Bioaugmentation Approach using Pseudomonas and Bacillus for Malodour Reduction in Poultry Feacal Waste Management

Introduction. A workable strategy is bioaugmentation, which involves introducing certain bacteria in sufficient quantities to promote biodegradation. This study focuses on isolating and utilizing malodor-reducing bacteria from fecal wastes obtained from a poultry farm in Ashi, Ibadan. Methods. Standard methods were employed to isolate and identify species of Pseudomonas and Bacillus. Quantitative detection of hydrogen sulfide gas and other relevant parameters was performed using MSA Orion and Multi Gas Detector. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) release was quantitatively monitored during fermentation, considering varying loads of inocula. Results. The bacterial isolates comprised Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. fluorescens, P. putida, Bacillus fastidiosus, B. licheniformis, B. megaterium, B. subtilis, B. sphaericus, and B. thuringiensis. Odor levels varied based on inocula load and fermentation duration. In batches with Pseudomonas, hydrogen sulfide was undetectable after two days, while Bacillus-inoculated batches required ten days. The formation of microbial mats and subsequent decrease in H2S content contributed to malodor reduction. Notably, fluorescent pseudomonas exhibited successful mineralization during the treatment of fecal waste. Conclusion. Pseudomonas isolates demonstrated superior effectiveness in odor reduction compared to Bacillus isolates

Measuring the Economic Benefits of Forests in Relation to Households’ Welfare and Forest Dependence in South-western Nigeria

The study assesses the contributions of forest resources income on poverty among rural households in South-western Nigeria. A multi-stage random sampling approach was adopted while descriptive analysis and [Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT 1984) poverty index] were used. Poverty index results showed that 68 percent of the rural households were living below the poverty line in the region. Disaggregated to state level, the highest proportion was found in Osun state (77 percent ), followed by Ogun state (70 percent ) and Oyo state with about 50 percent. The minimum cost required to bring those poor households to the poverty line (that is, to eliminate poverty) across states include: N4, 553, N9, 664 and N8918 in Oyo, Osun and Ogun states respectively. This indicates that poverty is more severe in Osun state followed by Oyo state but less severe in Ogun state. Also, forest income has tendency to stem the tide of poverty in the region. Therefore, Government and authority concerned should increase opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment in forestry while avoiding deforestation and forest degradation

Comparative antioxidant activity, total phenol and total flavonoid contents of two Nigerian ocimum species

Antioxidants are compounds which act as a major defense against oxidative stress caused by free radicals. In this study, a comparative evaluation of the antioxidant properties, phenolic and flavonoid contents of the methanolic extracts of Ocimum gratissimum Linn and Ocimum canum Sims was carried out. Crude extracts of both plants were obtained by maceration of powdered plant materials in methanol (80%) for 24hrs. The phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined using standard methods while the antioxidant capacities were evaluated using six different in vitro radical scavenging assays: total antioxidant potential, reductive potential, I, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, lipid peroxidation inhibition, hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide scavenging activity. The total phenolic content in O. gratissimum and O. canum were found to be 32.66 ± 6.21 and 17.19 ± 2.54 mg GAE/g dw while total flavonoid content gave 1.94 ± 0.23 and 0.67 ± 0.01 mg QUE/g dw, respectively. Both extracts had effective reductive potential as well as exhibited strong total antioxidant capacity with increasing concentration of extract. Comparatively, O. gratissimum exhibited a significantly (p < 0.05) higher capacity to quench the DPPH free radical with IC50 value of 26.01 ± 3.2 µg/ml than O. canum, which has an IC50 value of 60.45 ± 5.22 µg/m. O. gratissimum also significantly inhibited membrane lipid peroxidation and hydroxyl radical formation with IC50 of 99.37 ± 8.56 µg/ml and 465.33 ± 21.62 µg/ml, respectively while O. canum correspondingly gave IC50 values of 447.5 ± 35.61 µg/ml and 868.16 ± 43.05 µg/ml. In the nitric oxide scavenging activity, however, O. canum showed a stronger inhibitory effect than O. gratissimum as indicated by their IC50 values of 277.22 ± 15.09 µg/ml and 731 ± 56.99 µg/ml, respectively. These activities are however several folds lower than those of butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT), ascorbic acid and quercetin used as antioxidant standards. The results demonstrate that O. gratissimum has greater antioxidant capacity than O. canum because of its relatively higher radical scavenging activity in all antiradical tests carried out except the nitric acid scavenging test and higher contents of flavonoid and phenolic compounds. O. gratissimum is therefore more beneficial therapeutically than O. canum since it provides better defense against free radical induced oxidative stress, and this attribute probably explains its relative preference in ethnomedicine for both culinary and medicinal purposes amongst the Ocimum species widely cultivated in South Western Nigeria

Characterization of biosurfactant-producing bacterial strains isolated from agro-industrial wastes in southwestern, Nigeria

