Chemical composition of Annona senegalensis from Nupe land, Nigeria

The proximate, mineral composition, amino acids content and phytochemical screening of Anona senegalensis seed vegetable collected from different farm site in Bida town, Niger State, Nigeria, were carried out using standard methods of food analysis. The results of the proximate composition show that the sample contained 12.20% moisture, 12.10% ash, 24.00% fat, 17.60% crude fibre, 8.80% crude protein and 25.3% of carbohydrate, respectively. Mineral composition in mg/g from the results revealed that calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese, lead and chromium values are 1.35, 0.47, 0.24, 0.48, 1.80, 0.29, 0.13, 1.10 and < 0.1, respectively. The phytochemical screening indicates the presence of saponins, steroid, flavonoid and glycoside in the sample. The results revealedhigh values of amino acid content in the sample and the values are comparable to Food and Agricultural Organization/ World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) standard

Physicochemical Analysis of Well-water Samples from Villages in Bwari Area Council-abuja, Nigeria

Abstract: This study involved the determination of the trace metals and some physiochemical properties in well-water samples taken within selected villages in Bwari Area Council, Abuja, where well water samples are not treated before consumed. The purpose was to ascertain the quality of water from these sources. The collected water samples were subsequently analyzed for the following parameters: Na, K, Ca, Zn, Cl, Mg, and SO 4 2-, using APHA standard methods of analysis. The data showed the range in variation of the investigated parameters in samples as follows: pH 6.2-6.7, electrical conductivity, 90-570µs/cm, total alkalinity 48-66 mg/L, total hardness 40-60 mg/L , Na 26-542 mg/L,K 56-218 mg/L, Ca 0.44-2 mg/L, Cl -29.82-45.44mg/L, SO 4 2-7.7-14.7 mg/L, and Mg 1.01-3.64 mg/L. The concentrations of most of the investigated parameters in the well water samples from these villages were within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization drinking water quality guidelines except sodium and potassium. The linear correlation test conducted indicated that Electrical conductivity, chloride, pH and total alkalinity were slightly correlated

Effects of surgical caponisation on growth, carcass and some haematological parameters in cockerel chickens

The study was conducted to assess the effects of surgical caponisation on growth, carcass and some haematological parameters in cockerel chickens. Sixty (60) apparently healthy day old chicks were randomly distributed into two experimental groups (caponised and un-caponised) of thirty (30) cockerels each. The birds were caponised at the age of eight (8) weeks old and slaughtered at sixteen (16) weeks of age. The means of weekly weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio and final body weight in the two groups were not significantly different (p>0.05) except the mean of final body weight that was significantly different (p.0.05). The mean weights of carcass, eviscerated carcass, hind-limb and fore-limb of the two groups were significantly different (p.0.05) while that of the breast was not significantly different (p>0.05). The mean weights of the heart, liver and gizzard of the two groups were significantly different (p.0.05) however the mean weight of the kidney was not (P>0.05). All the mean values of Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Haemoglobin Content (HBC) and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) in the two groups were not significantly different (p>0.05) however the White Blood Cells (WBC) was significantly different (p.0.05). It was concluded that the surgical caponisation of cockerel chickens at eight (8) weeks of age has significant effects on the growth and carcass traits (p.0.05) except on kidney (p>0.05) and has no significant effects on the haematological parameters (p>0.05) except on WBC (p.0.05).Keywords: Caponisation, Carcass, Cockerel, Growth, Haematological

Assessment of Selected Heavy Metal Content on Dumpsites Soil and Vegetables Grown in Muwo Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria

This study examines the concentration of heavy metals in soil samples and some vegetables (spinach, water leaf, bitter leaf and jute mallow) cultivated around dumpsites in Muwo Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria. The soil samples and vegetable were analyzed for Ni, Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd using AA500 spectrophotometer after acid digestion. Data obtained show that, the Pb (1.684 mg/kg of Jute) content was high compared to other metals study in this work. Concentration of Zn was 1.993, 0.862 and 0.443 mg/kg for water leaf, soil and control sample respectively. The content of Pb was 1.727, 1.738 and ND mg/kg for water leaf, soil and control sample respectively. Also, the concentration of Pb was 1.736, ND and 0.457 mg/kg for spinach, soil and control sample respectively. However, the content of Zn was 0.786, 0.751 and 0.554 mg/kg for spinach, soil and control sample respectively The accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural soils is of increasing concern because of, potential health risks, food safety as well as its detrimental effects on the soil ecosystem and human health. The pollution indexes of Ni contents are 0.439, 0.378, and 0.083 for jute, soil and control sample respectively. While Zn concentration was 1.117, 0.858 and 0.492 for jute, soil and control sample respectively. The result of this study shows that Pb concentrations are present in high levels in the study area at the different level of contamination

Epidemiological and Entomological Evaluations after Six Years or More of Mass Drug Administration for Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination in Nigeria

