ABSTRACT Aloe vera gel (AVG) extract is commonly used as a home remedy for some diseases, including diabetes mellitus. This study investigates the effects of pure Aloe vera (Aloe babardensis) gel on some biochemical, haematological and histological parameters in diabetic rats. The animals were divided into six groups of six rats each (n=6). Diabetes mellitus was experimentally induced in rats by intraperitoneal administration of a single dose of alloxan monohydrate (170 mg/kg BW.) following ...
ABSTRACT Soy bean v arieties commonly gro wn in Kenya`s acidic soils that contain aluminium are SB 97, SB 19, SB 20 and SB 123. Soy bean grains have high protein content, vitamins and used to manufacture industrial products. Aluminium toxicity affect growth and physiology of plant growth . The effects of aluminium chloride solution on plant growth, uptake of mineral nutrients and di stribution in vegetative parts of soy beans are still not fully understood. The objective of this study was to ...
ABSTRACT Oral contraceptive agents (OCA) have been in use for well over two decades with a total of 150 to 200 million women all over the world using the pills as means of birth control. Aside from their gynecologic influences, the hormones have been shown to affect metabolic and nutritional processes. Concern over the nutritional status of Nigerian females consuming OCA prompted this research using animal model. Pour vitamins were investigated along with four birth control pills Ovral, Norde...
ABSTRACT The discharge of coloured wastewaters into water-bodies has serious implications for the environmental and public health. Furthermore, the usual colour removal methods often result in aromatic amines which are toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic. Developing a method that can both decolourise azo dyes and degrade the corresponding aromatic amines formed is expedient. In this study, the ability of newly isolated indigenous bacteria to decolourise textile/non-textile azo dyes and degrade ...
ABSTRACT Carcinoma of the cervix is the second most common cancer among women worldwide especially in the developing world. Due to severe reported cytotoxic tendenciesby anticancer drugs, newer therapies from natural products are desirable. This work therefore aims to partially purify pro-apoptotic agents from indigenous natural products and to investigate the mechanism of action of the selected plant fractions.Sixteen indigenous medicinal plants were collected from South West Nigeria. Plant...
ABSRACT Eight cellulolytic microfungi were isolated from wood-wastes obtained from Okobaba sawmills, Ebute-Metta, Lagos. The microfungi include two pathogenic fungi, Aspergillus Aavus and Aspergillus fumigatus, and three different strains of the black aspergilli, Aspergillus niger, (designated herein as A. niger 1, A. niger 2 and A. niger 3). The other isolates are Fusarium solani, Penicillium chrysogenum, and Trichoderma harzianum. The filamentous fungi, A. nigeri, P. chrysogenum and T. har...
ABSTRACT The use of chemical herbicide in the management of aquatic weeds does not only constitute environmental and health problem but its cost and its non-specific nature calls for the use of biological control agents. An investigation was conducted into the probable use of indigenous fungi as potential mycoherbicides for water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) control. Trips were made to Badagry Creeks, Mile 2 and Lagos Lagoon in Lagos State and Ogun river in Isheri, Ogun state to collect sa...
ABSTRACT Finger millet is one of the most important cereal crops in Kenya. It is staple food rich in minerals and vitamins required for good health. Finger millet is a hardy crop compared to other cereals and it is for this reason that its currently being promoted in efforts to address food security. Western Kenya soils are acidic and soil acidity is a serious problem that affects crop productivity in the region. County governments of Kakamega, Bungoma, Vihiga, Busia and Trans-Nzoia are promo...
ABSTRACT The extracts of many plants used in traditional medicine in Africa have been shown to contain therapeutic agents supporting their use in the treatment and management of many disease endemic to the region. Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) is one of such diseases that still are a major health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, in the quest to combat this problem, the search for trypanocidal agents from medicinal plants has arisen. The aim of this study was to investigate and corrobora...
ABSTRACT Sickle Cell Anemia (Drepanocytosis) is a genetically inherited disease that affects the red blood cell hemoglobin. In vivo, sickled erythrocytes tend to block capillaries, causing stasis, and thereby starve organs of both nutrients and oxygen and eventually cause hypofunction or complete tissue destruction. In an attempt to find new types of antisickling agents that are cost effective and specifically inhibits the sickling phenomenon without undesirable consequences, this research st...
ABSTRACT Selected agro-wastes found in Lagos, Nigeria (cassava peels, corncob, sawdust, and sugarcane pulp) were compared with glucose and lactose as microbial substrates for cultivating P. chrysogenum (wild strain). This study was designed to give added value to agro waste as substrates to cultivate P. chrysogenum and subsequent production of secondary metabolite with antibiotic and anticoagulant properties. In the growth studies, corn cob and cassava peels significantly (p < 0.05) produced...
ABSTRACT The content of nitrate, nitrite and Vitamin C in eleven samples of fresh vegetables were determined. The levels of nitrate were beyond here on recommended in six of the vegetables, namely: Celosia sp. Lactuca, sativa , Amaranthus hybridus, Brassica oleracea variety acephala, Talinum sp, Spinacia oleracea. Minute quantifies of nitrite were detected in Celosia sp and Daucus carota. With accompanying high concentration of Vitamin C (a reducing agent) present in Celosia sp. this vegetabl...
ABSTRACT The discharge of coloured wastewaters into water-bodies has serious implications for the environmental and public health. Furthermore, the usual colour removal methods often result in aromatic amines which are toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic. Developing a method that can both decolourise azo dyes and degrade the corresponding aromatic amines formed is expedient. In this study, the ability of newly isolated indigenous bacteria to decolourise textile/non-textile azo dyes and degrade ...
ABSTRACT The need for utilizing renewable resources to meet the future demand for fuel and other value added products has increased the attention on lignocellulose, the most abundant and renewable resource in the world. Lignocellulose is degraded by lignocellulolytic enzymes produced by fungi and bacteria. Mutagenic agents can be used to achieve improvement of these strains. However, there has been a challenge in improving and optimizing fermentation process which in most cases has been carr...