Assessment of Suitability of Wood Fibres of Four Nigerian Fruit Trees for Paper–Making

Wood fibres of four fruit trees of Nigeria commonly found in Nsukka metropolis were studied and assessed for their suitability for paper-making. These trees include Mangifera indica, Anacardium occidentale, Persea americana and Dacryodes edulis. The parameters used in the study were the fibre dimensions and derived fibre values. The mean values for fibre length of the species ranged from 0.89 ± 0.34 mm in Persea americana to 1.15 ± 0.38 mm in Dacryodes edulis; mean fibre lumen diameter of 0.009 ± 0.001 mm in Anacardium occidentale to 0.014 ± 0.06 mm in D. edulis; mean fibre diameter of 0.023 ± 0.005 mm in P. americana to 0.026 ± 0.005 mm in M indica; mean fibre cell wall thickness of 0.004 ± 0.002 mm in D. edulis and M. indica to 0.006 ± 0.002 mm in A. occidentale. For the derived fibre values, a mean Runkel ratio of 0.70 ± 0.03 in D. edulis to 1.35 ± .56 in A. occidentale. Coefficient of flexibility of 0.37 ± 0.08 in A. occidentale to 0.57 ± 0.17 in D. edulis and a slenderness ratio of 41.61 ± 20.31 in P. americana to 50.07 ± 14.79 in A. occidentale. Analysis of variance for the derived fibre values showed highly significant difference among the species. In consideration of the parameters – Runkel ratio and coefficient of flexibility, D. edulis seemed to have better paper making potentials than the other three.Keyword: Nigerian fruit trees, Wood fibre, Paper-makin

Assessment of Factors Responsible for Successful Project Implementation in Anambra State, Nigeria.

There is a high rate of project failure in Anambra State, Nigeria. This manifests not only as abandonment of projects, but also as cases of structural collapse, inability to deliver projects on time, cost overshoots and poor client satisfaction. Because every microenvironment is unique in some way, factors dictating project success could differ markedly from environment to environment. The aim of this research therefore was to appraise the factors critical for project success in Anambra State, Nigeria, with a view to helping stem the high incidence of project failure. Primary information used in the research were sourced from a survey of one hundred (100) project professionals, each possessing a minimum of 5 years of experience. Structured questionnaires based on the Likert-5-Point Scale of Responses were used to capture their opinions on the reasons for project success, while Secondary information were sourced from a review of literature.  Results were analyzed using appropriate statistical tools based on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 16.0).  We have established and firmly ranked the first five factors responsible for project success in Anambra State, Nigeria. We concluded that the most important factor for project success is ability to handle unexpected crises above client commitment. It is recommended that the results of this research be disseminated and used in community enlightenment, and in further policy guidance and regulation. It is also recommended that the study be applied to the entire South Eastern states of Nigeria in order to generate better client satisfaction in subsequent projects. Keywords: Assessment, Factors, Successful Project, Implementation

The effect of spent engine oil on some vegetative parameters of Eichhornia crassipes

The effect of spent engine oil pollution on some vegetative parameters of Eichhornia crassipes was studied in a greenhouse for eight (8) weeks to evaluate the level of tolerance of E. crassipes to spent engine oil pollution, and to make recommendations on the use of E. crassipes for phytoremediation of spilled engine oil. Three levels of spent engine oil: 5 ml, 15 ml and 45 ml were applied to pollute the water culture container. A plant grown in an unpolluted medium served as the control. Results showed that there were significant (p<0.05) reductions in plant height, width of lamina, leaf area and petiole length of all the plants in polluted media compared with the control. Among the treatments, 15 ml treatment had minimal pollution effect on plant growth and produced the highest percentage flowering whereas 45 ml treatment gave the highest pollution effect on the plant, resulting in low percentage flowering. The growth of the vegetative parameters of plants cultured in both polluted and unpolluted water was enhanced by the application of fertilizer. It is recommended that E. crassipes be employed in phytoremediation trial experiments since the vegetative parameters studied were not adversely affected by spent engine oil when supplied with nutrients like NPK fertilizer

Formulation and characterization of artemether-loaded sodium alginate microcapsules

Purpose: To increase the solubility of artemether (ART) in Transcutol® HP through microencapsulation in sodium alginate polymer to achieve  sustained in vivo release.Method: Graded concentrations of ART (0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 g) microcapsules were produced using Tween® 80 by the cold  homogenization method at 24 x 1000 rpm for 15 min. Characterization based on yield, encapsulation efficiency (EE), particle size, pH stability,  differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and in vivo release using Peter’s four-day suppressive protocol in Wistar mice infected with Plasmodium berghei, were determined.Results: The results obtained indicate that 0.5 g ART-loaded microcapsules (AMC) showed the highest yield of 96.85 %. The EE of 88.3 %  corresponded to 0.75 g ART-loaded microcapsules. DSC results revealed that there was a significant reduction in enthalpy in all the formulations compared to the crystalline drug, but no strong bond interaction occurred except for the blank microcapsules. The AMC1.0 showed high dose-dependent plasmodial growth inhibition of 88.75 % while AMC0.25 had the least (68.13 %).Conclusion: The artemether microcapsules showed sustained release characteristics for oral delivery of artemether and therefore may reduce some of the adverse effects associated with high dose artemether therapy in conventional oral tablets. Keywords: Malaria, Artemether, Transcutol® HP, Sustained-release, RBC count, Antiplasmodial activit

