35 research outputs found
An investigation of the heavy metal content of sediments and algae from the River Niger and Nigerian Atlantic coastal waters
Determination of total phenolic amount of some edible fruits and vegetables
Total phenolic content of some fruits and vegetables namely; garden egg (Allium sativvum L.), ducanut (Irvingia wombolu), lemon (Citrus limonia), garden egg (Solanum melongena), grape (Citrus paradise) and carrot (Daucus carota L.) purchased from an open market in Benin City, Nigeria were determined. The results obtained showed that ducanut had the highest amount of total phenolics (98.77 ìg/g), gallic acid equivalent (GAE), while the lowest amount determined (5.75 ìg/g) GAE was in the grape fruit.These values were generally lower than similar studies conducted elsewhere
Microbiology of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Benin City, Nigeria
Background: Lower respiratory tract infections are among the most
common infectious diseases of humans worldwide and continue to be a
major cause of morbidity in Nigeria. This study focused on determining
the microbial agents of lower respiratory tract infections, the effect
of age and gender on its prevalence, and the susceptibility profile of
bacterial isolates. Methods: Sputum specimens were collected from
1539 patients with symptoms of lower respiratory tract infections. The
sputum specimens were processed to recover microbial aetiologic agents
and susceptibility profiles of bacterial isolates were determined using
standard techniques. Results: An overall prevalence of 18.91% of
lower respiratory tract infections was observed in this study. There is
no difference in the prevalence of lower respiratory tract infection
between the genders (P = 0.649). The prevalence of lower respiratory
tract infections increases significantly with age (P < 0.001), with
patients 71 years and older having the highest prevalence. Klebsiella
pneumoniae was the most predominant isolate causing lower respiratory
tract infection while Acinetobacter species were the least predominant
isolate. The fluoroquinolones, β-lactams, and gentamicin showed
moderate to high activity. Conclusion: Gender did not affect the
prevalence, but age did. β-lactams, fluoroquinolones, and
gentamicin were the most active antibacterial agents and, therefore,
the drugs of choice in treating lower respiratory tract infections in
our setting
Evaluation of physicochemical properties and distribution of Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni in soils and growing plants around refuse dumpsites in Akure, Nigeria
The physicochemical properties and distribution of Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni in soils and growing plants around refuse dumpsites in Akure, Southwestern Nigeria were evaluated to ascertain the impact of the wastes on these soil quality indices and edible plants. The soils close to the dumpsites were more acidic (pH, 5.50) compared with the soils away (25.0 m) from the sites. Also there were corresponding increases in the organic carbon and cation exchange capacities of the soil indicating measurable levels of biodegradability of the wastes. Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni have maximum concentrations of 23.00, 2.91, 9.00 and24.00 mg/kg respectively in the soils. The amount of Cd determined in the soils was consistent with the critical level obtained for agricultural soils. Results obtained from the plant tissues analysed showedthat 0.84 mg/kg Pb was detected in the root of Zea mays, while 0.25 mg/kg Ni was obtained in the root of Sorghum vulgare. Talinum triangulare and Amaranthus crucantus did not possess detectable levels of these metals. The present study has justified the need to continually assess the quality of soils, and the concentration of certain heavy/toxic metals in growing plants around refuse dumpsites