Evaluation of the Efficacy of Plant Materials for the Control of Flea Beetles Podagrica spp on Okra Abelmoschus esculentus L

The efficacy of the Senegal prickly-ash Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides (Lam.) roots and the African locust bean tree Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) pod back was study for their efficacy in the control of okra pest, Podagrica spp. The study was carried out in the laboratory and on the field in the farming season of 2018. Z. zanthoxyloides roots were obtained from Jima-Doko forest and P. biglibosa fruit back from Takunpara. Both plant materials were air-dried under shade for 120 hours. Both plant parts were pounded separately in wooden mortar with the aid of wooden pestle until the materials turns to fine particles. Determined weight of 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 grams were taken for each plant materials and soaked in water for 24 hours and stirred at intervals of an hour. The mixture were then sieved with a muslin cloth and filtered with Whatman filter paper to eliminate all finest particles of varying sizes. These concentrations were applied individually on 10 adults of Podagrica spp. in the laboratory. It was observed that the concentration of 200 – 300g performed better for both plant materials in the control of okra flea beetle. These resulted to the death of above 50% of the insect within 2 hours. These significant laboratory trials were then formulated and taken to the field. Both plant materials acted as anti-feedants and repellants against Podagrica spp. It was also revealed that Z. zanthoxyloides performed significantly (p<0.05) better than the P. biglibosa. Furthermore, short interval applications (<or=3days) of these plant materials could be a good replacement for synthetic chemicals, hence bio-pesticides that could be adopted for organic agriculture.

Effect of leaf extracts of Carica papaya (Paw paw) and Pakia biglobosa (African locust bean) on some biochemical parameters of albino rats

In spite of the advances made in orthodox medicine, there has been an increasing interest in herbal medicine. The leaves of Carica papaya and Pakia biglobosa have been reported to contain lots of beneficial medicinal compounds, hence their use in the traditional prevention, management and treatment of ailments/diseases. In this study, the effect of varied concentrations of the ethanol leaf extract of the plants on some biochemical parameters of albino rats was assessed. The phytochemical compositions of the leaves were determined using established standard laboratory methods. Fifty four male Albino rats weighing between 150g-200g were randomly distributed into nine groups of six animals each. A daily single dose of 500mg/kg, 1000mg/kg, 1500mg/kg and 2000mg/kg body weight of either of the extracts was respectively, administered to the eight test groups for fourteen days. The control group was given only feed and water. Biochemical parameters such as the serum activities of Aspartate Aminotransferase, Alanine Aminotranferase and Alkaline phosphatase as well as the serum concentrations of Bilirubin, Albumin, HCO3-, Urea, Creatinine and Na+ were assessed. Result of the analyses showed that the administration of the extracts did not significantly raise the serum activity of ALT. The decreases in serum concentrations of Urea and increase in the concentration of HCO3- were directly proportional to the concentration of the extracts. It can be deduced from this study, that 500mg, 1000mg 1500mg and 2000mg/kg bw of either C. papaya or P. biglobosa did not elicit any marked hepatotoxicological or renotoxicological effect on the experimental animals

Biodiversity assessment of African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) accessions from Savanna and Forest zones of Nigeria as revealed by seed storage proteins and RAPD markers

Understanding the level and distribution of genetic diversity in African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) would strengthen breeding and conservation programmes towards domestication and sustainable use of this species. Sixteen accessions of P. globosa were assessed for variability based on seed morphology, seed protein and DNA profiling. Significant variation in seed characteristics were observed across locations. Seed protein profiling by SDS-PAGE revealed homogeneity as most bands were found common in all accessions, indicating that the protein profiles are highly conserved. Protein profiling separated the 16 accessions into four major clusters at 0.93 similarity coefficient. Most accessions grouping into Cluster 1 had a similarity coefficient of close to 100% and were from the Derived Savanna suggesting the presence of duplicates. Accessions NH/2016/P14, NH/2016/P03 and NH/2016/P04 grouped into clusters II, III and IV; respectively. Sixteen RAPD markers generated a total of 256 bands of which 63.67% were polymorphic. Gene diversity ranged from 0.41 to 0.93 and Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) from 0.39 to 0.93. The RAPD-based dendrogram separated accessions into six groups at 0.68 similarity coefficient. Based on a polymorphic seed storage protein marker a genetically distinct accession NH/2016/P04 could be exploited for breeding purposes. The homogeneity of alleles and narrow genetic base as revealed by RAPD and SDS-PAGE analyses suggests possible loss of intraspecific genetic diversity. Thus, intensification of germplasm collections across the different agroecological zones and characterization using specific markers will give a better understanding of diversity of P. biglobosa in order to enhance selection towards conservation, breeding and sustainable utilization.

