Cyanide, Nitrates and Nitrite Contents of Livestock Feeds in Umuahia, Nigeria

The cyanide nitrate and nitrite contents in pig feeds from six different farms in Umuahia, Nigeria were assayed using spectrophotometric and enzymatic methods. Enzymatic analysis of the feed samples indicated mean total cyanide level of 59.30 ± 3.72 – 361.90 ± 11.2mg-1 DM. The mean cyanide content of cyanogenic plant materials used in the feed formulation ranged from 85.60 ± 13.2 – 888.10 ± 23.17mgkg-1. Observation was made that the cyanide measured in these feed samples were higher than the recommended dietary cyanogens levels for both non-ruminants and ruminants; 100mg HCN equivalent kg-1 for cassava ration. The mean levels of nitrate and nitrite ranged 25.5 ± 2.76mg – 285.5 ± 12.70 and 2.20 ± 0.3 – 218.80 ± 13.42mg kg-1DM respectively. The toxicological and nutritional significance of the results obtained are discussed.Keywords: Cyanide, nitrate, nitrite, animal feeds

The Implications of Carbonated Drinks on Weight Gain: A Purposive Approach on a Group of Civil Servants in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria

The implications of carbonated drinks on weight gain were carried out by purposively selecting a total of 35 (16 males and 19 females) volunteer human adults. Questionnaires were used to assess the dietary habit while standard biochemical methods were employed for the lipid profile. The results from the anthropometric measurements showed that the mean weights (kg), heights (m), and body mass indices (BMI) (kg/m2) were 80.13 ± 13.41, 1.66 ± 0.18, and 26.98 ± 5.17 respectively for the males and 79.00 ± 16.14, 1.61 ± 0.12, and 26.89 ± 4.78 respectively for the females. The desirable BMI for both males and females are 18.5 to 24.9. Lipid profile result showed that the mean total cholesterol (TCH) was within desirable range of 188.13 ± 45.04 for the males and 196.42 ± 42.39 for the females and the mean high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was within low range of 44.87 ± 10.83 and 43.26±8.58 for the males and the females respectively. However, the mean low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was within the optimal range of 95.56 ± 38.86 and 114.37 ± 30.75 for males and females respectively. The mean triacylglycerols (TG) was within the borderline range of 173.63 ± 113.41 for the males and within normal range of 149.32 ± 100.28 for females. The total cholesterol/high density lipoprotein ratio (TCHDL ratio) showed that the mean values for males and females were 4.64 ± 1.13 and 4.56 ± 2.02 respectively. The desirable range of TCHDL ratio for both males and females are 3.5 to 6.0. Correlation analysis showed positive correlations between BMI and LDL-C, Waist to hip ratio (WHR) and TAG, Waist circumference (WaistCir) and TAG. The implications of these findings as it relates nutrition and health are discussed. Keywords: Obesity, overweight, carbonated drinks, lipid profile, and anthropometry

Mixed infection of peste-des-petits ruminants and Capripox in goats in south Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

Open Access Journal; Published online: 21 Dec 2017Objective: We aimed at determining the prevalence and characterizing the CaPV, determining the CaPV-PPRV coinfection prevalence and providing data about phylogenetic relationship between the fusion protein of PPRV and P32 gene of CaPV. Materials and methods: A total of 150 samples including animals swabs, tissues and blood were collected from unvaccinated goats in a PPR and/or Capripox outbreaks in South Kivu, Eastern of Democratic Republic of the Congo. Conventional PCR and reverse transcriptase (RT-PCR) were used respectively to amplify P32, RPO30, GPCR genes of Capripox virus and Fusion (F) protein of PPRV. Positive samples were sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. Results: Out of 150 tested animals, 64.7% (n=97/150) were PPRV positive, 52.7% (n=79/150) were Capripox positive and 38.7% (n=58/150) were positive for both PPRV and CaPV. The pairwise comparison of P32gene of CaPV and F gene of PPRV showed 99.75% of identity percentage among goatpox virus sequences, 96.95% among PPRV sequences and 47.91% between CaPV and PPRV sequences. Conclusion: The study has demonstrated high prevalence of CaP V-PPRV mixed infection in South Kivu. Lumpy skinvirus disease (LSVD) is a lineage circulating which has a genetic relationship between its P32gene and the Fgene of PPRV giving the challenge to differentiate the two diseases at the clinical farm level

