ABSTRACT Deaths due to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) related diseases are still very high, especially in Africa. This is mainly attributed to poor diagnosis and late detection of the virus at times when the virus has greatly multiplied within the human body. In an attempt to come up with early detection mechanisms of the virus, several investigations have been carried out. The current detection mechanisms are less rapid with some being. Here we report on the potential of Raman spectrosco...
ABSTRACT The study investigated the levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in both cocoa beans and soils of cocoa plantations in selected farms in Ondo State. Soil samples and cocoa pods were collected from four major farms in the State. The pesticide residues were extracted, cleaned up and analysed using Gas Chromatography-Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD). In the analysed cocoa samples, the ranges of the mean concentrations of the organochlorine pesticides were: α-HCH (ND-0.094 mg/k...
ABSTRACT Due to rapid increase in development of complex computer systems over the past decades, there is need to estimate and predict the reliability of software systems during the testing process. Reliability refers to how well software meets its requirements and the probability of failure free operation for the specified period of time in a specified environment. The high demand and use of software has led to increased quest for more reliable software. For the past few decades several soft...
A study was conducted on the newly developed purple tea clones in Kenya. Green tea quality analyses on theanine and catechins were done using HPLC, while total polyphenols were done using the Folin- Ciocalteu phenol reagent method. Sensory analysis was also done on green tea samples. Plain black tea quality parameters were determined (total theaflavins and individual theaflavins, brightness and total colour percentages, total thearubigins and fractions and total soluble solids) for all t...
ABSTRACT This study examined the effects of industrial wastewater on the environment of Ikeja by identifying the industries that generate and discharge wastewater. It also examined the physico-chemical composition of the wastewater and determined the spatial distribution of wastewater discharge and its relationship with environmental pollution. It compared the waste water quality of the sampled industries in the study area with LASEPA regulatory standards. Field collection of wastewater samp...
Malaria caused by Plasmodium parasite is at the moment the one of the highest killer disease in the tropics. In developing countries, where malaria is one of the most prevalent diseases, some people still rely on traditional medicine for the treatment of this disease. In the present study an ethnobotanical survey was conducted to document antimalarial medicinal plants. In vitro antiplasmodial and in vivo toxicity activities were carried out on crude root extracts and on the isolated pure...
Commercial fermented milks have health benefit potential attributed to pure probiotics used as starter culture. Lactic acid bacteria (LABs) are the probiotics used. LABs promote stabilization of the gastrointestinal microecology of humans by producing secondary metabolites like lactic, acetic and propionic acid, hydrogen peroxide and bacteriocins (bactericidal proteins). These metabolites are health benefiting. Mursik, an indigenous fermented milk product is consumed by many Kenyan commu...
ABSTRACT Malaria caused by Plasmodium parasite is at the moment the one of the highest killer disease in the tropics. In developing countries, where malaria is one of the most prevalent diseases, some people still rely on traditional medicine for the treatment of this disease. In the present study an ethnobotanical survey was conducted to document antimalarial medicinal plants. In vitro antiplasmodial and in vivo toxicity activities were carried out on crude root extracts and on the isolated ...
Infectious diseases remain to be a global health burden due to the development of antibiotic resistance by pathogenic microorganisms. Antibiotic resistance has led to increased number of deaths among children and adults. Medicinal plants have been used over the years in the treatment and remedy of various infections affecting human beings. The use of secondary metabolites from medicinal plants and fungal endophytes can be an alternative to disease management without the negative impact o...
The uncontrolled and unrestricted use of antimicrobials may lead to the accumulation of undesirable drug residues in the treated animals and their products. To avoid adverse effects from antibiotic residue consumption such as drug resistance, regulations such as maximum residue limits (MRLs), acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) for humans and withholding times for pharmacologically active substances have been set. However, in the Kenyan poultry industry there lacks affordable, easy to perfor...
ABSTRACT Heavy metal concentrations and degradation efficiency of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) on environment in Ibeno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria was investigated. Experimental design method was adopted for this study. Fifteen composite samples each of soil, leaves of Telfairia occidentalis, sediment and water were collected in December 2012 and June 2013. The sediment and water samples were collected using corer and clean plastic bottles respectively. Soil and se...
Mosquito transmitted diseases such as yellow fever, elephantiasis, dengue and malaria are some of the most deadly vector-borne diseases, affecting millions of people mainly in the tropics. In spite of major efforts undertaken for control of the diseases, through drug treatment and vector control, an increase in mosquito borne disease incidences has been witnessed in the last decades. Africa suffers most from mosquito borne diseases since mosquito vectors are distributed almost throughout...
ABSTRACT To enhance our understanding of epidemiology of Trypanosoma congolense infection and to mitigate the development of drug resistance in the field, this study sought to assess whether there is any correlation between sensitivity and/or resistance to drug and virulence, and also to establish the relative efficiency of transmission of drug sensitive and resistant T. congolense by Glossina pallidipes in mice. The other aim was to assess possible molecular changes in T. congolense (savanna...
ABSTRACT This work investigated the volatility clustering of exchange rate of Nigeria Naira against the United States of America Dollar. The data used in the present study consist of the monthly exchange rates of the Naira to Dollar from January 1999 to December 2012 obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The main focus is to provide a proper understanding of the theory and empirical working of GARCH family models and to determine volatility clustering. The EGARCH(2,2) model was selected...
Trypanosome parasite isolates are routinely collected within Human African Trypanosomiasis foci in the region and cryopreserved in a parasite cryobank at theTrypanosomiasis Research Center of the Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (KARI-TRC). Investigations were conducted to compare pathogenicity and transmissibility of drug sensitive (KETRI 2427) and resistant (EATRO 237) Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense isolates obtained from the KARI-TRC bank. Glossina pallidipes (tsetse fly vector) ...