Effects of Saccharum officinarum Molasses on Hematology and Hepatic Functions of Male Wistar Rats

Background: Sweeteners are a utile source of nourishment for cuisine preparation but are linked with the risk of occurrence of several diseases. Hence, the quest for healthier sweetening agents with lesser harmful effects cannot be ignored. Saccharum officinarum molasses, a natural nutritive sweetener, has become a popular substitute despite a dearth of knowledge on its healthiness. Aim: To assess the effects of Saccharum officinarum molasses on hematology, serum electrolyte, lipid profile, liver histology, and redox status of male Wistar rats. Methods: Blackstrap® Saccharum officinarum molasses (SOM) was fractionated to obtain Saccharum officinarum molasses methanol fraction (SOMMF) and Saccharum officinarum molasses aqueous fraction (SOMAqF). Seven groups (n = 5) of adult male Wistar rats received distilled water (Control); 1.0, 3.2, 10.0 g/kg SOMMF and 0.6, 2.0, 6.4 g/kg SOMAqF, respectively. Administrations were done daily via oral gavage for eight weeks. Full blood indices were determined with an automated hematology analyzer, serum electrolyte by monoliquid colorimetric test, and serum lipid profile using the enzymatic colorimetric test. Liver malondialdehyde and antioxidant levels were assayed by spectrophotometry. Liver histology was assessed using microscopy. Data were analyzed using ANOVA at p < 0.05 significance. Results: SOM increased liver catalase activity and serum levels of iron and potassium. It reduced serum levels of lipid profile, zinc and sodium ions, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count, packed cell volume, superoxide dismutase activity of the liver, and concurrently disrupted liver cytoarchitecture. Conclusion: Saccharum officinarum molasses adversely disrupted the hematological and hepatic functions of male Wistar rats

Effects of Saccharum officinarum Molasses on Hematology and Hepatic Functions of Male Wistar Rats

Background: Sweeteners are a utile source of nourishment for cuisine preparation but are linked with the risk of occurrence of several diseases. Hence, the quest for healthier sweetening agents with lesser harmful effects cannot be ignored. Saccharum officinarum molasses, a natural nutritive sweetener, has become a popular substitute despite a dearth of knowledge on its healthiness. Aim: To assess the effects of Saccharum officinarum molasses on hematology, serum electrolyte, lipid profile, liver histology, and redox status of male Wistar rats. Methods: Blackstrap® Saccharum officinarum molasses (SOM) was fractionated to obtain Saccharum officinarum molasses methanol fraction (SOMMF) and Saccharum officinarum molasses aqueous fraction (SOMAqF). Seven groups (n = 5) of adult male Wistar rats received distilled water (Control); 1.0, 3.2, 10.0 g/kg SOMMF and 0.6, 2.0, 6.4 g/kg SOMAqF, respectively. Administrations were done daily via oral gavage for eight weeks. Full blood indices were determined with an automated hematology analyzer, serum electrolyte by monoliquid colorimetric test, and serum lipid profile using the enzymatic colorimetric test. Liver malondialdehyde and antioxidant levels were assayed by spectrophotometry. Liver histology was assessed using microscopy. Data were analyzed using ANOVA at p < 0.05 significance. Results: SOM increased liver catalase activity and serum levels of iron and potassium. It reduced serum levels of lipid profile, zinc and sodium ions, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count, packed cell volume, superoxide dismutase activity of the liver, and concurrently disrupted liver cytoarchitecture. Conclusion: Saccharum officinarum molasses adversely disrupted the hematological and hepatic functions of male Wistar rats

Promoting Jatropha Agriculture for Sustainable Soil Capital Improvement: A Win-Win Technology for Rehabilitating Degraded Lands in Africa

A significant decline in soil quality has occurred across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) through adverse changes in soil properties causing serious challenge to regional food security. This paper presents the new Jatropha technology for soil quality improvement and its importance for meeting rural energy demand in SSA. The paper starts from the premise of Jatropha agriculture and its impact on soil quality improvement with reference to examples from the drylands of Nigeria and Mali. Having reviewed the sweeping claims on Jatropha’s role and ability as alternative energy source, its ‘alleged’ cheap domestication and rush for mega plantations of Jatropha, the paper weighs the controversies surrounding the sustainable production, land grabbing and consequent economics of Jatropha productivity in mega plantation settings. It suggests the need to focus Jatropha agriculture and research in SSA toward rehabilitation of degraded lands, wastelands and badlands while, promoting Jatropha hedge-row fencing for small-holder farming. In addition to technical availability in terms of soil improvement and seed yield, it is suggested that indiscriminate tree-felling for fuel wood in SSA can be checked through a shift from current petrochemical technologies to biodiesel alternatives. The main conclusion is that first, SSA must consider as germane, a natural resource improvement approach based on a new green and bioenergy revolution, and secondly that a regional, pro-active and strategic direction is required to promote Jatropha research for innovation to deliver solutions to addressing the hydra-head environmental challenge of declining soil quality and fuel wood scavenging in the region

Housing crisis: Waste glass-stabilized clay for use as fired clay bricks

Scarce and expensive housing and consumer waste disposal are global challenges in today’s world. This study investigated the engineering properties of a clay stabilized with three waste glass sizes (less than 75 μm, greater than 150 μm but less than 75 μm, and less than 300 μm but greater than 150 μm) for the production of burnt clay bricks for earth building construction. Laboratory tests (sieve analysis, Atterberg limits, specific gravity, and compaction tests) were conducted on the clay soil sample, while firing shrinkage, water absorption, unit weight and compressive strength tests were conducted on the fired clay bricks. The unit weight, firing shrinkage and compressive strength decreased with an increasing particle size of the waste glass in the fired clay bricks, while the fired clay bricks absorbed more water as the particle size of its waste glass content decreased. The use of waste glass with particle sizes less than 75 μm for stabilizing the clay was found to produce fired clay bricks with the highest compressive strength. The compressive strength of the fired clay bricks containing less than 75 μm particle sizes of waste glass was increased by 43.9% when compared with the compressive strength of the fired clay bricks having no waste glass. Consequently, waste glass with particle sizes of less than 75 μm is recommended for use in the production of fired clay bricks. The use of waste glass, which could have been a nuisance to the environment, is a potential way of improving the strength of bricks and making them more affordable bricks and consequently, making housing more affordable

Valorization of Pennisetum purpureum (Elephant grass) and piggery manure for energy generation

This study investigated the biogas production potential of Pennisetum purpureum (Elephant grass) (El-g) codigested with piggery manure (PM) under mesophilic condition in order to combat the menace of weed in cropping systems as well as pollution problems emanating from disposal of PM. Prior to anaerobic digestion (AD), El-g was subjected to a combination of mechanical, thermal and alkaline pretreatments. Using cattle rumen content as inoculum, the pretreated El-g was anaerobically co-digested with PM while the raw El-g was also codigested with PM and served as control experiment. The physicochemical characteristics of feedstock were evaluated before and after the digestion period using standard methods. The initial high concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduced significantly after digestion indicating efficiency of the digestion process. Also, there were reductions in concentrations of calcium and other parameter needed for microbial growth after the digestion which indicated their utilization by microbes to generate biogas. Biogas production began on the 5th and 7th days and was progressive until 30th and 24th days in both digestions after which a decline was observed until the end of the experiment. For the digestion period of 37 days, the total biogas recorded from the pretreated and untreated experiments were 409.5 and 184.1 m3 CH4/kg VS with average of 11.07 and 4.98 m3 CH4/kg VS/day respectively. The study concluded that co-digestion with piggery dung enhanced the biogas producing capacity of El-g hence advocated

Efficient land water management practice and cropping system for increasing water and crop productivity in semi‐arid tropics

In Indian semi-arid tropics (SATs), low water and crop productivity in Vertisols and associated soils are mainly due to poor land management and erratic and low rainfall occurrence. This study was conducted from 2014 to 2016 at the ICRISAT in India to test the effect of broad bed furrows (BBF) as land water management against conventional flatbed planting for improving soil water content (SWC) and water and crop productivity of three cropping systems: sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]–chickpea (Cicer arientinum L.) and maize (Zea mays)–groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) as sequential and pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.)] + pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] as intercropping, grown under different nutrients management involving macronutrients (N, P, and K) only and combined application of macro- and micronutrients. The results stated that the SWC in BBF was higher over flatbed by 9.35–10.44% in 0- to 0.3-m, 4.56–9.30% in 0.3- to 0.6-m and 3.85–5.26% in 0.6- to 1.05-m soil depths during the cropping season. Moreover, depletion of the soil water through plant uptake was higher in BBF than in flatbed. Among the cropping systems, sorghum–chickpea was the best in bringing highest system equivalent yield and water productivity with the combined application of macro- and micronutrients. The BBF minimized water stress at critical crop growth stages leading to increase crop yield and water productivity in SATs. Thus, BBF along with the application of macro- and micronutrients could be an adaptation strategy to mitigate erratic rainfall due to climate change in SATs

CHANGES IN SOIL AGGREGATE STABILITY AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION MEDIATED BY LAND USE PRACTICES IN A DEGRADED DRY SAVANNA ALFISOL

Se investigaron los efectos de las prácticas de uso del suelo en la estabilidad de los agregados del suelo y se analizaron fracciones del carbono orgánico del uselo empleando procedimiento de fraccionamiento físico. Se muestreo el suelo a tres profundidades (0-5, 5-15 y 15-25 cm) en suelo cultivado, con vegetación nativa y en bosque. Los suelos fueron separados en agregados para calcular el diámetro medio (MWD) y carbono asociado al agregado. Los resultados mostraron que el MWD incrementó 61.4% en suelo del bosque en relación al suelo de áreas de cultivo. La fracción de macroagregados en los suelos de bosque fue 76.2% mayor que los suelos del área de cultivo. Carbono químicamente protegido fue mayor (39%) en suelos cultivados en comparación con los suelos de bosque. Se que concluye que los plantaciones forestales tienen el potencial de incrementar la estabilidad estructural de los suelos y su resistencia a la erosión. Las áreas de cultivo parecen favorecer el secuestro de carbono en relación a la vegetación nativa y los suelos de bosque de Eucalipto