Control of yam tuber rot with leaf extracts of Xylopia aethiopica and Zingiber officinale

Investigation was carried out to test the potency of some plant extracts for the control of yam tuber rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. Hot water extracts were obtained from leaf and seed of uda (Xylopia aethiopica) and Ginger (Zinigiber officinale), and were found to be fungitoxic against the fungi. The extracts of suppressed the growth of these fungi in culture and reduced rot development in yam tubers. Key words: Xylopia aethiopica, Zinigiber officinale, ginger, yam tuber rot.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (8), pp. 804-80

Informing HIV prevention efforts targeting Liberian youth: a study using the PLACE method in Liberia

BACKGROUND: Preventing HIV infection among young people is a priority for the Liberian government. Data on the young people in Liberia are scarce but needed to guide HIV programming efforts. METHODS: We used the Priorities for Local AIDS Control Efforts (PLACE) method to gather information on risk behaviors that young people (ages 14 to 24) engage in or are exposed to that increase their vulnerability for HIV infection. Community informants identified 240 unique venues of which 150 were visited and verified by research staff. 89 of the 150 venues comprised our sampling frame and 571 females and 548 males were interviewed in 50 venues using a behavioral survey. RESULTS: Ninety-one percent of females and 86% of males reported being sexually active. 56% of females and 47% of males reported they initiated sexual activity before the age of 15. Among the sexually active females, 71% reported they had received money or a gift for sex and 56% of males reported they had given money or goods for sex. 20% of females and 6% males reported that their first sexual encounter was forced and 15% of females and 6% of males reported they had been forced to have sex in the past year. Multiple partnerships were common among both sexes with 81% females and 76% males reporting one or more sex partners in the past four weeks. Less than 1% reported having experiences with injecting drugs and only 1% of males reporting have sex with men. While knowledge of HIV/AIDS was high, prevention behaviors including HIV testing and condom use were low. CONCLUSION: Youth-focused HIV efforts in Liberia need to address transactional sex and multiple and concurrent partnerships. HIV prevention interventions should include efforts to meet the economic needs of youth

Antimicrobial Effects of Three Tropical Plant Extracts on Staphylococcus Aureus, Escherichia Coli and Candida Albicans

Antimicrobial activities of the leaf extracts of Cymbopogon citatrus (lemongrass) and Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf) and the seed extracts of Garcinia kola (bitter kola) were carried out. G. kola had effect only on Staphyococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with no inhibition on Candida albicans. Ethanol, cold water and hot water extracts of Vernonia amygdalina and Cymbopogon citratus showed inhibition on the three organism but G. kola ethanol, cold water and hot water extracts only inhibited S. aureus and E. coli with no inhibition on Candida albicans. The organism's susceptibility varied with more inhibition to S. aureus and least to Candida albicans

Antimicrobial effects of Piper Guineense ‘Uziza’ and Phyllantus amarus ‘Ebe-Benizo’ on Candida albicans and Streptococcus faecalis

Two pathogens were employed, Streptococcus faecalis and Candida albicans for the study of the antimicrobial effects of Piper guineense and Phyllantus amarus using agar-well diffusion and disc-diffusion methods. Phytochemical screening of ethanol, cold and hot water extracts detected the presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids and phlobatannins. Antimicrobial effect of the plant extracts showed that the organic solvent and aqueous solvents of P. amarus were inhibitory to S. faecalis while the extracts of Phyllantus amarus were not inhibitory to Candida albicans . Agar-well determined Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values ranged between 3.125 mg/ml and 6.25 mg/ml while the disc diffusion determined MIC values ranged between 6.25 mg/ml and 25.0 mg/ml. The agar-well determined MIC values for the ethanolic P. amarus extracts (3.12 mg/ml) were lower than the corresponding disc-diffusion MIC determined values (6.25 mg/ml −25.00 mg/ml). Bacteriocidal and bacteriostatic effect varied with, solvent type of extract, concentration of the plant extract and the method of the test adopted. The active components of the plant have no antifungal effect on the tested yeast (Candida albicans) . These findings are discussed in relation to plant chemicals as a means of disease control and also to the problem of microbial resistance to synthetic drugs

Impact of fertilizer plant effluent on water quality

The impact of National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria outfall effluent on the physicochemistry and bacteriology of Okrika creek was investigated during the sampling period from May to December, 1998. The National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria outfall effluent, the Okrika creek water and the Ikpukulubie creek (control) water samples were collected. The physico-chemical parameters analyzed for all the samples included temperature, pH, total chloride, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, free ammonia, total phosphate, urea, zinc and iron, while the bacteriological determinations were total culturable aerobic heterotrophic bacteria count and identification of representative isolates. The Okrika creek recorded higher concentrations for all the physico-chemical parameters and bacteria load than the control creek. The higher values of pH, Free NH3, urea, TDS and the conductivity of the National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria outfall effluent above the FEPA standards reflect the poor effluent quality generated by National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria. The bacteria species isolated from the samples include Aerococcus viridans , Alcaligenes faecalis , Bacillus cereus , Citrobacter freundii , Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Proteus vulgaris , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Serratia marcescens and Staphylococcus aureus . In general, the investigation revealed that there was an extremely adverse impact on the physico-chemical and bacteriological water quality characteristics of the Okrika creek as a result of the discharge of poor quality effluent from National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria operations

A Study on Cultivation of Indigenous Mushrooms in South Eastern Nigeria

Studies were carried out to investigate cultivation of some indigenous edible mushrooms in Anambra State. The most suitable substrates for cultivation of Pleurotus tuberregium and Volvariella volvacea were also investigated. Spawn of V. volvacea was obtained from the Department of Life Science, University of Benin, Edo State and sclerotia of P. Tuberregium purchased from Eke Awka Market, Anambra State were used for this study. Plantain leaves and oil palm bunch wastes were substrates employed for V. volvacea whereas topsoil was used for P. tuberregium cultivation. The methods used were site preparation, substrate preparation, soil preparation, sclerotia preparation, cultivation of sclerotia, irrigation, spawn cultivation and harvesting of mushrooms. Means were analyzed statistically using (ANOVA) to test for significance. Means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Tests (DMRT).The highest number of fruit bodies of V. volvacea, 312.68 was obtained from plantain leaves on day 2 after primordial emergence whereas the least, 21.00 was recorded from oil palm bunch wastes on days 6 and 14, respectively. The highest number of P. tuberregium, 61.58 was recorded on day 12 after primordial emergence while the least, 20.49 was recorded on days 7, 13 and 14, respectively. All the three substrates utilized for cultivation of mushrooms in this study supported their growth and development. Plantain leaves supported fast colonization and produced high yield fruit bodies of V. volvacea. The ability to use agricultural wastes for cultivation of mushrooms will boost food production for ever increasing population