A Systematic Review of Domestication, Ethnopharmacological Use, Phytochemistry, Nutritional Composition, and Biological Activities of Parkia Biglobosa (Jacq.) R.Br. ex G.Don

Medicinal plants are an unceasing source of herbal medicine from which many molecules are being isolated for the treatment of various diseases. Parkia biglobosa (family; Mimosaceae), commonly known as African locust bean is an economically vivacious plant of tropical and subtropical regions, cultivated in many countries across the world. Parkia biglobosa contains a broad spectrum of phytochemicals, including polysaccharides, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins, tannins, saponins, glycosides, sterols, triterpenes, saponosides, tannins, reducing compounds, coumarins, anthocyanosides, flavonosides. These bioactive components are responsible for the pharmacological properties of this auspicious plant and demonstrate its importance in daily intake and alimentation. Traditionally, different parts of the plant are used as anticancer, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetes, antibacterial activity, antifungal activity, antiinflammatory activity. In the current review, pharmacological attributes, the nutritional value of Parkia biglobosa, and the medicinal properties of its various parts have been elaborated to provide collective information on this multipurpose commercial plant

Molecular Compositions and Morphological Structures of Fermented African Locust Bean Seed (Parkia biglobosa)

The effect of production processes on molecular compositions and structure of fermented Parkia biglobosa were investigated in this study. The protein-based condiment was obtained from fermented P. biglobosa seed. Fermentation took place for five days with Bacillus subtilis used as a starter culture. The raw seeds were processed to bring out the edible seed for fermentation. There were examined the effect of fermentation with respect to time and temperature on identifying organic functional groups using FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) and morphological structure of the seed using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy. Different magnifications were used for the SEM analysis, and the ones with the best images were reported in this work. Images were described based on the surface pattern morphology.

Protein Extractability and Thermally Induced Gelation Properties of African Locust Bean Proteins (Parkia biglobosa Jacq. R.Br)

African locust bean (AfLB) protein isolates could be an interesting alternative to the use of soy as an ingredient for the development of new protein-rich products. From AfLB seed flour, the protein extractability yields by aqueous extraction were determined as a function of pH and ionic strength. Then thermally induced gelation of various protein suspensions relating to protein concentration was studied. The most critical factors affecting extractability were the pH and the presence of fat. As a function of the extraction process, the extraction yield of protein from AfLB flour ranged from 30 to 65%. Two major fractions of proteins detected in AfLB seeds were albumins and globulins, comprising four families: legume-like protein, vicilin-like proteins, convicilin, and albumins. The globulin isolate had the lowest solubility at pH 3.5-4 and the highest at pH 8-10. The solubility of albumin isolate was lightly affected by pH and ionic strength. At pH 7, the minimum protein concentration for thermal gel formation ranged from 55 to 120 g/L as function purified state of proteins. The less purified extract with a simpler process made it possible to obtain a gel needing a lower protein concentration. This last way seems promising to the development of new foods based on African locust bean flour.

Biochemical and microbiological characterization of “Soumbara” from African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) seeds consumed in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

Background: “Soumbara” as well as other traditional foods of Côte d'Ivoire are produced in a traditional way. These foods may contain pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. Aims: The aim of our work was to assess the sanitary quality of “Soumbara” sold in five communes of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), in order to valorize it as a flavor enhancer. Material and Methods: A consumption survey as well as the analysis of some physico-chemical (pH, titratable acidity, Brix degree, moisture, and organic acids) and microbiological parameters (enumeration of MAG, Clostridium, Bacillus, Staphylococci, Salmonella, E. coli, and coliforms) were carried out in five (05) municipalities of Abidjan (Abobo, Yopougon, Port Bouet, Adjamé, and Treichville) on 75 samples. Results: The results of the survey showed that most of the respondents were familiar with “Soumbara” and often consumed it. These consumers stated that they did not experience any discomfort after consuming this food. Physicochemical analyses showed that the water content of the samples of “Soumbara” ranged from 16.50% to 19.28% and the pH varied from 6.32 ± 0.01 to 7.91± 0.02. “Soumbara” contained little follow-through which ranged from 0.10 ± 0.001 to 0.27 ± 0.05. “Soumbara” also contained phenolic compounds such as coumarins, hydroquinones, and caffeic acid. Microbiological analyses had revealed the presence of spoilage and pathogenic germs such as Bacillus, Staphylococcus, and E. coli at high loads exceeding the 2019/229/EC standard. Conclusions: However, due to the high load of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, this food eaten by sprinkling directly on the dish, without passing through a cooking process could expose the consumer to a risk of food poisoning. Keywords: Food poisoning, “Soumbara”, Pathogenic and Spoilage Microorganisms.

Quality Evaluation of Dried Fermented Locust Bean and Soybean Condiments

The study was carried out in order to establish the suitability of fermented soybean condiment as an alternative to fermented locust bean condiment in meal preparations. The dried fermented condiments were subjected to chemical, microbial and sensory evaluation using standard methods. Results revealed significantly (p<0.05) higher protein (54.06%), ash (6.21%), crude fat (14.15%) and pH (8.90) content in fermented soybean condiment. Higher values of 44.72 mg/100 g, 20.06 mg/100 g, 612.40 mg/100 g and 164.34 mg / 100 g were also observed in fermented soybean condiment with respect to iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium respectively. Furthermore, fermented soybean condiment revealed significantly (p<0.05) higher vitamin content of 647.62 UI/100 g, 0.047 mg/100 g and 0.030 mg/100 g for pro-vitamin A (β-Carotene), vitamins B1 and B2 respectively. Microbiologically, total plate count of 1.7×105 CFU/g and 1.4×105 CFU/g were observed for fermented soybean and locust bean condiments respectively. There was however no fungal growth observed in both condiments. Isolation and characterization of bacteria isolates revealed Bacillus subtilis as the common microorganism in both condiments. Bacillus licheniformis was predominant in locust bean condiment, while Bacillus pumilus was more in soybean condiment. With the exception of appearance, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the condiments in terms of their sensory attributes. Sensory scores for fermented soybean condiment were however higher than that of fermented African locust bean. From this study, soybean condiment may be a suitable substitute to locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) condiment, following the gradual extinction of the plant.