Ethnobotanical and nutrient survey of indigenous edible fruits, vegetables and mushrooms of Iringa District, Tanzania

A study on ethnobotany and nutrients survey of indigenous vegetables, fruits and mushrooms was conducted in March 2020 in Iringa Rural District of Tanzania. The objectives was to collect ethnobotany information of the edibles, analyse the level of nutrients and use the obtained information to create awareness in the community on how to use these edibles to improve its economy and health of the citizens. Questioners were used to obtain ethnobotanical information. Opportunistic collection of the edibles was done in March during the rainy season. One hundred edibles were collected for analysis and 80 respondents were interviewed. Data analysis was accomplished using one way ANOVA in the SPSS software (Version 14). Indigenous names and medicinal use of the edibles were reported. Utility and awareness of the community to the edibles was observed to be higher although not statistically significant. Three vegetable species were observed to be more nutritive and statistically significant than others in terms of Fe2+ and ß-carotene while all mushrooms collected were observed to be rich in Fe2+ and PO3-4. Three fruit species, four vegetables species, and two mushrooms families were observed to be preferably eaten in the community. Vitex mombasae and Agaricaceae were the dominating population in the study area. However, the differences in the nutrient levels in the fruits and mushrooms were statistically not significant. Communities were gathered to receive feedback and create awareness on the importance and use of the edibles. The government is encouraged to be involved in the dissemination of this information to bolster the economy and improve the health of her people

Assessment of African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) Population Structure in Kilwa District, Tanzania

Overharvesting and limited conservation efforts have posed a serious threat to future availability of Dalbergia melanoxylon in Tanzania in recent years. The study was conducted between 2018 and 2020 covering Mitarure Forest Reserve (MFR) and 2 surrounding community forests of Ngea and Nambawala in Kilwa District. The purpose of the study was to assess the existing population status of the species in Tanzania. A total of 36 circular plots in Mitarure and 15 plots in each community forest were laid down. Data were recorded for the number of stems per plot, and then converted on per hectare basis where the basal area and densities per hectare were calculated. Data was disaggregated into 5 Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) generated distribution classes ranging from DBH 0 to more than 45 cm. The results revealed that, there was a contrast between the Mitarure Forest Reserve and community forests in terms of individual number of trees per unit area, basal area and densities. The numbers of stems per hectare for the species were found to be 16, 10 and 8 stems/ha in Mitarure, Ngea and Nambawala forest, respectively. Dalbergia melanoxylon in Mitarure forest was normally distributed. The respective basal area was over 80 m2 per ha in Nambawala against over 60 in MFR and Ngea. The results suggest success of the communities in conserving the species after previous overharvest. Authorities should frequently visit forests to increase the population of the species and reduce unauthorised harvesting. Keywords: Dalbegia melanoxylon, Population structure, Mitarure forest reserve, Ngea and Nambawala community forests

Improving propagation success of D. Melanoxylon (African blackwood) in Tanzania (II): Rooting ability of stem and root cuttings of Dalbergia melanoxylon (African blackwood) in response to rooting media sterilization in Tanzania

Dalbergia melanoxylon is a plant with valuable wood in the world and therefore is over harvested for timber while its regeneration is very low. The propagation efforts by techniques such as tissue culture or mycorrhiza have not been investigated which instigated conduction of this study. Soil and cuttings were collected from Kilwa, Kilosa and Babati for rooting test, potting media and soil characterization. The results showed that fresh soil improved rooting characteristics while sterilized soil did not due to the presence of mycorrhiza in fresh soil compared to none in sterilized media. The overall rooting in fresh soil in non-mist propagator was higher, 100% for softwood and 37% for root cuttings while none rooted in the open nursery. The results revealed that there was no significant correlation between rooting and collection sites while cutting type and the soil type used significantly influenced rooting. Softwood cuttings that weighed less than 15g significantly increased rooting at (P < 0.05) compared to cuttings that weighed above 15g. It was recommended to propagate Dalbergia melanoxylon using softwood cuttings placed in a non-mist propagator and using fresh soil infected with mycorrhiza.Key words: Dalbergia melanoxylon, non-mist propagator, rooting

Improving propagation success of Dalbegia melanoxylon (African blackwood) in Tanzania (I): Characterization of mycorrhizal associated with D. melanoxylon (African blackwood) in Tanzania

