ABSTRACT Agrochemicals have been used extensively all over the world for improved food security, industrial development, and poverty reduction. In Western Kenya, herbicides are used to clear weeds in sugarcane growing plantations. Uncontrolled and unregulated use of these herbicides results in contamination of both soils and the associated drainage systems. Their use may have adverse effects such as disruption of microbial, animal and plant diversity in addition to serious effects to human h...
ABSTRACT Emerging scientific data from pharmacological and physiological studies continue to show that tea has beneficial effects on human health by boosting immunity. In vitro studies have shown that flavonoids help immune response by acting as anti-cancer, anti-viral and antibacterial agents. In this study, different types of commercial tea samples were assayed for their phenolic composition, antioxidant activity and their effect on chronic inflammation induced by Trypanosoma brucei brucei...
ABSTRACT Cassava (Manihot esculenta Cranzt) is an important food security crop for resource poor rural communities particularly in Africa. Little is however known about variability of critical root nutritional, biochemical quality traits and molecular diversity of Kenyan cassava germplasm. This led to a study whose objective was to determine the nutritional quality traits of different genotypes of cassava cultivated in the central Rift Valley region of Kenya and to identify genetic constitut...
ABSTRACT Aflatoxin contamination is a major problem affecting cereal producers worldwide. Aspergillus species, which are known to produce these toxins, colonize cereals in the field, during post-harvest period through to storage. This study sought to establish variation in: (i) fungal species in maize and soil, (ii) their morphological diversity, (iii) the distribution of toxigenic Aspergillus species as well as, (iv) the seasonal variations of aflatoxins and (v) the predominant toxin type i...
ABSTRACT Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a tropical disease caused by two subspecies of Trypanosoma brucei: T. b. rhodesiense and T. b. gambiense. Melarsoprol, an organic arsenical is the only drug used to treat late stage T. b. rhodesiense infection in spite of its toxic side effects. A mouse model was adapted to study the effects of melarsoprol which was apparently toxic at normal intravenous doses of 3.6mg/kg body weight. Results from this study show that melarsoprol markedly reduc...
ABSTRACT Information on the vertebrate hosts of blood feeding vectors forms a useful decision-making tool in the planning of tsetse fly control and eradication operations. The objective of this study was to investigate the utility of mitochondrial Cytochrome c oxidase I and Cytochrome b gene sequences in the identification of tsetse fly blood meals in order to provide a basis for more rational control of trypanosomosis in East Africa. Blood fed Glossina swynnertoni were sampled from the Sere...
ABSTRACT Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a mosquito borne viral infection, first reported in the Rift Valley province of Kenya in 1912 and identified in 1931. Major outbreaks have been reported in Kenya in 1997/1998 and 2006/2007. Baringo, Garissa and Kilifi district of Kenya were hot spots in the last major RVF outbreak that occurred in the country in 2006/2007. Investigations were conducted during the outbreak to establish putative mosquito vectors and vertebrate host of RVF virus. Engorged fem...
ABSTRACT The Lake Victoria region of western Kenya is malaria endemic with a suitable environment throughout the year for the transmission of Plasmodium parasites by its primary mosquito vector, Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.), as well as other secondary vectors. Malaria control largely depends on vector control using long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) that protect humans from infectious bites while sleeping. However, the success of this strategy is greatly threatened by resistance t...
ABSTRACT African trypanosomiases are a group of related diseases that affect humans (Human African Trypanosomiasis - HAT) and their livestock (Animal African Trypanosomiasis), with devastating medical and economic consequences for Africa. The diseases are caused by trypanosome parasites cyclically transmitted by tsetse flies. Recent reports indicate that HAT is on the decline in sub Sahara Africa. However, the disease still remains a major health problem in some parts of Africa such as South...
ABSTRACT 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. This study sought to screen for antimicrobial activity of extracts from fungal endophytes against selected human pathogens, identify, and characterize the fungal endophytes and screen for phytochemicals present in selected medicinal plants‟ extracts. Sixty-five fu...
ABSTRACT Micronutrient deficiency of zinc and iron is a major problem worldwide, especially in the developing countries that heavily rely on cereal rich diets for sustenance. Wheat is a popular staple cereal crop containing substantial levels of micronutrients and could be used as a tool for alleviating their deficiencies. The study reported herein focused on determining the concentration of zinc, iron, resistant starch (RS) and phytic acid in 9 newly released wheat varieties and their effec...
ABSTRACT The emergence of multi-drug resistant strains is a formidable threat to the fight against skin diseases and hence effective alternative regimes must be sought. Although many studies have been done on antimicrobial activities of Syzygium aromaticum and Eucalyptus citriodora oils, no information is available on their antimicrobial interaction and hence the purpose of this study. Bioactivity testing of Syzygium aromaticum and Eucalyptus citriodora oils was done using disc diffusion tec...
ABSTRACT Africa green monkeys (AGMs, Chlorocebus aethiops) (Gray, 1870) and olive baboons (Papio anubis anubis) (Lesson, 1827) are common non-human primates (NHPs) found within major urban centres in Kenya. The widely distributed AGMs are naturally infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) of the genus Lentivirus. While a baboon specific SIV has not been reported so far, studies have demonstrated that baboons are non-receptive to SIV infection leading to low prevalence in these speci...
ABSTRACT Agrochemical industries are faced with inadequate supply of molasses that is the main raw material for ethanol production creating a need to develop an alternative feedstock. The use of sweet sorghum will alleviate the problem. Three sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) genotypes, EUSS10, EUSS11, and EUSS17 were tested against five controls, SS21, SS17, SS14, ACFC003/12 and SS04 to evaluate their ethanol yield potential, stability, and adaptability in Busia, Siaya and Kisumu Cou...
ABSTRACT Banana is a popular and important crop among many communities in East Africa. It is used both as a subsistence and cash crop. Bananas provide a major source of carbohydrates for over 400 million people in tropical countries, about 25% of these being in Africa. In Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda, banana consumption ranges from 250 to 400 kg per person per year. In Kenya, production stands at around 210,000 metric tonnes annually. However, banana production is threatened by a number of vir...