Synthesis, Characterization and Kinetic Studies of Nickel (Ii) Complex of Dibenzoyl Methane and It’s Adduct

Nickel (II) Complex of dibenzoylmethane and the 1, 10 phenantroline adduct were synthesized using Nickel (II) acetate tetrahydrate in aqueous methanol. The resulting green Ni2+ compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, magnetic moments, IR and UV spectroscopy. The kinetics of the reaction for the formation of the complex   was conducted. The complex and adduct were identified by coupled vibrations of Ni-O + Ni-N which were conspicuously absent in the neat ligand .The elemental and metal analysis indicates 1:2 Metal-Ligand ratio in both complex and adduct. The electronic spectral and magnetic susceptibility studies are consistent with the adoption of an octahedral geometry for the adduct.  Results of the kinetic study showed that the formation of the nickel complex occurs at a rate of 1.7 x 103 – 9.2 x 103 moldm-3 in a 2nd order  reversible reaction, which involved both the metal and the ligand with equilibrium constant Keq ranging from 2.0 x 104 – 1.5 x 106. The observed rate is at variance with the rate of solvent exchange, this being typical of a tautomeric ligand. Keywords: 1, 10-phenantroline, Dibenzoylmethane, Kinetics, Solvent-exchange

Phytochemical and anti-microbial screening of Crude Ethanolic Extract of Aristolochia repens

Aristolochia repens was extracted with 80% ethanol and the extract concentrated in vacuo to obtain the crude ethanolic extract. Phytochemical screening of the crude extract revealed the presence of steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, anthraquinones, tannins, saponins and reducing sugar. The crude extract showed excellent to moderate inhibitory activity on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphlococcus aureus, Proteus spp , Aspergillus flavus and Candida albican. Key words: Aristolochia repens, phytochemical, anti-microbial, extract

Bioinformatic analysis of conformational epitope peptide sequences for the effective diagnosis of Sudan Ebola Virus disease

Ebola Virus disease (EVD) is an acute infectious disease associated with very high rates of mortality and transmissibility. EVD formally known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever is a rare but deadly disease in human and nonhuman primates, with average fatality rate at 50%, and variance between 25% to 90% depending on strain type as established by World Health Organisation (WHO). High fatality rate is attributed to the lack of specific, rapid and affordable test kits availability for quick detection, noting the overlap in symptoms from other endemic diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever and cholera. Real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), currently the gold standard deployed in the diagnosis of Ebola virus disease, exhibits major disadvantages in analyte processing time which in turn allows for an increased rate in mortality. This paper seeks to address the challenges of rapid and effective diagnostics for EVD with specific focus on the Sudan strain shortly after infection, using immunoinformatics tools to analyse multi-epitope peptides sequences from various strains of EVD in other to design affordable lateral flow test (LFT) kits hence an implied reduction in the mortality and fatality rates to a bearable minimal standard. Study showed the possibility and efficacy of LFT kit to detect rapidly the Ebola Virus Disease as chimeric construct exhibited conformity to standard test and predictions with antigenicity =0.5445, solubility =0.625, instability index =36.93, aliphatic index = 53.37, and grand average of hydropathicity (GRAVY) =-0.932. Post-peptide construct analysis further validates the tertiary construct with Z-Score =-4.54 and Ramachandran plots 93.0% core in 258 residues establishing stability and a good model construct for EVD diagnostics

Physical, chemical and sesnory properties of flakes (Gari) prepared from refrigerated cassava roots

Cassava is a tropical crop that can be processed into a variety of products including flakes popularly called gari. Gari is a product obtained from cassava root by fermentation, but the root from which the gari is obtained spoils rapidly. Efforts have been made to extend the shelf life of the root through the use of traditional and improved storage techniques, for example storage in boxes, freezing and refrigeration. However, the quality of the products from refrigerated roots, such as gari, has not been reported. In this study, cassava roots were refrigerated for a period of three weeks and the physicochemical properties of gari from the stored roots were determined. With the exception of the carbohydrate content which was very similar (approx. 88%), refrigeration of cassava roots significantly (p < 0.05) affected the physical and chemical properties of the resulting gari. The cyanide content decreased from 2.96 to 1.90 mg/ kg with increase in refrigeration period, while the functional properties including bulk densities and swelling power were only slightly affected. Cassava roots can be refrigerated for a period of two weeks without substantial changes in the eating quality of the resulting gari, if the storage condition is closely monitored. Future studies are required to investigate the physicochemical properties of other valuable products from refrigerated cassava roots to determine their potentials in food and non-food applications. Keyword: Cassava; Functional; Gari; Refrigeration; Pasting; Sensor