Introduction. The difficulty of managing trash and cleaning up the environment prompted interest in biosurfactants and surface-active proteins made by microbes. The study aims to augment bacterial isolates from agro-industrial wastes targeted for possible mass production of biosurfactants. Methods. Six agro-industrial wastes from Cassava, Palm kernel, and Sawdust from six agro-industrial sites within Ijebu area in Ogun State were collected for standard laboratory analyses in the Biotechnology Unit of the Federal Industrial Institute for Research, Oshodi (FIIRO). Five screening methods; blood hemolysis, lipase activity, blue agar hydrolysis, oil spreading, and emulsification index (EI24) were carried out to confirm biosurfactant production. Isolates with the highest hyper-production were subjected to 16rRNA molecular identification. Results. The study justified efficient biosurfactant production from 4 bacterial isolates out of 26 screened bacterial isolates from hydrocarbon degraders and 29 heterotrophic screened bacterial isolates, making a total of 55 screened bacterial isolates. Screening results reveal the emulsification capacities of identified Pseudomonas putida strain SG1, Acinetobacter baumanii strain MS14413, Bacillus zhangzhouensis strain cdsV18, and Burkholderia cepacia strain 717. Conclusion. Biosurfactant bacteria produced in all agricultural and industrial wastes considered in this study are capable of mass production.

Seroprevalence of Dengue and Hepatitis B infections among young adults attending a secondary health care facility at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria

Hepatitis B and Dengue virus infections carry significant public health implications due to their potential to cause illness and death. This study focused on examining the prevalence of these infections among young adults seeking care at a secondary health facility at Olabisi Onabanjo University. Ninety samples obtained from study participants underwent screening using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for both HBsAg and Dengue IgM. The participants, predominantly female, were aged between 15 and 30 years. The analysis revealed a 13.3% prevalence of Dengue IgM, a 4.5% prevalence of HBsAg, and a 4.4% prevalence for both infections. Regarding age distribution, the highest prevalence occurred among participants aged 15-20 years for both single infections and the co-occurrence of Hepatitis B and Dengue viral infections. Examining gender distribution, female participants exhibited higher seropositivity across all infection categories. Although not statistically significant, these findings lay the groundwork for a comprehensive surveillance study on the Hepatitis B and Dengue viral infections in young adults. This study provides valuable insights into the prevalence patterns of Hepatitis B and Dengue virus, offering a basis for further research and public health interventions in this population

Biosynthesis and characterizations of extracellular enzymes of microbial isolates from dairy industrial effluent

Diary effluents are environmental pollutant which could serve as source of substrate for microbial enzymes' synthesis. This research investigated the isolation and screening of bacteria and fungi with potential extracellular proteolytic and amylolytic properties from dairy effluents, and their characteristics for maximum enzyme production. Effluent from a dairy industry located in Ibadan, Nigeria, was collected for isolation and screening of microbial species for enzymatic activities. The Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Soluble Solid (TTS), and pH of the effluent were determined using standard procedures. The potential isolates were characterized morphologically and by molecular techniques. Proteolytic and amylolytic activities of isolates were investigated on skimmed milk starch agar respectively and optimized with varying pH (6.0 - 9.0), temperature (27 - 60 °C) and incubation period (12 - 72 h). Data were analyzed by Duncan Multiple Range Test. Biological Oxygen Demand, Total Soluble Solid and pH of the effluent were 14.67 mg/L, 13.33% and 7.58 respectively. Eleven isolates were positive for either protease or amylase synthesis, but only two showed both proteolytic and amylolytic activities and were molecularly characterized as Bacillus stratosphericus CM2HG6 and Aspergillus welwitschiae. Optimization showed that enzyme production by B. stratosphericus CM2HG6 was highest at 35 °C, pH 7.0 for 48 h, and that of A. welwitschiae achieved optimum production at 37 °C, pH 8.0 for 72 h. Under optimized conditions, Bacillus stratosphericus CM2HG6 was the highest amylase and protease producer (24.4 and 30.74 U/ml respectively), while A. welwitschiae was the lowest producer (12.58 and 18.8 U/ml respectively). The study successfully showed that these industrially-important enzymes can be produced by microbial strains isolated from dairy effluent, and production can be further optimize

Patient preferences for whole-body MRI or conventional staging pathways in lung and colorectal cancer: a discrete choice experiment

Objectives To determine the importance placed by patients on attributes associated with whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) and standard cancer staging pathways and ascertain drivers of preference. Methods Patients recruited to two multi-centre diagnostic accuracy trials comparing WB-MRI with standard staging pathways in lung and colorectal cancer were invited to complete a discrete choice experiment (DCE), choosing between a series of alternate pathways in which 6 attributes (accuracy, time to diagnosis, scan duration, whole-body enclosure, radiation exposure, total scan number) were varied systematically. Data were analysed using a conditional logit regression model and marginal rates of substitution computed. The relative importance of each attribute and probabilities of choosing WB-MRI-based pathways were estimated. Results A total of 138 patients (mean age 65, 61% male, lung n = 72, colorectal n = 66) participated (May 2015 to September 2016). Lung cancer patients valued time to diagnosis most highly, followed by accuracy, radiation exposure, number of scans, and time in the scanner. Colorectal cancer patients valued accuracy most highly, followed by time to diagnosis, radiation exposure, and number of scans. Patients were willing to wait 0.29 (lung) and 0.45 (colorectal) weeks for a 1% increase in pathway accuracy. Patients preferred WB-MRI-based pathways (probability 0.64 [lung], 0.66 [colorectal]) if they were equivalent in accuracy, total scan number, and time to diagnosis compared with a standard staging pathway. Conclusions Staging pathways based on first-line WB-MRI are preferred by the majority of patients if they at least match standard pathways for diagnostic accuracy, time to diagnosis, and total scan number