil-1), followed by Flemingia (7.9 mg kg soil-1) and Flemingia + PR (7.3 mg kg soil-1). Phosphorus availability following incubation of PR was 5.11 mg kg soil-1, 4.2 mg kg soil-1 for the control treatment, and 3.37 mg kg soil-1 for maize stover, which rather immobilized P throughout the incubation period. Cowpea plants grown on Flemingia and Leucaena incubated soils with and without PR produced higher number of pods, grain yield, and shoot dry matter than those grown on PR and maize+PR incubated soils. Total N uptake was not significantly different among the treatments but P and K uptake was significantly higher in plants grown on Leucaena+PR, Leucaena, Flemingia, and Flemingia+PR incubated soils than those grown on the control, PR, and maize+PR incubated soils. These results suggest that plant residues can be selected and incubated in near neutral P-deficient soils to enhance P availability and increase crop yield and P uptake.Key words: Alfisol, cowpea dry matter, length of incubation, Olsen extractable P, plant residues, Togo rock phosphate, West Afric

Non-targeted screening of emerging contaminants in South African surface and wastewater

Supplementary data are available online at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665023000446?via%3Dihub#appsec1 .Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Targeted analysis of contaminants in water are often focused on a narrow range of chemicals, falling short of the true pollution status of water bodies. Non targeted screening presents several advantages in identifying less prioritized pollutants, entirely unknown compounds and transformation products. In this study we employed a non-targeted screening workflow established on a high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer coupled to an ultrahigh performance liquid chromatograph (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) to identify known and unknown pollutants in South African waste and surface waters. Level two confidence identification of 315 compounds was achieved based on mass accuracy, isotope patterns and MS/MS spectra match. Pharmaceuticals, drugs, and metabolites made up 40% of the detected compounds, biological compounds and industrial chemicals along with their metabolites constituted 24 and 18% respectively, while personal care products, pesticides and food additives made up approximately 5, 4 and 4% respectively. Several antiretroviral drugs were confirmed with level one confidence using isotope labelled standards. A wide range of “new” pharmaceuticals, pesticides and metabolites were documented in South African waters for the first time. Seventeen (17) pharmaceuticals were reported for the first time in South African waters, of which four are reported for the first time ever in surface water. The result of this exploratory study highlights the presence of several contaminants of public health concern that have hitherto received little to no attention in previous wastewater-based epidemiological studies. We provide a detailed list of priority contaminants for future studies on targeted-analysis.Agricultural Research Council South Africa

Lactogenic Activity of Rats Stimulated by Gunnera Perpensa L. (Gunneraceae) from South Africa

Gunnera perpensa L. (Gunneraceae) is a medicinal plant used by Zulu traditional healers to stimulate milk production. The effect of an aqueous extract of the rhizome of the plant on milk production in rats was investigated. Female lactating rats that received oral doses of the extract of G.perpensa significantly (p<0.05) produced more milk than controls. The plant extract did not however, significantly influence the levels of prolactin, growth hormone, progesterone, cortisol, ALT, AST and albumin in the blood. The mammary glands of rats treated with the extract showed lobuloalveolar development. The extract (0.8 μg/ml) was also found to stimulate the contraction of the uterus and inhibit (23%) acetylcholinesterase activity. The cytotoxicity of the extract (LC50) to two human cell lines (HEK293 and HepG2) was 279.43 μg/ml and 222.33μg/ml, respectively. It is inferred that the plant extract exerts its activity on milk production and secretion by stimulating lobuloalveolar cell development and the contraction of myoepithelial cells in the alveoli. It is concluded that Gunnera perpensa contains constituents with lactogenic activity that apparently contribute to its effectiveness in folk medicine

Characterization of a thermostable Bacillus subtilis &#946-amylase isolated from decomposing peels of Cassava (Manihot esculenta)

&#946-Amylase (á-1, 4 glucan maltohydrolase; E.C:3.2.1.2) is used in the food processing, brewing and distilling industries due to its capacity to produce maltose syrup from starch. Here, we report the purification and characterization of â-amylase from Bacillus subtilis isolated from cassava peel waste obtained from a milling factory in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria. The enzyme was extracted, fractionated at 90% (NH4)2SO4 and further purified using DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 34.67 Kd. The specific activity of the partially purified enzyme was approximately 1.35 units per mg of protein (Umg-1), Kinetic analysis of its starch hydrolysis activity gave a Km value of 2.496 ± 0.025% and a Vmax of 1.136 ± 0.055 units min-1. The optimum pH and temperature were determined to be 5.5 and 70 0C respectively, and the thermal stability curve gave a maximum activity of 9.75 U at 70oC for 60 min of incubation. Bacillus subtilis â-amylase is valuable for maltose production, which can be hydrolyzed further by other groups of amylase for the production of high cassava glucose syrup used as sweeteners in the food industry

Response of Growing Pigs to Diet Physical Form and Allzyme® SSF Supplementation in a Palm Kernel Meal-Based Diet

. The increasing cost of conventional feeds calls for the unconventional ones. The effect of Allzyme®SSF and diet physical form on performance, haematological and serum biochemical indices of growing pigs fed with palm kernel meal-based diet was determined. Twenty four growing pigs comprising of twelve male and twelve female weighing 8.95±1.01Kg were assigned into four dietary treatment groups involving dry mash diet, wet mash diet, dry mash diet+ Allzyme®SSF and wet mash diet+ Allzyme®SSF in a completely randomized design. After feeding experiment for six weeks, haematological and serum biochemical parameters were determined. Growth performance was observed on a weekly basis for six consecutive weeks. The results showed that the diet physical form and Allzyme®SSF supplementation in a palm kernel meal-based diet did not significantly affect the haematological and serum biochemical parameters; however weight gain and feed conversion ratio were significantly influenced by the diet physical form and Allzyme®SSF supplementation, thus making dry mash diet + Allzyme®SSF the best dietary treatment. The experiment showed that the diet physical form and Allzyme®SSF supplementation in a palm kernel meal-based diet did not have any negative effect on the growing pigs and growth performance was not hindered; therefore palm kernel meal-based diet in wet or dry mash form with or without Allzyme® SSF supplementation could be fed to growing pigs