Phytochemistry and proximate composition of ginger (Zingiber officinale)

The phytochemistry, proximate composition and medicinal properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale) were investigated. The rhizomes of ginger were collected, washed with water and chopped into tiny pieces. These were dried in an air-circulating oven and milled into fine powder using a mechanical grinder. The resulting powdered sample was subjected to phytochemical tests. Proximate analysis was also carried out to determine the moisture, protein, fats, carbohydrate contents as well as ash and fibre values of the rhizome. The results of the phytochemical screening showed that alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins, saponins, steroids, flavonoids and terpenoids were present, while reducing sugars, tannins, oils and acid compounds were absent. Similarly, the results of the proximate analysis of the rhizome showed that ginger contains mostly carbohydrates (71.46%) and crude protein (8.83%) with a little crude fibre content of 0.92 %. The results indicated that ginger rhizome is an excellent natural remedy for a wide range of ailments.Keywords: Zingiber officinale, spice, rhizome, phytochemistry, proximate analysis, Zingiberaceae, zingerone, methanolic extractionJournal of Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences, Vol. 7 No. 5 (2010

Rooting of the mature and juvenile stem cuttings of Irvingia wombolu (Vemeosen)

No Abstract.Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences Vol. 2 (1) 2004 pp. 7-1

Assessment of the gestation period and economic yield of African breadfruit, Reculia Africana, var. Africana Decne, moraceae

Seedlings of African breadfruit, Treculia africana var. africana Decne, were established in a two hectare plot, adopting 10 x 10m spacing. The seedlings were later budded in January 1995 using budwoods obtained when the parent stocks (already fruiting trees) were in flowers. Observations were made on the gestation period of the budded seedlings and the pattern of flowering and fruiting. The study lasted for 12 year (1994 -2005). Fruits produced by each tree were recorded and then processed for the seeds, which were sun-dried for 2hours before disposal. The price at disposal was based on the standard for disposing agricultural produce and prevailing market price in the South Eastern States. The results showed that the trees took 3-4 years to begin flower and fruit production. Majority of the flowers produced in the first phase of reproduction aborted but persisted till fruit production in the subsequent years. Seed yield increased from 11.54kg in 1998 to 12.46kg in 2005. Revenue accruing from the sale of the seeds also increased from N304.70 in N1998 to N 2,470 in 2005. With a standard tree density of 100trees/ha., adopting 10 x 10m spacing, mean revenue as high as N118, 340.00 would be realized from 20 trees. Such revenue can be relied upon as a sustainable source of alleviating poverty particularly among the rural farmers.Key words: Treculia africana, gestation period, seed yield, revenue generating capacity

Growth and yield of five varieties of cucumber (Cucumis sativus l.) in southern Nigeria

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the growth and yield of five varieties of cucumber. There were significant differences among the varieties with regard to days to emergence, days to 50% flowering, length of vine, number of leaves, number of branches, weight of fruit, length of fruit and the diameter of fruit per plant. Centriolo marketer produced the longest vine length, number of leaves and number of branches. These were comparable to the values for marketmoore while the least values were produced by local variety. Marketmoore variety out-yielded other varieties with a value of 1056 g/per plant. The other varieties, Centriolo marketer, Pionsett, Beit alpha and Local variety produced 858 g, 722 g, 652 g, and 388 g per plant respectively. It was also superior in yield per unit area with a value of 35 t/ha and this more than doubled the value of the local variety which had 12.9 t/ha. ThE study revealed that Marketmoore and Centriolo varieties are promising varieties of cucumber which can be recommended for production in this ecological zone.Key words: climate change, deforestation, national parks, global warming, ozone layer, biodiversit

Comparative studies on In Vitro storage techniques of oil palm pollen

No Abstract. Bio-Research Vol. 5 (2) 2007: pp. 258-26

Phytochemical constituents and ethnobotany of the leaf extract of bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) Del

The phytochemical screening and ethno botanical importance of the leaf of Vernonia amygdalina Del. were investigated. The secondary metabolites in the leaf were identified to establish a relationship between them and their therapeutic properties. The leaves were sun dried, pulverized and sieved. The resulting powdered extract was used in running a phytochemical test. A chemical analysis was also ran to determine the moisture content, ash value, protein, fats, carbohydrate and fibre value of the leaf. The results of the phytochemical screening showed that carbohydrates, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, proteins and steroid occurred in very high concentration (+ + +), while flavonoids and glycosides occurred in high concentration (++).The concentration of resins was low (+).Acidic compounds and oils were not observed (-). Similarly, the chemical analysis revealed the presence of fat, protein, carbohydrate, fibre, ash and moisture, necessary for human growth and development..Vernonia amygdalina has been found useful in ethnomedicine.Keywords: Phytochemical, ethnobotany, Vernonia amygdalina, therapeutic properties, ethnomedicineJournal of Pharmaceutical and Allied SciencesVol. 7 No. 3 (2010