Psidium guajava extract reduces trypanosomosis associated lipid peroxidation and raises glutathione concentrations in infected animals

We have investigated the effects of the aqueous leaf extract of P. guajava on reduced glutathione (GSH) and alondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. The results obtained showed that the MDA concentrations in the serum and tissues of the infected animals were significantly increased (P0.05) (Table 1). In contrast, a significant decrease (P<0.05) was observed for the GSH concentrations in the liver and kidney for the infected animals compared to the uninfected control and the infected but treated groups. The MDA concentrations in the serum and tissues of the infected but treated animals were significantly reduced when compared to the infected groups (P<0.05) (Table 2). In this study it was demonstrated that the aqueous extract was able to reduce the trypanosomosis associated lipid peroxidation as well as raise the level of GSH in the infected but treated animals significantly (P<0.05). We present evidence that the ability of the leaf extract of P. guajava to lower the MDA concentrations in the treatment group may be attributed to its antioxidant properties

STUDIES ON THE EFFICACY OF BRIDELIA FERRUGINEA BENTH BARK EXTRACT FOR DOMESTIC WASTEWATER TREATMENT

The efficacy of Bridelia ferruginea Benth bark extract in wastewater treatment was investigated. Chemical analysis found the bark to contain potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, iron and copper. Phytochemical tests revealed the bark to contain tannins, phlobatannins, saponins, alkaloids, and steroids. Comparative studies using varying concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 % w/v) with alum and ferric chloride showed that the bark extract was effective in the clarification and sedimentation of total solids in the waste water sample. The optimum dose achieved was 2.5 % w/v with a minimum of 24 hours contact time. The total bacteria counts were reduced by 46 % after 24 hours when the extract was used whereas ferric chloride achieved 50 % reduction and alum achieved 55 % reduction under similar conditions. The feasibility of using the bark extract as an additional coagulant is therefore discussed. KEYWORDS: Bridelia ferruginea, Sedimentation, Total bacteria count, Wastewater treatment Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2007, 21(2), 205-211

Effect of vitamin C premedicaton on dexmedetomidineketamine anesthesia in cat

The effect of ascorbic acid premedication on dexmedetomidine-ketamine anaesthesia was evaluated in five cats in two sets of experiments namely dexmedetomidine-ketamine (control) and ascorbic acid /dexmedetomidine/ketamine (test). The control group involved concurrent intramuscular administration of 10 mg/kg ketamine and 10 µg/kg dexmedetomidine to each cat. Selected anaesthetic indices and vital parameters were recorded at ten minutes’ interval for a period of 90 minutes using standard methods. A week later, the test experiment was conducted with the same cats used in the control experiment but the trial was preceded with intramuscular injection of 20 mg/kg ascorbic acid 10 minutes before the concurrent administration of the previously used doses of dexmedetomidine and ketamine. Vitamin C premedication did not produce any significant difference on heart and respiratory rates and rectal temperature of the treated cats. Onset of drug action was not influenced by premedication with vitamin C and was the same in both control and test groups (3.6 ± 1.50 min). The duration of analgesia was also similar for both control (45.6 ± 13.22 min) and test trials (44.4 ± 10.01 min). Ascorbic acid premedication produced a longer duration of anaesthesia (68.2±17.96 min) than the control (59.6 ± 21.51 min). It also produced a significantly (P &lt; 0.05) shorter time to stand (2.2 ± 2.49 min) than the control (4.8 ± 5.34 min). It was concluded that vitamin C intramuscular administration at a dosage of 20mg/kg prior to dexmedetomidine-ketamine anesthesia in cats produced a longer duration of anaesthesia but hastened the time to stand from sternal recumbency.Keywords: Anaesthesia, Cat, Dexmedetomidine, Ketamine, Vitamin

<b>Studies on the efficacy of <i>Bridelia ferruginea</i> Benth bark extract for domestic wastewater treatment</b>

The efficacy of <i>Bridelia ferruginea</i> Benth bark extract in wastewater treatment was investigated. Chemical analysis found the bark to contain potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, iron and copper. Phytochemical tests revealed the bark to contain tannins, phlobatannins, saponins, alkaloids, and steroids. Comparative studies using varying concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 % w/v) with alum and ferric chloride showed that the bark extract was effective in the clarification and sedimentation of total solids in the waste water sample. The optimum dose achieved was 2.5 % w/v with a minimum of 24 hours contact time. The total bacteria counts were reduced by 46 % after 24 hours when the extract was used whereas ferric chloride achieved 50 % reduction and alum achieved 55 % reduction under similar conditions. The feasibility of using the bark extract as an additional coagulant is therefore discussed

Growth performance and nutrients digestibility of Japanese quail chicks (Coturnix coturnix japonica) fed diets containing raw and processed pigeon pea seed meal based diets with enzyme (Vegpro) supplementation

A total of 720 one week old Japanese quail chicks were used to investigate the growth performance and apparent nutrient digestibility of the quail chicks fed diets containing raw and processed pigeon pea seed meal (PPSM) supplemented with enzyme (Vegpro(R)). They were randomly allotted to 8 dietary treatments groups with 3 replicates per treatment and 30 birds per replicate. Raw pigeon seed was processed separately by soaking for 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours, fermentation for 3 days, boiling for 60 minutes and roasting for 30 minutes and dried to become PPSM. Experimental diets were formulated using raw and the remaining 6 processed PPSM to contain 25 % crude protein with a control to constitute 8 dietary treatments. All the diets except the control were supplemented with enzymes at 0.1g/kg diet and fed the quails for 28 days. The results showed that processed PPSM supplemented with enzyme significantly (P&lt;0.05) influenced the performance parameters measured across all the treatments. Birds on the diets T1 (134.83g), T2 (130.667g), T3 (129.43g) and T7 (130.33g) were comparable and significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher in final live weight and average daily body weight gain than those in other treatments. Birds on T1 and T4 had significantly (P&lt;0.05) lower average daily feed intake (11.73g and12.03g respectively), better feed to gain ratio (2.94 and 3.18 respectively) and feed cost per kg gain (N235.81 and N289.16 respectively). Birds on T5 had significantly (P&lt;0.05) the highest age at first egg (34.67 days). First egg weights of birds fed PPSM diets supplemented with enzyme were comparable and significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher than those on the control group (6.67g). Mortality was significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher in birds fed T2, T3, T4 and T6 compared to other treatments. Dry matter (61.94 %), crude fibre (61.49 %), ether extract (78.41 %) and ash digestibility (80.63 %) were significantly (P&lt;0.05) lower in birds on T3 compared to those in other treatments. However, the least crude protein (CP) digestibility was recorded in birds fed T2 (79.94 %) and T3 (77.62 %) while significantly (P&lt;0.05) lower NFE digestibility was recorded in birds fed T3 (49.37 %) and T6 (49.30 %) compared to other treatments. It was therefore concluded that raw and processed PPSM diets with enzyme supplementation improved performance and nutrient digestibility of quail chicks without adverse effect.Keywords: Growth performance, Japanese quails, pigeon pea seeds, digestibility, nutrients