Protective Role of Different Local Spices on Lambda Cyhalothrin Induced Nephrotoxicity in Male Mice

Aim: This study was aimed at evaluating the protective role of different local spices on lambda cyhalothrin induced nephrotoxicity in male mice Experimental Design: A completely randomized experimental design using standard methods for analysis. Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in the Animal house, Department of Animal and Environmental Biology of Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo Port Harcourt, Nigeria. GPS 4o47'50''N 6o58'49''E. This study lasted for 35days. Methodology: The experimental animals were separated into 6 groups (A-F) of seven mice each. Group A served as the control and Group B – F served as the test groups. At the end of the 35 day treatment period, feed was withdrawn from the mice 24 hours before termination of the experiment. Blood samples for analysis of kidney function test were collected from each mouse by ocular puncture into plain tubes. The blood was allowed to clot and centrifuged at 2500g to separate the serum from the cells. Total protein was analyzed using the spectrophotometric method of biuret, Bradford and erythrosine – b, albumin was estimated, creatinine and urea was done using enzymatic method. Vital organs were removed and weighed for organosomatic indices. Histological sections of the kidney were mounted on slides, stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Photomicrographs were generated. Results: There is no significant difference (P=0.05) between the organ weight and bodyweight in group A compared with the treatment groups. The values of Albumin, total protein, urea, creatinine and total bilirubin increased significantly in group B administered lambda cyhalothrin alone but decreased in groups administered the local spices. Histopathological analysis of the kidney shows the regular structure of the kidney architecture in group A, tubular degeneration and several vacuolations were observed in group B. However, less degeneration of the epithelial cells, regeneration of renal tubular epithelium were observed in groups C- F. Conclusion: Based on the results from liver biomarkers and histological micrographs from this study, pronounced degeneration was observed in the kidney cells exposed to lambda-cyhalothrin only. Moreover, all spices used had a regenerating ability on the kidney tubules. It is advocated therefore that consumption of this spices either singly or in combination should be encouraged especially for those exposed to insecticides poisoning

Effects of Phytohormones and Alternative Sources on the Propagation of Ternstroemia cameroonensis Cheek. by Marcotting in the Lebialem Highlands, Cameroon

Marcotting is a method of vegetative propagation which still finds its relevance in the present day forest management and routine practice to produce viable seedlings for the regeneration of Ternstroemia cameroonensis. There is dearth of information regarding the propagation of T. cameroonensis by marcotting. Hence effects of phytohormone application (Indole-3-acetc acid, Indole-3-butyric acid) and alternative sources (coconut water) on the propagation of T. cameroonensis by marcotting were investigated in the Lebialem Highlands. Mortality rates, number of roots, root length as well as marcotts position in the crown was evaluated. The propagation trials were carried under natural environmental conditions. Marcotts had an overall survival percentage of 35.41%. Those established at the middle of the crown had the highest survival percentage (15.27%) followed by those at the lower (11.80 %). Also marcotts established on branches with larger diameter (4-6 cm) and shorter length (50 cm) had the highest survival percentage (20.13 and 19.44 respectively). Again marcotts treated with IBA and CW had the best performance compared to other pre-treatments. According to the result, T. cameroonensis can be amenable through marcotts.

The Heavy Metal Characteristics (Pb and Cu) in Wideng Crab Tissue from the Gonjol River, Demak

Objective and Background: The Gonjol river serves as a lifeline for the communities surrounding Demak's brackish water ponds. Currently, factory waste is poisoning rivers. The purpose of this research was to investigate the levels of heavy metals Pb and Cu in Wideng crab tissue, water, and sediment in the Gonjol river's upper course and estuary. Methods: This study was place from January to March 2020. Heavy metal concentration was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The linear regression method was used to analyze the data. Results: Except for Cu in upstream and estuary sediments, the concentration of Pb and Cu in the waters, sediments, and Wideng crab tissue remained below the acceptable limits. Heavy metals Pb and Cu in both sediment and tissue did not reveal a significant association in the upstream and estuary, although there was a correlation between water and tissue. There is no association between silt and water in the upstream and estuary. The river's quality is based on the Decree of the Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Indonesia No.115 of 2003, which places it in category C, which means it has moderate levels of Pb and Cu pollution. While tissue and sediment levels are below the tolerance limit. Conclusion: The state of the Gonjol River is a source of concern, particularly the circumstances of Cu and Pb, which allow bioaccumulation in the future, posing a threat to the ecosystem and the communities surrounding it.

Richardia brasiliensis Collected in Southern-Benin: Phytochemical Screening, Antimicrobial Activity and Toxicity

Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the R. brasiliensis aerial part extracts collected in southern-Benin. Methodology: The phytochemical screening was performed by a differential precipitation staining method. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts were made using conventional method with water and ethanol as solvent. The obtained extracts were used to evaluate their antimicrobial activity on Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from skin infections and ten reference strains by the solid-medium diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were determined by the liquid macro-dilution method. The cytotoxic effect of the extracts was evaluated on Artemia salina larvae obtained by hatching. Results: The phytochemical screening showed a strong presence of tannins, flavonoids, terpenes, steroids and a medium presence of alkaloids, anthocyanins and mucilage’s. The extraction yields vary according to the solvent: water (15.5%) and ethanol (10.30%). The two extracts variously (p<0.001) inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from skin infections and four reference strains (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC29213, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853, Proteus mirabilis A24974, Escherichia coli ATCC25922). However, there is no difference (p > 0.05) in inhibition of strains growth between 24h and 48h. The largest diameter (21±0.75 mm) of inhibition with the reference strains was obtained with P. aeruginosa by action of the aqueous extract. Regarding Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from skin infections, the largest diameter of inhibition is about 19.25±2.75 mm obtained with strains isolated from ulcers. The average mics of 2.81 mg/ml and 2.08 mg/ml were obtained respectively for the aqueous and ethanolic extracts in the presence of the reference strains. The LC50 determination obtained using the regression line is 0.36 mg/ml for the aqueous extract and 1.16 mg/ml for the ethanolic extract. Conclusion: The aqueous extract is more effective because of its action spectrum. This extract can be used for the development of a soap or ointment to fight against skin infections.

Phytochemical Constituents and Toxicity of the Ethanol Extract of Ricinus communis (L.) in Drosophila melanogaster

The study aimed to evaluate the toxic ability of the ethanol extract of Ricinus communis (L.) in Drosophila melanogaster fruit fly model. The toxicity was determined through different criteria, including the ability to cause harmful effects on second instar larvae, reproduction, growth and development, and the movement ability of fruit flies. The results showed that the ethanol extract of Ricinus communis expressed its high toxicity against 2nd instar larvae of Drosophila melanogaste with the LD50 value of 64.63 mg/mL. In addition, Ricinus communis extract reduced the growth rate, reproduction and decreased the movement ability of Drosophila melanogaster. The total flavonoid and polyphenol content of the ethanol extract of Ricinus communis were 338.26 mgQE/g extract and 160.43 mgGAE/g extract, respectively. These findings contribute to confirming the toxic properties of ethanol extract of Ricinus communis and their potential use in preventing and controlling pest.

Ecological Characterization of Invasive Alien Species and Associated Abiotic Factors of Three Islands in the Pool Malebo in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Nowadays, invasive alien species are causing more and more environmental problems in several water bodies around the world, in Africa and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In October 2020, a floristic inventory was carried out around three islands of the Congo River (Molondo, Mipongo and Japon) at the Pool Malebo in Kinshasa. The study focused on the identification and behavior of alien species along with associated abiotic factors in the Malebo Pool of the Congo River in Kinkole, Kinshasa. The study used a simple random sampling design to select different sites where samples were collected after a direct observation. We collected invasive species in the middle of the Congo River and to achieve that, we used canoe depending on the location of each site. Recorded species were classified either alien species or invasive alien species according to the status in the study region. The identification of collected species was performed according to APG III. Seeing the way these species invade the environment and how they disturb the ecology of rivers, the physico-chemical characteristics of waters were measured between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm with the appropriate electronic probe for each parameter. For each parameter, the comparison between the sites was carried out using the ANOVA test with XLSTAT 2013 software. The findings show that 19 species have been identified as invasive alien species out of which, four were dominant, namely Echinochloa pyramidalis, Eichhornia crassipes, Salvinia molesta and Pistia stratiotes. Considering the physico-chemical parameters, no significant differences were observed for the temperature (F=0.42 and p=0.66), conductivity (F=1.55 and p=0.25) and turbidity (F=2.28 and p=0.14) for the three sites. While the pH (F=4.98; p=0.026; LSD=0.361), dissolved oxygen (F=12; p=0.001; LSD=3.65) and salinity (F=4.06; p= 0.04; LSD= 1.69) showed significant variation in the three sites. The formation of vegetation groups around these islands in the Congo River at the Pool Malebo in Kinshasa would also be justified by the influence of these parameters.

Yield Evaluation and Primary Energy Assessment of the Jatropha curcas Oil Extraction Process for Use as a Biofuel in Engines

The aim of this work is to evaluate the performance of the extraction and mechanical filtering of Jatropha curcas oil and to evaluate the primary energy of the raw material resulting from the process, this is a qualitative-quantitative study of transversal order based on measurements and analysis of the process in situ: The following factors were evaluated as factors: weight of oil per seed processed, weight of pressed cake, and measurements in the filtering process, from which a balance of matter of the process used was constructed, and the energy valuation of the oil and pressed cake, energy was used as the response variable, measured in Tons of Oil Equivalent (TEP), Barrels of Oil Equivalent (BEP), and tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (Ton CO2eq). The seed used is Creole, the one existing in the area, the extraction was carried out in a KEK-P0101 press, and a KEK-F0090 filter. The collected seeds were dried and then discarded, the average shell weight is 40% of the total weight of the dry seed, from the oil extraction process a yield of 18.6% was obtained using seed with 5.8% humidity, and from the oil filtering process, when it passed through the filter, no weight loss in kg was obtained; finally, the equivalent primary energy valuation of one ton of oil is 39076. 39 MJTon-1, which is equivalent to 0.94 TEP, 2.90 Ton CO2 eq, and 20.87 BEP; in the same way one ton of Jatropha cake represents 15969.30 MJ, equivalent to 0.38 TEP, 1.18 Ton CO2 eq, and 8. 53 BEP, and the total primary energy between one ton of oil and one ton of Jatropha cake after oil extraction together contain 55045.61 MJTon-1, equivalent to 1.32 TEP, 4.08 Ton CO2 eq, and 29.41 BEP.

