Studies on the Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of the Seed Extracts of Buchholzia coriacea (capparaceae)

Nigerian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 32(2): 2011; 143 - 14

European propolis is highly active against trypanosomatids including Crithidia fasciculata.

Extracts of 35 samples of European propolis were tested against wild type and resistant strains of the protozoal pathogens Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma congolense and Leishmania mexicana. The extracts were also tested against Crithidia fasciculata a close relative of Crithidia mellificae, a parasite of bees. Crithidia, Trypanosoma and Leishmania are all members of the order Kinetoplastida. High levels of activity were obtained for all the samples with the levels of activity varying across the sample set. The highest levels of activity were found against L. mexicana. The propolis samples were profiled by using liquid chromatography with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and principal components analysis (PCA) of the data obtained indicated there was a wide variation in the composition of the propolis samples. Orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) associated a butyrate ester of pinobanksin with high activity against T. brucei whereas in the case of T. congolense high activity was associated with methyl ethers of chrysin and pinobanksin. In the case of C. fasciculata highest activity was associated with methyl ethers of galangin and pinobanksin. OPLS modelling of the activities against L. mexicana using the mass spectrometry produced a less successful model suggesting a wider range of active components

Trypanocidal activity of the ethanolic extract of Buchholzia coriacea seed

No Abstract

The Economic Importance of Forest Products in Enugu State, Nigeria

This study examined the economic importance of exploiting forest products in Enugu State, Nigeria using 120 respondents. The study showed that most of the household heads were males aged between 31 and 50 years, and engaged in different forestry activities such as gathering, processing and marketing. Lack of access to modern technology and the forms in which products were marketed among other factors were major reasons weakening employment provision/generation from the forest products by rural households. The regression results, showed that access to modern forest products harvesting/processing technology (Te) and relative contribution of forest output in total household economy (Ro) were statistically significant at 5% level in explaining the observed variability in the dependent variable (E) based on semi-logarithmic model. It was recommended that government should encourage the stakeholders involved in forest product activities by importing the required machinery, without restriction. This will lead to production of value added products and attraction of more employment to both rural households and communities. Keywords: Forest products, wood products, non-timber products, employment, rural household