Dalbergia melanoxylon is a plant with valuable wood in the world and therefore is over harvested for timber while its regeneration is very low. The propagation efforts by techniques such as tissue culture or mycorrhiza have not been investigated which instigated conduction of this study. Soil and cuttings were collected from Kilwa, Kilosa and Babati for rooting test, potting media and soil characterization. The results showed that fresh soil improved rooting characteristics while sterilized soil did not due to the presence of mycorrhiza in fresh soil compared to none in sterilized media. The overall rooting in fresh soil in non-mist propagator was higher, 100% for softwood and 37% for root cuttings while none rooted in the open nursery. The results revealed that there was no significant correlation between rooting and collection sites while cutting type and the soil type used significantly influenced rooting. Softwood cuttings that weighed less than 15g significantly increased rooting at (P < 0.05) compared to cuttings that weighed above 15g. It was recommended to propagate Dalbergia melanoxylon using softwood cuttings placed in a non-mist propagator and using fresh soil infected with mycorrhiza.Key words: Dalbergia melanoxylon, non-mist propagator, rooting

The Effect of Moisture and Seed Treatment on the In-Situ and Ex-Situ Regeneration of Dalbergia Melanoxylon (African Blackwood) in Pugu Forest Reserve

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of moisture and seedtreatment on the in-situ and ex-situ regeneration of Dalbergia melanoxylon in Pugu forest reserve. Seed germination experiments was conducted for three months between November and December 2005 in the nursery Botany Department of the University of Dare s Salaam while seedling growth rate measurements were conducted for 12 months between January and December 2006 in the Pugu forest reserve. A total of 2 kg of D. melanoxy seeds collected from Pugu forest reserve and some from  Tanzania Tree Seed Agency (TTSA) were used for seed germination experiments. A total of 25 seedlings approximately 2 years old were randomly chosen from Pugu forest reserve for seedling growth rate experiments. A split plot experimental design was used for seed  germination in the nursery where soaked and non-soaked seeds stood for main plot and different moisture level treatments stood for subplot. Parameters recorded were germination dates, germination percentages, seedling increase in height and seedling increase in girth. Manual computation of data was accomplished according to Zar, 1988 where LSD was used for mean separation to determine statistical differences between treatment means. Tables and Figures were used to facilitate presentation and discussion of results. Data analysis led to the conclusion that, a moderate ex-situ moisture level of 200ml in a 1L pot per day effectively promoted seed germination up to 21% in seeds previously soaked in water for 6 hours compared to high moisture treatment of 300ml in a 1L pot per day which effected seed germination only by 11.6%.. The maximum in-situ growth rate was concluded to be 0.01 cm/month. The study revealed that seeds and young seedlings of D. melanoxylon are vulnerable to highmoisture level while older trees are water and light demanding. It wasrecommended that future researches should endeavour to increase seed viability by harvesting them immediately from their maturity and storage in sealed containers, conducting tissue culture to manipulate seedlings and hybridization experiments with related species to reduce growth period.Key words: Regeneration, ebony tree, music plant, Mping

Toxicity Assessment of the Crude Ethanolic Pod Extract of Swartzia madagascariensis Desv. in Rats

This study assessed toxicity of the crude ethanolic pod extracts of Swartzia madagascariensis Desv in Wistar rats. Forty (40) Wistar rats aged 8–10 weeks were orally administered with crude extracts from pods of S. madagascariensis. Chemical analysis of serum and histopathology of liver and kidney from test animals were performed to determine the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and creatinine in serum. In addition, serum albumin levels were also determined. The levels of ALT, AST and creatinine were found to be high in groups treated with crude extracts compared to the control group, suggesting some damage in liver cells and kidney of treated groups of Wistar rats. The albumin levels in serum samples of crude extract treated groups were found to be low compared to control group, suggesting some leakage to the urine due to damage in the kidney. Histopathological analyses revealed damages in the liver and kidney treated with 1000 mg/kg of crude ethanolic pod extracts of Swartzia madagascariensis (CEPES) at days 2 and 14, corresponding to what was observed in the biochemical variables. The findings revealed that Swartzia madagascariensis pods are toxic once taken in large quantities (1000 mg/kg). Keywords: Toxicity, Wistar rats, Histopathology, biochemical parameter

