Nutritional and microbiological quality of kunun-zaki beverage produced in Owerri Muncipal

Nutritional and Microbiological qualities of kunu-zaki hawked at different locations in Owerri municipal were assessed and evaluated. Three major locations of production and sales namely: Shell-camp, Ama-Hausa and Obinze all in Owerri municipal were selected for sampling of kunuzaki. Laboratory prepared sample of kunu-zaki was used as control. Samples of kunu were evaluated for microbiological quality such as total bacteria and fungi counts also, biochemical characterization of bacteria and morphological characterization of fungi. Chemical properties which include proximate composition, titrable acidity, pH, total solid and minerals were also examined. Results showed that there was a significant difference (P<0.05) on all the chemical properties of samples examined. The moisture content ranged from 85.14% to 89.57% while crude protein was between 2.20% and 4.09%. Ash content varied significantly (P>0.05) with range 1.67% to 2.33%. Crude fiber content of 0.71% of control was higher than 0.68%, 0.53% and 0.44% found on the hawked kunu-zaki sample. Total carbohydrate was found within ranged values of 5.54% to 7.74%. Total solid content among kunu-zaki samples ranged from 12.54mg/100g to 14.32mg/100g, pH ranged 5.37 to 5.76 and acidity of the kunu-zaki samples varied but ranged from 0.23% of sample collected from Obinze location to 0.28% of Ama-Hausa kunu-zaki sample. Mineral contents of kunu-zaki samples differed significantly (P<0.05), calcium content of 32.09mg/100g was higher than 31.21mg/100g, 27.31mg100g and 12.53mg/100g. Potassium content ranged from 311.63mg/100g to 449.03mg/100g. Control laboratory sample was found with highest content of 11.74mg/100g magnesium, 4.81mg/100g iron and 30.26mg/100g vitamin C. Total bacteria counts of the kunu-zaki samples  ere not the same; control laboratory sample was least, 3.0 x 106 cfu/mL of heterotrophic bacteria, 3.0 x 106 cfu/mL of total Staphylococcus count and 9.0 x 106 cfu/mL of fungi counts. Bacteria identified are Bacillus spp, Klebsiella spp, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella while fungi suspected include Mucor spp, Saccharomyces spp, Aspergillus spp and Rhizopus. However, laboratory processed samples made kunu-zaki beverage were more acceptable with least microbial load. Good manufacturing and good hygiene practices should be given utmost importance during production to avoid microbial contamination that may cause food borne illness.Keywords: Nutritional, microbiological, Kunun- zaki beverag

Effect of Garcinia Kola (Heckel) on Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Rifampicin

Most herbal products are used with prescription drugs and have been found to affect the pharmacokinetics of these prescription drugs. The effect of concurrent administration of Garcinia kola on the pharmacokinetic parameters and penetration profile of rifampicin into the lung tissues were investigated using animal model. Albino rats in group A received rifampicin 10 mg/kg alone orally; Group B and C received 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of Garcinia kola extract respectively for 10 days and on day 11, rifampicin 10 mg/kg was given. Blood samples were withdrawn from each group at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h time intervals respectively. Blood samples were also withdrawn from the lungs in each group after 24 h and assayed to determine the concentration of rifampicin in the lungs. Both 100 and 200 mg/kg of Garcinia kola showed reduction in the maximum concentration (Cmax), area under concentration (AUC), clearance time (ClT), and time for plasma concentration to decrease by half (t1/2) of rifampicin. Garcinia kola significantly (P = 0.01) decreased concentration of rifampicin in the lungs by 32% and 39 % respectively. Our results show that the co-administration of Garcinia kola and rifampicin impairs the bioavailability of rifampicin and its penetration into the lungs

Influence of Dicalcium Silicate and Tricalcium Aluminate Compounds in Different Local Cement Brands on the Compressive Strength of Normal Concrete

The mould-ability of concrete into intricate forms and the versatility of its constituent materials has made concrete to be the most preferred construction material. However, in developing nations such as Nigeria, poor quality of concrete is listed among the common causes of building collapse. Thus, this study investigated the effects of chemical compounds of four commonly used local ordinary Portland cement brands on the compressive strength of normal concrete. The cement was labelled brands A, B, C, and D, respectively, while all the other constituent materials remained constant in this study. The HACH DR 200 direct reading spectrophotometer method was used to analyze the composition of the oxide in each of the cement samples, while the Bogue composition formula was used to estimate the compound compositions of the cement samples. A designed mix proportion of 1:2:4 (cement: sand: granite) at water-cement ratio (w/c) of 0.6 was used to produce the concrete with an expected target strength of 25 N/mm2. Also, the initial and final setting time of the cement samples and the workability of the concrete mixes were determined. Forty-Eight (48) numbers cube samples were cast and tested for compressive strength at 3, 7, 14, and 28 curing days,respectively, using a 150 mm concrete cubes. The result shows the setting time of the cement samples to be within an acceptable period. Also, results indicated that the cement brands have a significant percentage of Tricalcium Silicate (C3S) content and low percentage Dicalcium Silicate (C2S) content responsible for faster hydration rate and higher early strength gain of the concrete. However, it was observed that a higher percentage of Tricalcium aluminate (C3A) leads to higher strength gain from 7 to 28 days of curing age