Molecular Characterization of Post Harvest Fungus Associated with Spoilt Broccoli

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is a nutritional vegetable that looks like a small tree. Despite the fact that it is extensively loaded with arrays of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, it has been observed that it has a short lifespan of not more than 2-5 days due to post-harvest deterioration. A study was conducted to isolate and identify the common fungal pathogens causing post-harvest deterioration of broccoli crown. Diseased broccoli crowns were collected from Ogunabali Fruit Garden Market in D-Line, Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State. Fungal isolates were collected and morphologically identified. The DNA of the most common fungal isolate, BC-3B was molecularly characterized using Internal Transcribed Spacer 4 and 5 (ITS-4 and 5) molecular markers. The morphological studies revealed that the BC-3B isolate was an Aspergillus niger. The BC-3B isolate DNA sequence was aligned using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool for Nucleotide (BLASTN) 2.8.0 version of National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. The molecular weight of the DNA of the isolates was over 600base pairs. Based on sequence similarity, it was observed that the broccoli isolate BC-3B was 93% identical to Aspergillus niger. From the above results, these findings showed that Aspergillus niger is the causal fungal pathogen of post-harvest rot of broccoli. Phylogenetic tree was constructed to access the relationship between the isolates obtained from this study. This study has provided information on some of the fungal organisms found in broccoli. It is anticipated that this result will provide information for disease control approach for alleviating the post-harvest losses of broccoli caused by Aspergillus niger and provide a foundation for further study of possible harm of consuming diseased broccoli.

Diversity and Seasonal Dynamics of Arthropods in Okomu Forest Reserve

A field survey was conducted in Okomu Forest Reserve Edo State, to assess the diversity and seasonal dynamics of arthropod species in selected land use systems (Okomu national park, Okomu rubber plantation and Okomu oil palm plantation). Samplings of arthropods were carried out between February and September 2020, arthropods were collected by hand picking and sweep net in each sampled plots at 25 m x 25 m in the study area. Insects encountered were killed and preserved by chloroform. Arthropods samples were taken to the laboratory for oven dry and identification. A total of 382 arthropods spread across 15 orders, 34 families and 81 species were recorded. The most dominant orders were Hymenoptera (Ants) followed by Odonta (dragonfly) and Lepidoptera (butterfly and Moth) during dry season while highest abundance of orders were Spirostreptida (millepde) followed by Hymenoptera (Ants) and Araneae (spider) during rainy season. Okomu National Park has the highest (220) insect species abundance follow by Okomu Rubber Plantation (136) while the least was Okomu Oil Palm Plantation (72) in the study area. Study revealed that Okomu Rubber Plantation has no record of Scolopendromorphra (centipede) andHemiptera (bug) while in Okomu Oil Palm Plantation no record of Scolopendromorphra (centipede), lepidoptera (butterfly), also there were norecord of blattodea (crockroach) order of insect species in Okomu National Park. The highest species diversity and evenness was observed in Okomu National Park (H’ = 3.03 and E’= 0.83) follow by Okomu Oil Palm Plantation (H’=1.89 and E’=0.86) while Okomu Rubber Plantation was the least (H’ = 1.53 and E’= 0.60). ANOVA showed significant (P≤0.05) different on diversity and abundance between land use systems while there is nosignificant (P≥0.05) different seasons in the study area. Observation was made on seasonal variation of arthropods species in different land use systems and dominant species as bio-indicators in the study area.

Some Common Medicinal Plants in Barsuan Range, Bonai Forest Division, Sundargarh, Odisha

Aim: To document the common medicinal plants used by the local tribal communities of mining areas of Barsuan Range, Bonai Forest Division, Odisha, India Background: From ancient times, medicinal plants are playing vital role in human health care systems. Nowadays, medicinal plants are less used by urban & rural areas but they are still used by tribal communities. From them, the valuable knowledge needs to be documented for future reference, particularly from mining areas where lot of threats are observed on them. Methodology: Keeping the threat and importance of traditional knowledge, an attempt has been made to document the most common medicinal plants of Barsuan Range, Bonai Forest Division, Odisha through field survey using Passport Data Form. Results: A total 50 common plant species were recorded having medicinal values and used by the local communities. Conclusion: In this modern era, the conservation of traditional knowledge is important. The present study highlights the some common medicinal plants of mining impacted areas which could be the raw materials for future herbal formulation and can create livelihood option.