Anti-diarrhoeal effects of Garcinia kola (Heckel-Holl) seed methanolic extract and its fractions in animal models

This study investigated the In vitro spasmolytic and In vivo anti-diarrhoeal effects of Garcinia kola seed extract/fractions. Extraction was done by maceration in 70% methanol, serially partitioned in ethyl acetate and n-hexane. Qualitative phytochemical screening was carried out on the crude extract/fractions. The In vitro spasmolytic effect of the extract and fractions at different concentrations (0.5×103, 0.2×103,0.1×103, 0.6×102 mg/ml) were investigated against spontaneous and acetylcholine-induced contractions in isolated rabbit jejunum as well as histamine-induced contractions using isolated guinea pig ileum. The In vivo anti-diarrhoeal effect of the extract was evaluated using three diarrhoeal models: castor oil-induced diarrhoea, charcoal meal gastrointestinal transit time and castor oil-induced enteropooling. In each model, 25 mice were randomly divided into five groups of 5 mice each. Group I served as the untreated control, while group II was a positive control. Groups III-V were administered 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg of the crude methanol extract, respectively. The crude extract, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions at 0.5×103 mg/ml respectively exhibited 14.4%, 12.9% and 12.2% spasmolytic activities against acetylcholine-induced rabbit jejunum contractions. Histamine-induced guinea pig ileum contractions were inhibited by crude extract (6.2%), ethyl acetate (6.2%), aqueous fraction (7.2%) at 0.6×102 mg/ml. For castor oil-induced diarrhoea, the crude extract at 500 mg/kg produced a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the diarrhoeal index and faecal weight with a percentage inhibition of 70.4% compared with controls. Similarly, the crude extract (500 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the charcoal meal gastrointestinal transit time with a percentage inhibition of 33.9% and elicited significant (p < 0.05) intraluminal fluid reduction (9.1%) in castor oil-induced enter pooling test when compared with the untreated group. In conclusion, the anti-motility and anti-secretory activities of the crude extract were attributed to the phytochemical constituents present

Recent progress in low-carbon binders

The development of low-carbon binders has been recognized as a means of reducing the carbon footprint of the Portland cement industry, in response to growing global concerns over CO2 emissions from the construction sector. This paper reviews recent progress in the three most attractive low-carbon binders: alkali-activated, carbonate, and belite-ye'elimite-based binders. Alkali-activated binders/materials were reviewed at the past two ICCC congresses, so this paper focuses on some key developments of alkali-activated binders/materials since the last keynote paper was published in 2015. Recent progress on carbonate and belite-ye'elimite-based binders are also reviewed and discussed, as they are attracting more and more attention as essential alternative low-carbon cementitious materials. These classes of binders have a clear role to play in providing a sustainable future for global construction, as part of the available toolkit of cements

Scabies among children in Police and Army Barracks and at Mado Village of Jos, Plateau State of Nigeria

Introduction: Several species of mites infest humans and can thereby transmit certain diseases like rickettsial pox and scrub typhus. Furthermore, Sarcoptic acariasis, a non-infectious but contagious disease, is caused by the skin-burrowing mite, Sarcoptes scabiei. This infection has been a public health problem for long, particularly in the less developed countries. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of scabies among pre-adolescent children in the police and army barracks, as well as in Mado Village of Jos, Plateau State of Nigeria. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was done. The study subjects consisted of pre-adolescent children, aged 0 to 10 years found at the police and army barracks, and Mado village. By means of probability sampling technique, 330,105 and 105 children were selected from Mado village, police and army barracks respectively. Questionnaires were designed to ascertain factors, which may be associated with scabies. These factors included maternal literacy, sanitation status, over crowding and health knowledge. Chi-square test was used to establish association between scabies and risk factors, and the student t-test for the comparison of means. Results: There was significantly higher prevalence rate of 16.2% in the police barracks than 5.7% at the army barracks, and 16.1% in Mado Village. At the police barracks, more males (6.2%) than females (43.5%) were infected; while at Mado village, slightly more females (9.1%) than males (7.0%) were infected. Prevalence of scabies was 25.0%, which is the highest among children aged 2 to 3 years and those of 10 years old at the police barracks followed by those in age-group 4 to 5 years (24.0%). At the army barracks, highest prevalence (12.5%) was among children aged 6 to 7 years, and at Mado village, it was commonest among the under-fives (7.0%) and least common in those over 10 years of age (2.4%). At Mado village, no association was established between scabies and maternal literacy level, over crowding and health knowledge. There was a strong association between scabies and personal hygiene (

Resource Use Efficency by Rural Poor Cassava Farmers in Imo State: Implications for Poverty Alleviation

The decline in agricultural output has led to an unprecedented increase in poverty and malnutrition, illhealth and other social vices in sub-Saharan Africa. Consideration of cassava as a “woman Crop” constraints a societies productivity and ultimately slow its rate of economic growth. The economy pays for this in reduced labour productivity today and diminished national output tomorrow. Motivated by this, the study aim is to assess the possibility of alleviating poverty in the rural set-up through efficient and effective use of resources by rural poor cassava farmers in Imo State. It adopts a multistage sampling technique, and a total of 120 cassava farmers were used for the study. The data was analyzed using double log regression equation which later yields efficiency measures that were not distorted by statistical noise to estimate the efficiency level of resource/allocation by rural poor cassava producers. The result indicate that F-ratio was statistically significant at 5% level suggesting that the estimated variables exert a very significant influence on cassava output and hence the model is good for policy recommendation. The result also indicate that the sum of elasticity is 1.75 which implies increasing returns to scale; an indication of maximum technical efficiency (an irrational stage of production). Labour was the most limiting factor in cassava production suggestion that the technologies that enhance productivity of labour are likely to achieve significant positive effects on cassava production. This paper is of the view that raising agricultural productivity holds the key to encouraging a stable rate of transition to an industrialized economy which invariably would reduce the escalating poverty in the rural economies of Nigeria

Influence Of Socio-Economic Factors On Crop Farmers’ Production In Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Lga Of Rivers State, Nigeria

This paper investigated the influence of socio-economic factors on crop farmers production in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. Purposive and stratefied random sampling techniques were used to select the locations of Green River Project, cooperative societies and respondents. Using structured questionnaire, a field study was conducted with one hundred and twenty GRP farmers. A multiple regression analysis showed that years of farming experience, farm size and value of input were statistically significant as 5.0 percent level of probability. The combined effects of explanatory socio-economic variables (Age of farmers, years of farming experience, family size, annual farm income, educational level and value of inputs explained 40.2% of the total variation in the value of output of GRP farmers which were statistically significant at 10% probability level. Since positive influence of the variable inputs on the production has been noted, stakeholders should increase the level of subsidy farm inputs so as to make the inputs available and affordable to the farmers. It is therefore recommended that the project should supply inputs on time and made affordable, since farming is time bound, in order to improve on the beneficiaries agricultural output.Keywords: Influence, socio-Economic, Green River Projec