Methanolic leaf extract of Ficus exasperata attenuates Arsenate–mediated hepatic and renal oxidative stress in rats

Objective: In furtherance of the scientific search for suitable antidotes for pro-oxidative toxicants which man is exposed to on daily basis, the study investigated the modulatory potential of Ficus exasperata leaf extract on arsenate-mediated hepatic and renal toxicity using rats as a model.Methodology: Twenty-eight rats were sorted into four groups containing seven rats each. Group A (control) received distilled water while 10 mg/kg bw of sodium arsenate was administered intraperitoneally to groups B, C and D to induce hepatic and renal damage. Group C and D were treated with oral administration of 100 mg/kg bw and 200 mg/kg bw of methanolic leaf extract of Ficus exasperata respectively for 14 days.Results: Arsenate significantly (P< 0.05) induced hepatic and renal damage characterized by elevated levels of serum urea, creatinine, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Arsenate also caused decreased serum concentrations of albumin, globulin and total protein as well as significant depletion in antioxidant status (glutathione–S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the liver and kidney of the rats. Administration of leaf extract of Ficus exasperata significantly (P<0.05) attenuated all these toxic effects by boosting antioxidants status and normalizing serum hepatic and renal markers.Conclusion: These results are indicative of the modulatory potential of Ficus exasperata leaf on liver and kidney dysfunction arising from oxidative damage.Keywords: Nephrotoxicity, Hepatotoxicity, Oxidative stress, Arsenate, Ficus exasperat

Growth, antibacterial properties and haematological parameters of broiler chickens fed moringa and neem leaf meals as additives

The effectiveness and accessibility of broiler feed additives and antibiotics could be challenging to farmers. There is therefore the need to research into the effectiveness of the use of substitute feed additives. Moringa (Moringa oleifera) and neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves are edible plants to both humans and animals that can be included as feed additives. This work was conducted to determine the effect of different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MLM) and neem leaf meal (NLM) as substitute feed additives/antibiotics and their effects on the performance of broilers. Two hundred and ten (210) day-old Abor Acres broiler chicks were randomly allotted to seven dietary treatments of three replicates each. The  parameters investigated were feed intake, final weight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, meat quality, sensory evaluation, mortality and bacterial counts. The final weight for broilers fed with MLM and NLM diets were higher than those fed with conventional feed. The bacteria load and mortality recorded for the conventional feed groups were significantly higher (p<0.05) than groups fed moringa and neem. There was no significant  difference (p>0.05) in the haematology and serum parameters recorded for all the groups. The organoleptic properties of cooked broiler meat samples for all treatment groups were comparable with those fed with conventional feed. Inclusion of MLM and NLM produced similar results compared to the conventional feed ingredients and may be considered as possible sources of alternative feed additives and promising natural antimicrobial agents for controlling pathogenic bacteria in poultry production. Key words: Broilers, Neem leaf meal, Moringa leaf meal, Productio

Impact of Abandoned Structures on Residents in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

The increasing incidence of abandoned structures coupled with the associated seemly insurmountable environmental, psychosocial and economic risks in a developing country like Nigeria is a nerve racking problem of concern to the government and the communities. The study therefore, within the context of the three residential densities the study examined the incidence, causes and impacts of abandoned structures with a view to providing information on the extents and effects of abandoned structures on residents in Ilorin. The study utilized primary data obtained with the aid of questionnaire from 428 residents collected in the ratio 3:2:1 in high, medium and low density residential areas. Four indices were developed: ‘Environmental Impact of Abandonment’ (EIAI), ‘Psycho-Social Impact of Abandoned Structures’ (PSIASI), ‘Economic Impact of Abandonment’ (EcIAI) and ‘Suggested Solutions to Abandonment’ (SSA). It is observed that the incidence of abandoned structures varies significantly among the residential neighbourhoods of Ilorin metropolis (F = 9.458 and p = 0.036 at 95% confidence level). The magnitude of the six categories of abandonment in Ilorin metropolis is more in the high density area then in medium and low density. Residents of different residential densities of Ilorin do not have the same or similar views about the environmental effect of abandonment in their areas (F= 4.604 and p= 0.0160. The study recommends as suggested by respondents increase in basic salary (SSA =, 4.31) local planning authority should work on blight control (SSA = 4.29) and there should be proper site selection before commencement of building projects (SSA =.4.28). DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/9-18-08 Publication date:September 30th 201

Medicinal and physiological properties of flavonoids, coumarin derivatives and anthraqoinones of plant origin

No Abstrac

Immunomodulatory effect of Levamisole hydrochloride and Mentofin® in Newcastle disease vaccinated commercial broilers

No AbstractKeywords: Levamisole, Mentofin®, broiler, antibody response, Newcastle disease vaccinatio

Derivation of Five-Stage Implicit Runge-Kutta Method of Order 10 via Gauss-Legendre Quadrature for Ordinary Differential Equations

This paper presents developing and implementing a five-stage implicit Runge-Kutta method of order ten via Gauss-Legendre quadrature for stiff or oscillatory first-order initial value problems (IVPs) of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Using continuous collocation and interpolation techniques, the implicit Runge-Kutta method was developed by combining Legendre polynomials and exponential functions as the basis function. The properties of the method were investigated, and it was shown that it is consistent and A-stable. The new method was evaluated on two sampled problems involving stiffness and oscillation. The numerical results demonstrate that the new implicit Runge-Kutta is computationally efficient and outperforms previous methods of similar derivations.&nbsp

Efecto del reemplazo de los despojos de trigo con paja de soja en la respuesta de crecimiento, perfil sanguíneo y rendimiento de la carcasa de pollos de engorde

Se realizó un estudio de alimentación de 5 semanas para evaluar la idoneidad de la paja de soja (SC) como reemplazo de los despojos de trigo en las dietas de pollos de engorde. Un total de trescientos sesenta (360), 21 días de edad, pollos de engorde se pesaron individualmente y se asignaron aleatoriamente a 1 de 3 tratamientos dietéticos con 8 plumas repetidas y 15 aves por repetición en un diseño completamente aleatorizado. Los tratamientos dietéticos consistieron en dietas basadas en maíz y soja que contenían 0, 50 y 100% de SC como reemplazo de los despojos de trigo. Los datos generados sobre el rendimiento de crecimiento, los índices de sangre, el rendimiento de la canal y las propiedades sensoriales de los pollos de engorde de acabado se analizaron mediante ANOVA usando PROC GLM de SAS (2007). Los resultados mostraron que un mayor peso final (P 0.05). Las aves alimentadas con SC al 100% tenían un peso vivo (P <0.05) más alto, peso desplumado, alas y peso de molleja vacía en comparación con otros tratamientos. La sustitución de los despojos de trigo con paja de soja no interfirió con las propiedades organolépticas de la carne de pollo de engorde. Más aún, las aves alimentadas con 100% de SC tenían el menor costo de alimentación, el costo de alimentación por ganancia de peso y el valor comercial más rentable como lo revela el menor costo total de producción. Por lo tanto, la paja de soja podría usarse para reemplazar completamente los despojos de trigo como fuente de fibra dietética en las dietas de los pollos de engorde