The current strategy for interrupting transmission of lymphatic filariasis (LF) is annual mass drug administration (MDA), at good coverage, for 6 or more years. We describe our programmatic experience delivering the MDA combination of ivermectin and albendazole in Plateau and Nasarawa states in central Nigeria, where LF is caused by anopheline transmitted Wuchereria bancrofti. Baseline LF mapping using rapid blood antigen detection tests showed mean local government area (LGA) prevalence of 23% (range 4–62%). MDA was launched in 2000 and by 2003 had been scaled up to full geographic coverage in all 30 LGAs in the two states; over 26 million cumulative directly observed treatments were provided by community drug distributors over the intervention period. Reported treatment coverage for each round was ≥85% of the treatment eligible population of 3.7 million, although a population-based coverage survey in 2003 showed lower coverage (72.2%; 95% CI 65.5–79.0%). To determine impact on transmission, we monitored three LF infection parameters (microfilaremia, antigenemia, and mosquito infection) in 10 sentinel villages (SVs) serially. The last monitoring was done in 2009, when SVs had been treated for 7–10 years. Microfilaremia in 2009 decreased by 83% from baseline (from 4.9% to 0.8%); antigenemia by 67% (from 21.6% to 7.2%); mosquito infection rate (all larval stages) by 86% (from 3.1% to 0.4%); and mosquito infectivity rate (L3 stages) by 76% (from 1.3% to 0.3%). All changes were statistically significant. Results suggest that LF transmission has been interrupted in 5 of the 10 SVs, based on 2009 finding of microfilaremia ≥1% and/or L3 stages in mosquitoes. Four of the five SVs where transmission persists had baseline antigenemia prevalence of >25%. Longer or additional interventions (e.g., more frequent MDA treatments, insecticidal bed nets) should be considered for ‘hot spots’ where transmission is ongoing

Cytomegalovirus distribution and evolution in hominines

Herpesviruses are thought to have evolved in very close association with their hosts. This is notably the case for cytomegaloviruses (CMVs; genus Cytomegalovirus) infecting primates, which exhibit a strong signal of co-divergence with their hosts. Some herpesviruses are however known to have crossed species barriers. Based on a limited sampling of CMV diversity in the hominine (African great ape and human) lineage, we hypothesized that chimpanzees and gorillas might have mutually exchanged CMVs in the past. Here, we performed a comprehensive molecular screening of all 9 African great ape species/subspecies, using 675 fecal samples collected from wild animals. We identified CMVs in eight species/subspecies, notably generating the first CMV sequences from bonobos. We used this extended dataset to test competing hypotheses with various degrees of co-divergence/number of host switches while simultaneously estimating the dates of these events in a Bayesian framework. The model best supported by the data involved the transmission of a gorilla CMV to the panine (chimpanzee and bonobo) lineage and the transmission of a panine CMV to the gorilla lineage prior to the divergence of chimpanzees and bonobos, more than 800,000 years ago. Panine CMVs then co-diverged with their hosts. These results add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that viruses with a double-stranded DNA genome (including other herpesviruses, adenoviruses, and papillomaviruses) often jumped between hominine lineages over the last few million years.Peer Reviewe

Population dynamics and genetic connectivity in recent chimpanzee history

The European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 864203) (to T.M.-B.). BFU2017-86471-P (MINECO/FEDER, UE) (to T.M.-B.). “Unidad de Excelencia María de Maeztu”, funded by the AEI (CEX2018-000792-M) (to T.M.-B.). Howard Hughes International Early Career (to T.M.-B.). NIH 1R01HG010898-01A1 (to T.M.-B.). Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca and CERCA Program del Departament d’Economia i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya (GRC 2017 SGR 880) (to T.M.-B.). UCL’s Wellcome Trust ISSF3 award 204841/Z/16/Z (to A.M.A. and J.M.S.). Generalitat de Catalunya (2017 SGR-1040) (to M. Llorente). Wellcome Trust Investigator Award 202802/Z/16/Z (to D.A.H.). The Pan African Program: The Cultured Chimpanzee (PanAf) is generously funded by the Max Planck Society, the Max Planck Society Innovation Fund, and the Heinz L. Krekeler Foundation.Knowledge on the population history of endangered species is critical for conservation, but whole-genome data on chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) is geographically sparse. Here, we produced the first non-invasive geolocalized catalog of genomic diversity by capturing chromosome 21 from 828 non-invasive samples collected at 48 sampling sites across Africa. The four recognized subspecies show clear genetic differentiation correlating with known barriers, while previously undescribed genetic exchange suggests that these have been permeable on a local scale. We obtained a detailed reconstruction of population stratification and fine-scale patterns of isolation, migration, and connectivity, including a comprehensive picture of admixture with bonobos (Pan paniscus). Unlike humans, chimpanzees did not experience extended episodes of long-distance migrations, which might have limited cultural transmission. Finally, based on local rare variation, we implement a fine-grained geolocalization approach demonstrating improved precision in determining the origin of confiscated chimpanzees.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe