Effects of Crude Oil and Oil Products on Growth of Some Edible Mushrooms

The vegetative growth response of three local edible mushrooms: Pleurotus pulmonarius (Pp), Pleurotus tuber-regium (Pt) and Lentinus squarrosulus (Ls) on different concentrations of Crude oil (COIL), Automotive Gasoline Oil (AGO), Fresh Engine Oil (ENGOIL) and Spent Engine Oil (SENGOIL)was investigated. The result showed variable degree of sensitivity of the three mushrooms to each of the pollutants at different concentrations used. Pleurotus tuber regium grew fastest among the three organisms onall pollutants and radial growth was observed at all concentrations. Almost the same pattern of growth was observed for Pleurotus pulmonarius and Lentinus squarossulus. Radial growth for both was supported by crude oil and AGO at all concentrations whereas growth on Engine oil (Fresh and Spent) was not observed beyond 10% concentration. There was significant reduction in radial growth as concentration of pollutants increased (P= 0.05). @JASE

Isolation and Molecular Identification of some Fungi Associated with Jatropha curcas (L.)

Jatropha curcas is a plant of great economic importance that experiences high incidence of fungal attack. Misidentification of the fungal species is bound to occur with the use of traditional cultural methods where organisms are identified morphologically and/or microscopically. This study was carried out to isolate and identify the fungi associated with Jatropha curcas (L.) using both traditional/ cultural techniques and molecular methods. The fungi were isolated from diseased leaves and stems of J. curcas using both Standard Blotter and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) methods. DNA was extracted from the fungal isolates using Zymo Fungal/Bacteria DNA MiniPrep Kit. Amplification of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions of the fungal isolates was carried out using fungi universal primer pairs for ITS4 and ITS5. The amplicons were sequenced and the isolates were identified as Penicillium brevicompactum, Aspergillus sp., Botryosphaeria rhodina, Aspergillus nomius, Aspergillus tamarii, Rhizopus oryzae, Penicillium citrinum and Fusarium solani. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out to know the relationship between the isolates and other closely-related species in GenBank. Jatropha curcas is colonized by many fungal species some of which may be pathogenic to the plant, and molecular techniques pose the best alternative for accurate identification of these organisms. Keywords: Jatropha curcas, fungi, polymerase chain reaction, phylogeny, sequencin

Nutritional changes induced by fungi on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) seeds

Seeds are usually infected by microorganisms and pests during storage, causing deterioration and reduction in the nutritive and market value of these seeds. In this study, the proximate composition of Vigna unguiculata seeds inoculated with different fungal organisms was determined to ascertain the level of deterioration caused by fungi on the seeds. The fungi used in the study were Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizopus stolonifer and Aspergillus niger. There was a significant increase (p<0.05, 0.008) in the protein content of seeds inoculated with fungi. Fusarium oxysporum (29.45%) caused the highest increase in protein followed by Aspergillus niger (28.14%), Botryodiplodia theobromae (27.85%) and Rhizopus stolonifer (27.50%). The increase could be attributed to the proteineous content of the fungal mycelia. There was a significant increase (p<0.05, 0.005/0.014) in moisture and ash content of inoculated seeds respectively. Fusarium oxysporum caused the highest increase in ash (7.93) while Rhizopus stolonifer (5.4) caused the lowest increase. The increase in ash content is due to the presence of minerals like potassium and phosphorus in the mycelia of the fungi. There was a significant decrease (p<0.05, 0.019) in the carbohydrate, lipid, fibre and dry matter content of fungi-inoculated seeds when compared with the control. Fusarium oxysporum (36.6) caused the highest decrease while Rhizopus stolonifer (43.2) caused the lowest decrease in dry matter of inoculated seeds. Decrease in dry matter may be as a result of production of enzymes by these fungi

Comparative Bacterial Metagenomics of Soursop (Annona muricata L.) and Apple (Malus domestica B.)

Illumina Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platform targeting the conserved regions of bacteria ribosomal DNA (16s rRNA) was used to identify the bacterial community associated with soursop (Annona muricata L.). The aim of this work is to compare the diversities of the bacterial communities of Annona muricata and Malus domestica (obtained from National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database). The functional genes in these communities were also predicted. A total of 167,693 high quality reads was obtained from Annona muricata and Malus domestica. Clustering on GREENGENES database revealed 570 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). Alpha-diversity indices indicated high diversity and abundance of microbial community. Taxonomic analysis revealed that bacterial community was grouped into 24 phyla and 455 genera. The microbiome of the samples was dominated by distinct populations of four phyla viz Proteobacteria (58.41%), Bacteroidetes (18.59%), Actinobacteria (11.13%) and Firmicutes (7.29%). The functional genes were predicted for 16S rRNA gene sequences based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) which indicated amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, xenobiotics biodegradation and lipid metabolism, metabolism of terpenoids and polypeptides and biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites as predominant metabolic categories. Thus, the study revealed the structure of microbial community and functional genes composition in A. muricata and M. domestica fruits and this will help to expand the knowledge concerning the structure of plant-associated bacterial communities, revealing valuable information of their impact and indicating their crucial roles in evolutionary and ecological processes

Studies on the Physicochemical Properties and Genotoxicity of Effluents from a Dairy Industry

In this study, the physicochemical analysis of raw and treated effluents obtained from a dairy industry was carried out and it revealed the presence of zinc, iron, manganese, nitrates and sulphates at levels higher than Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) permissible limits. The pH of the effluents was acidic (pH 4.7 and 6.43 respectively). Results obtained from the macroscopic evaluation of Allium cepa after 96 hours of cultivation in both effluents showed a significant (p<0.05) concentration-dependent root growth inhibition. Root tip cells of A. cepa processed for cytological studies by the aceto-orcein squash technique after exposure to the effluents for 48 hours at concentrations of 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, and 10% (v/v) showed chromosomal aberrations at all concentrations. Sticky chromosomes with bridges and laggards were the most observed, however, the frequency of these aberrant chromosomes was more in the raw compared with those in the treated effluent. Statistical analysis of microscopic results showed significant (p<0.05) reduction of mitotic index in a concentration-dependent relationship. The findings of this study have shown that a combination of physicochemical analysis and genotoxicity assay is effective in assessing the mutagenic components of industrial effluents for environmental monitoring of pollutants. The treated wastewater from the dairy industry, if discharged into water bodies without further treatment, could pollute the receiving water bodies and impair biolife.Keywords: Dairy effluent, genotoxicity, Allium cepa, physicochemical analysi

Germplasm Collection of Highland Palms of Afikpo in Eastern Nigeria

The need for extensive germplasm collection to broaden the genetic base of the oil palm breeding material and to safeguard against crop vulnerability, inherent in growing of uniform and closely related cultivars over wide areas has become imperative. This paper highlights the oil palm germplasm collections from the highland areas of Afikpo in Eastern Nigeria. Fourteen oil palm accessions were collected from ten locations in Afikpo which do not form part of the continuous stretch of the oil palm belt and hitherto unexploited. Data on stem height, bunch weight, bunch length, bunch width, bunch spine length, bunch stalk weight, fruit length and width were recorded in-situ. Mesocarp, kernel, and shell to fruit ratios were computed. Elementary statistics (mean values, range and coefficient of variation) were evaluated using standard procedures. Results revealed very high variation for the fruit and bunch quality traits. It was however interesting to note the inheritance of most of the qualitative traits and their frequencies in the wild. Only nigrescens fruits were encountered in the groves while the dominant genotype for shell, the dura occurred at high frequency. The Ufensi Edda tenera had the highest mesocarp to fruit ratio (73.42%) while heavy bunch weight was recorded for the duras in the Oso Edda and Ndiba Edda groves. Height differences were generally very small in the tenera accessions than in the duras. The prospected fruits have been used to raise seedlings for future planting in the field gene banks following introgression into the breeding programme. Keywords: Afikpo, coefficient of variation, Edda grove, germplasm, mesocarp to fruit ratio, nigrescen

Coagulation abnormalities of sickle cell disease: Relationship with clinical outcomes and the effect of disease modifying therapies

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hypercoagulable state. Patients exhibit increased platelet activation, high plasma levels of markers of thrombin generation, depletion of natural anticoagulant proteins, abnormal activation of the fibrinolytic system, and increased tissue factor expression, even in the non-crisis “steady state.” Furthermore, SCD is characterized by an increased risk of thrombotic complications. The pathogenesis of coagulation activation in SCD appears to be multi-factorial, with contributions from ischemia-reperfusion injury and inflammation, hemolysis and nitric oxide deficiency, and increased sickle RBC phosphatidylserine expression. Recent studies in animal models suggest that activation of coagulation may contribute to the pathogenesis of SCD, but the data on the contribution of coagulation and platelet activation to SCD-related complications in humans are limited. Clinical trials of new generations of anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents, using a variety of clinical endpoints are warranted

Sickle Cell Nephropathy: Current Understanding of the Presentation, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges

Sickle cell nephopathy (SCN) begins early in childhood from failure of urinary concentration (hyposthenuria), albuminuria to hyperfiltration, hematuria and progression to falling glomerular filtration to end-stage renal disease and increased mortality. Renal involvement is more severe in homozygous individuals (HbSS) than in compound heterozygous patients (HbSC). The pathogenesis of SCN is multifactorial from hypoxia, acidosis, hemolysis, ischemia-reperfusion injury and albuminuria. The clinical manifestations depend on whether the main pathology is tubular, glomerular or a mixture of both abnormalities. This chapter offers a critical review of the recent literature and will highlight the pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical manifestations and management of sickle cell nephropathy with particular focus on the major advance in the early diagnosis. Learning points: For SCN, the onset of hyperfiltration and albuminuria in infants and childhood is an opportunity to intervene early. There is no diagnostic markertest capable of detecting the onset of these changes. Moreover there is no reliable therapeutic agent to prevent or halt early changes due to SCN. The development of a marker of renal impairment in SCD such as such as Cystatin C assay if validated may be appropriate for wider clinical application

Molecular characterisation of fungi from Arachis hypogaea

Arachis hypogaea L. (groundnut) is a food and oil crop of global interest. Groundnut seeds are plagued by fungal organisms especially during storage. This reduces the quantity and the commercial value of the products. Molecular techniques for determining the species of a fungus based on the PCR amplification and sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of the fungus has proven to be a more reliable method of identifying fungal species. This study was carried out to isolate and identify the fungi associated with groundnut seeds using both traditional cultural techniques and molecular method. Fungi were isolated from diseased groundnut seeds obtained from Choba market, Port Harcourt, using both Standard Blotter and Potato Dextrose Agar methods. DNA was extracted using Zymo Fungal/Bacteria DNA Miniprep Kit and was amplified using universal primer pair; 27F and 1525R. PCR products of 236 and 615 base pairs were sequenced and the fungal isolates were identified as Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Aspergillus penicillioides, respectively. This study has provided information on the fungal species associated with A. hypogaea which will help in suggesting ways to reduce the incidence of these organisms. Phylogenetic analysis showed the relationship that exists between the fungal isolates and other closely-related species in Genebank such as Pediastrum duplex, Penicillium penicillioides, Colletotrichum capsici and Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae

Child and youth participatory interventions for addressing lifestyle-related childhood obesity: a systematic review: Review of child and youth participatory interventions

A growing number of childhood obesity interventions involve children and youth in participatory roles, but these types of interventions have not been systematically reviewed. We aimed to identify child and youth participatory interventions in the peer-reviewed literature in order to characterize the approaches and examine their impact on obesity and obesity-related lifestyle behaviors. We searched PubMed/Medline, psychINFO, and ERIC for quasi-experimental and randomized trials conducted from date of database initiation through May 2015 that engaged children or youth in implementing healthy eating, physical activity, or weight management strategies. Eighteen studies met our eligibility criteria. Most (n=14) trained youth to implement pre-defined strategies targeting their peers. A few (n=4) assisted youth to plan and implement interventions that addressed environmental changes. Thirteen studies reported at least one statistically significant weight, physical activity, or dietary change outcome. Participatory approaches have potential, but variation in strategies and outcomes leave questions unanswered about the mechanisms through which child and youth engagement impact childhood obesity. Future research should compare child- or youth- to adult-delivered health promotion interventions and more rigorously evaluate natural experiments that engage youth to implement environmental changes. With careful attention to theoretical frameworks, process and outcome measures, these studies could strengthen the effectiveness of child- and youth- participatory approaches