PHYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION BY GC-MS ANALYSIS OF THE SEEDS OF MUCUNA FLAGELLIPES EXTRACT.

Mucuna flagellipes seeds were analyzed for essential oil composition. The ethanol extract of the seeds was subjected for GC-MS studies. Ten phyto-constituents were identified from M. flagellipes comprising 60 % of esters and 30 % of carboxylic acids and 10 % hydrocarbon. 9-octadecenoic acid, ethyl ester constitutes the bulk of the oil (18.66 %), followed by linoleic acid, ethyl ester (16.99 %) and a carboxylic acid, 9-octadecanoic acid (16.71%).  Other Compounds identified in the seeds were hexadecanoic acid (11.14 %), ethyl hexadecanoate (14.76 %), ethyl octadecanoate (4.18 %), Eicosanoic acid (1.39 %), ethyl icosanoate (0.84%), 3-hydroxypropyl-9-octadecenoate (1.11 %) and 9-methylbicyclo (3,3,1) nonane (14.21%). The presence of many esters  in the seeds may be the reason the seeds enhance the aroma of  soup. These compounds present in the plant made it possible for the use of M. flagellipes seed extract in phytomedicine in Nigeria for the treatment of different ailments. Key words : Mucuna, ester, phytomedicine, ailment

‘Ugba na ngbam’ – Food Heritage of Mbaise People: Implications for Classroom-Based Ethnoscience and Sustainable National Development

The processing of ‘Ugba’ (Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth), seeds for food, is almost a ritual in Mbaise. Mbaise is a prominent enclave of the Ibo extraction of the present Imo state of South-Eastern Nigeria. Like any other people, they have prominent cultures including foods, and their preparation rituals. The ritual of preparing ‘ugba agworo agwo’(oil bean salad delicacy) has some ‘dos’ and ‘don't. It involves many stages and different handling procedures for the best effects.  This paper examined in detail, the ritual of processing oil bean seeds, the possible science of the stages, chemical compositions, nutritive and economic values of the seed, the dish and the tree. The paper ends with a look at the implications on instructions in ethnoscience  and also tries to answer the question: Is it justifiable and plausible to integrate ethnoscience into formal science classrooms as a way towards sustainability, preservation of cultural heritages  and national development? Keywords: Oil bean salad, Ugba, Mbaise, Ethnoscience, Food heritage.                                                                   DOI: 10.7176/JEP/15-1-12 Publication date: January 31st 202

Inhibitory potentials of ivermectin, nafamostat, and camostat on spike protein and some nonstructural proteins of SARS-CoV-2: Virtual screening approach

The search for potent oral drugs either through synthetic routes or by drug repurposing for combating the dreaded covid-19 virus is still ongoing. The coronavirus spike glycoprotein and several other non-structural proteins play crucial roles in the replication and transmission of this virus. Recent research have identified ivermectin, nafamostat, and camostat as promising drug inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 target proteins. The broad-spectrum inhibitory action of ivermectin, nafamostat, and camostat on the spike glycoprotein and some non-structural proteins of this virus was studied in silico. The spike glycoprotein, nsp3, nsp5, nsp9, nsp10, nsp13, and nsp16 were selected for this study and were downloaded from the protein data bank. Flexible docking procedure implemented in Auto Dock Vina module was deployed for the docking procedure of the drugs with the protein receptors. Although ivermectin had the best inhibitory action on the viral spike protein and nsp10, nafamostat was identified as the compound with the best broad-spectrum activity on this virus, having the highest binding affinity values of – 9.4kcal/mol, – 7.9 Kcal/mol, – 6.1 Kcal/mol, – 8.0 Kcal/mol, and – 8.7 Kcal/mol for nsp3, nsp5, nsp9, nsp13, and nsp16 respectively. This drug, in combination with ivermectin could therefore be explored further as potential compounds that could be modified to curb the menace of the covid-19 pandemic