Carburization-based optimization of AISI 8620 steel using rice husks and charcoal as carburizers

This study was centered on improving the mechanical properties of AISI 8620 steel using the carburization technique. The failure in service conditions of many steel components such as cams, gears, and shafts necessitated the research as it demands that they possess both high wear-resistant surfaces and tough shock-resistant cores. Standard test samples prepared from the steel material were subjected to a pack carburization process using rice husk and charcoal as carburizers, and the energizer – calcium trioxocarbonate (IV) at temperatures of 800, 850, 900, and 950 °C, and held for 60, 90, and 120 minutes. The samples were quenched in water and tempered at 500 °C for 60 minutes. After the pack hardening process, the test samples were subjected to tensile, impact, and hardness tests. From the data obtained, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), Hardness, Young’s Modulus, engineering strain, and impact strength were calculated. The case and core hardness of the carburized samples were noted, and an optical microscope was used to observe the microstructural features of the case-hardened, quenched, and tempered samples. The responses (mechanical properties of steel) were optimized using response surface methodology to obtain the optimum carburizing conditions-temperature and holding time. Results showed that the sample’s microhardness core and microhardness case increased from 253 to 327 HV and from 243 to 339 HV as the holding time increased from 60 to 120 minutes, indicating an appreciable increase in the mechanical property of the samples. The optimum carburizing conditions were at a temperature of 885 °C and a holding time of 120 minutes. Hence, the carburization of AISI 8620 steel using rice husk and charcoal as carburizers improved the steel material’s case, core, and mechanical properties

Assessment of cyanide overload in cassava consuming populations of Nigeria and the cyanide content of some cassava based foods

The cyanide overload of 40 cassava (gari) processing workers, 25 frequent consumers of cassava foods and 20 cigarette smokers (all Nigerians) were assessed using a new simple kit method for determination of thiocyanate (cyanide metabolite) in urine. The mean thiocyanate measured in the urine of three groups of cassava processing workers were 9.48±2.8, 8.70±2.23, and 7.46±2.57 ppm. The mean thiocyanate measured in the urine of frequent cassava consumers and cigarette smokers were 3.57±0.6 and 13.99±13.81 ppm, respectively. The urine samples of 15% of the processing workers measured ≥10 ppm SCN (172μmol/L), while two urine samples from the smokers measured 30, and 44 ppm SCN. The cyanide contents of some cassava based foods commonly consumed among Nigerians were determined and ranged from 0.68±0.31 to 0.88±0.21 for total cyanide and 0.14±0.03 to 0.52±01 mgCN-1100g-1 DM for free cyanide. The toxicological implications of these findings are discussed

Incidence of Syphilis in Prostate Specific Antigen Samples of Patients Attending Cancer Screening Unit in Nigeria

The relationship between prostate cancer and syphilis and the relevance of the known risk factors such as age, occupation and physical/social activities of these patients on this relationship was determined. Blood samples were collected by convenience sampling method from 132 men (45 – 89 yrs) attending the Cancer Screening Clinic of University College Hospital, Ibadan between January and June 2006. All these patients presented for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test for various reasons ranging from suspicious of prostate cancer to routine screening. The Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) of these patients was categorized into 0-4µg/L (normal), 4.1-20µg/L and >20µg/L. Out of the 132 patients used in this study, fifty-six (42.4%) had Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) value of 0-4µg/L, twenty-six (19.6 %) had PSA value of 4.1-20µg/L and the rest of the patients ( 56%) with values; >20µg/L. A total of fourteen (10.6%) of these patients were syphilis positive, patients with normal PSA value had the least incidence of syphilis, 7.1% (4 out of 56). In patients with PSA >20µg/L the incidence was 12.0% (6 of 50) while the group 4.1-20µg/L recorded the highest incidence of syphilis with 15.4% (4 of 26). Highest incidence of syphilis was found at the age group 70-79 with PSA value 4.1-20µg/L, 25.0%, followed by age group 60-69 with PSA value >20µg/L, 22.2%. Retirees had 14.3 and 9.1% incidence of syphilis at the age groups 50-59 and 60-69 years respectively and at PSA value of 0-4µg/L. High PSA value was found to be more prevalent in retirees 65.0% (52 out of 80). This study suggests social status and age related relationship between syphilis and PSA