ErbB4 regulates the timely progression of late fetal lung development

AbstractThe ErbB4 receptor has an important function in fetal lung maturation. Deletion of ErbB4 leads to alveolar hypoplasia and hyperreactive airways similar to the changes in bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). BPD is a chronic pulmonary disorder affecting premature infants as a consequence of lung immaturity, lung damage, and abnormal repair. We hypothesized that proper ErbB4 function is needed for the timely progression of fetal lung development. An ErbB4 transgenic cardiac rescue mouse model was used to study the effect of ErbB4 deletion on fetal lung structure, surfactant protein (SP) expression, and synthesis, and inflammation. Morphometric analyses revealed a delayed structural development with a significant decrease in saccular size at E18 and more pronounced changes at E17, keeping these lungs in the canalicular stage. SP-B mRNA expression was significantly down regulated at E17 with a subsequent decrease in SP-B protein expression at E18. SP-D protein expression was significantly decreased at E18. Surfactant phospholipid synthesis was significantly decreased on both days, and secretion was down regulated at E18. We conclude that pulmonary ErbB4 deletion results in a structural and functional delay in fetal lung development, indicating a crucial regulatory role of ErbB4 in the timely progression of fetal lung development

Deflection control for reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams: Experimental database and extension of the fib Model Code 2010 model

Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) has emerged as a viable solution for solving some of the environmental problems of concrete production. However, design guidelines for deflection control of reinforced RAC members have not yet been proposed. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the applicability of the fib Model Code 2010 (MC2010) deflection control model to reinforced RAC beams. Three databases of long-term studies on natural aggregate concrete (NAC) and RAC beams were compiled and meta-analyses of deflection predictions by MC2010 were performed. First, the MC2010 deflection control model was tested against a large database of long-term tests on NAC beams. Second, a database of RAC and companion NAC beams was compiled and initial and long-term deflections were calculated using the MC2010 model. It was shown that deflections of RAC beams are significantly underestimated relative to NAC beams. Previously proposed modifications for MC2010 equations for shrinkage strain and creep coefficient were used, and new modifications for the modulus of elasticity and empirical coefficient β were proposed. The improved MC2010 deflection control model on RAC beams was shown to have equal performance to that on companion NAC beams. The proposals presented in this paper can help engineers to more reliably perform deflection control of reinforced RAC members.This is the peer-reviewed version of the article: N. Tošić, S. Marinković, and J. de Brito, ‘Deflection control for reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams: Experimental database and extension of the fib Model Code 2010 model’, Structural Concrete, vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 2015–2029, 2019 [https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.201900035

Philosophical Saltpeter: The Origins and Influence of Gunpowder Technology and the Paracelsian Aerial Niter

University of Minnesota M.A. thesis.January 2019. Major: History of Science, Technology, and Medicine. Advisor: Victor Boantza. 1 computer file (PDF); iii, 101 pages.This thesis re-appraises how the creation and inclusion of niter theories and salt principles played into the reformation of early modern scientific philosophies, suggesting that the adoption of these theories by major figures of the period calls for closer attention by historians of science. In particular, it raises the question of why and how such a humble, earthly mineral took on a supernatural role and became a staple in some of the leading scientific philosophies of the early modern era. I show that salt, or more specifically saltpeter, would not have assumed this identity without the growing importance and popularity accorded to gunpowder weapons beginning in the Renaissance. It was the hermetic alchemist, Paracelsus, who first developed a metaphysical notion of saltpeter and incorporated it into his natural cosmology. Historians of science, such as Allen Debus, Walter Pagel, and Henry Guerlac, have discussed Paraclesus’ first claim to treatment of niter theories and their association with the observed effects of gunpowder. However, I argue that additional evidence, found in Paracelsus’ writings, is needed to further demonstrate this historical connection and to identify differences in the understanding of Paracelsus’ conception and employment of salt as one of three principles of matter, alongside sulfur and mercury, together forming his celebrated tria prima. An examination of the parallel rise of gunpowder weapons and the utilization of saltpeter as their principle source of power showcases the philosophical links between science and emerging technologies in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The transition of saltpeter from a primary component in a technological instrument to a conceptual manifestation of the fundamental structure of reality reflects an epistemological transfer of concepts from craft knowledge to metaphysical and philosophical beliefs. Such narratives may help us understand the development of early modern natural philosophers’ beliefs about causality, agency, and creation