Review of the Properties of Lightweight Aggregate Concrete Produced from Recycled Plastic Waste and Periwinkle Shells

As the world population continues to increase, so does the demand for raw materials to produce basic needs of human race. One of the areas where this pressing demand for means of production is evident is in the production of concrete materials for building construction and infrastructure. The source of constitutive materials for concrete production, such as cement and aggregates are fast shrinking across the nations of the earth and there is an urgent need for substitutes that will guarantee the availability of this essential material to the built environment sector of the economy. One of the trending approach is the adoption of waste materials as replacement for some of the constitutive materials of concrete. This research reviews past works on the use of recycled plastic waste and periwinkle shells for the production of lightweight aggregate concrete. The results of this review showed that the adoption of reduced percentage of waste plastic in concrete leads to acceptable strengths for lightweight concrete, economy, efficient energy and good crack resistance. The use of periwinkle shell is beneficial for satisfactory strengths for normal aggregate concrete and for lightweight aggregate concrete, good resistance to heat and economy. This approach is sustainable as a means of recycling and will facilitate the actualization of the sustainable development goal “Responsible Production and Consumption”, (SDGs 12). There is a prospective that combining these two waste materials will lead to improvement towards achieving sustainable concrete

Pattern of Antibiotics prescription in a tertiary hospital in Delta state, Nigeria.

Background: Antibiotics are drugs commonly used in hospitals but are prescribed inappropriately in most cases. This has led to the emergence of bacterial resistance and an increase in the cost of treatment.Drug utilization studies are intended to provideinformation on prescription patterns to ensurerational drug use. Objective: The study aimed at describing antibioticprescription patterns in Delta State UniversityTeaching Hospital, Delta State, Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study wasconducted on antibiotic prescriptions pattern atDelta State University Teaching Hospital using 17core quantitative prescribing indicators whichdetermined the availability of a Standard TreatmentGuidelines and Essential Medicine List at the facility.The study was conducted for a period of six months.A total of 420 prescriptions were studied. Datacollected was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Resultswere presented as frequency (percentages), mean,tables and charts. Results: The average number of antibioticsprescribed per encounter (ANAPE) was found to be1.49, with an average cost of NGN 2404 perhospitalization. The percentage of prescriptions bygenerics was 58.65%. The prevalence ofinappropriate prescription was found in 67.5% ofpatients. The most commonly prescribed class ofantibiotics were Cephalosporin 149(23.8%),Nitroimidazole 150(23.93%), and Penicillin134(21.36%). In-depth interviews of the healthprofessionals revealed factors that influencedantibiotic prescription pattern including: diagnosisuncertainty, doctor’s hierarchy, external influence bymanufacturer among others. Conclusion: There was inappropriate prescription ofantibiotics with increased risk of developingresistance hence increasing financial burden onpatient. Intervention programs, strategies, policies,and reforms should be put in place to address thisproble

Impact of hand washing training on pharmacy students; a quasi-experimental study.

Background: Globally, poor hand washing practiceshave led to a remarkable increase in the rate ofinfection and spread of infectious diseases. Hands arethe main route of germ transmission during medicalmanagement. Hence, hand washing is an effectivemeasure to prevent the transmission of infectiousdiseases in healthcare. Objective: The study assessed the impact of handwashing training on pharmacy students’ knowledgeof hand washing. Methods: The study employed quasi-experimentalstudy design. Pre-test data collection was carried outwith a structured questionnaire to assess thestudent’s knowledge of hand washing technique atbaseline. This was followed by an educationalworkshop on proper hand washing technique andpost-test data collection using the samequestionnaire. All the students (299) who gave theirinformed consent participated in the study. Meanscore of individual response was computed for thedifferent sections of the questionnaire. Data analysiswas performed using SPSS version 22 computersoftware. Statistical analysis was done using Paired ttest.A value of p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Out of the 299 students that indicatedwillingness to participate in the study, only 284completed the post-test questionnaire. The baselineresults revealed that majority of the respondentshave good general knowledge on proper handwashing technique based on cutoff value of >4.However, the educational workshop had significantimpact on the students’ hand washing technique inall the three domains assessed with p-values of 0.000for each domain. Conclusion: This study suggests that handwashingtraining had a positive impact on the students’handwashing knowledge