Research Papers/Topics in Chemistry

Phytochemical Composition And Repellency Of Volatiles Emitted By Live Potted Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Plants Against Anopheles Gambiae Sensu Stricto.

ABSTRACT The malaria vector Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto remains one of the principal malaria transmission vectors in developing countries, particularly within the tropics and sub-Saharan Africa. Current methods of control are based on synthetic chemical insecticides, but these are costly and inaccessible by poor communities, and large-scale use leads to vector resistance and toxicity to beneficial non-target organisms. Plant-based products have been used for generations in traditional pra...

Determination Of Levels Of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids In Symphytum Asperumlepech Growing In Selected Parts Of Kenya

ABSTRACT Comfrey (Symphytum asperum Lepech) is widely used in Kenya and other countries as a vegetable, herbal medicine and animal feed. It is known to have high nutritional and medicinal value. However, in some countries like the USA and Australia, its usage has been restricted to external application, and in others like Germany, its usage has been banned altogether. This is because the plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) that are associated with hepatotoxicity, mutagenicity and ter...

Evaluation Of Anti-Trypanosomal Activity Of Extracts Of Selected Meliaceae Plant Species By In Vitro And In Vivo Assays

ABSTRACT African human trypanosomiasis (HAT) and African animal trypanosomiasis (AAT) are vectorborne parasitic diseases, which are among the most neglected diseases in the world. They cause major health and economic problems in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Chemotherapy, the main means of controlling the disease is limited due to parasite resistance and toxicity of the current anti-trypanosomal drugs. The development of a vaccine has been thwarted by antigenic variation of the parasite. Thus, t...

The Nanostructured Silicon From Rice Husks For High Performance Li-Ion Battery Anodes: Synthesis, Characterization And Electrochemical Properties

ABSTRACT Nanostructured silicon has attracted considerable attention as a promising anode material for next generation Lithium-ion batteries for applications in portable electronic devices and hybrid electric vehicles. This interest is mainly due to its large theoretical specific charge capacity of 4,200 mAh g-1 that is ten times more than the theoretical specific charge capacity of conventional graphite anodes. This work exploits an alternative method of fabricating pure silicon nanoparticle...

Analysis Of L- Citrulline, L-Arginine And L-Glutamic Acid In Selected Fruits, Vegetables, Seeds And Nuts Sold In Nairobi City County, Kenya

ABSTRACT L-citrulline, L-arginine and L-glutamic acid are some of the amino acids which are vital in the human body. L-citrulline boosts immunity, combats sarcopenia, detoxifies the liver and enhances male fertility. L-arginine boosts internal production of nitric oxide thus enhancing dilation of blood vessels, inhibits aging process, prevents abnormal blood clotting and accelerates healing of wounds. L-glutamic acid cleanses the central nervous system and improves overall brain health, attit...

Bioprospecting For Anti-Mosquito Phytochemicals Associated With Olfaction And Larvicidal Activities From Selected Kenyan Plants

ABSTRACT Mosquitoes are of high public health concern since they are significant disease vectors of different tropical and subtropical life-threatening diseases like malaria, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, zika virus and encephalitis. Use of synthetic insecticides for control of mosquitoes causes development of resistance in vector species and have negative effects to the environment and human. This study aimed to find alternative, effective tools against these vectors from plant essentia...

Studies On Potassium Requirements For Maize In Nyamira County, Kenya

ABSTRACT In Kenya, maize is a key cereal crop and a major staple food in most Kenyan families. Most maize farmers mainly apply nitrogenous and phosphorus fertilizers to improve on maize yields in the country and Nyamira County in particular. However, acreage yields have been declining yearly despite their use. Application of potassium (K) fertilizers in the region is limited yet it is the third major nutrient required by maize crop in large quantities for optimum growth and yields. Consequent...

Effects Of Structural Modifications Of Tsetse-Repellant Δ-Octalactone On The Responses Of Glossina Pallidipes And G. Morsitans Morsitans

ABSTRACT Tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) are vectors of Animal African Trypanosomiasis and Human African Trypanosomiasis. Two approaches have been used to combat the diseases: parasite and vector control. Parasitic control by trypanocidal drugs has so far failed due to problems of availability, toxicity and resistance development. Vector control by use of insecticides is ineffective. Trapping using baits have been relatively successful, except among pastoralists. Integration of repellants and at...

Electrochemical Treatment Of Textile Dye Wastewater By Aluminium And Stainless-Steel Electrodes

ABSTRACT Pollution of water resources due to the increasing growth in industrialization continues to pose a great challenge to the rapidly growing population. Textile industries are among the principal polluters of surface water. The development of these textile industries has resulted in severe water pollution due to discharge of dye wastewaters to natural water courses. This laboratory scale study was aimed at establishing an eco-friendly wastewater treatment method dubbed electrocoagulati...

Analysis Of Lycopene, Vitamin A And Beta Carotene In Red Cactus (Opuntia Ficus-Indica) Fruit In Nyeri County, Kenya

ABSTRACT Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) has been a serious public health problem in the developing countries especially in Africa, mostly in pre-school age children and in pregnant and lactating mothers. It contributes to 7 million pregnant women and approximately 127 million of preschool-aged children and about 1-2 million deaths every year. It has been reported that about half a million new cases of blindness emerge yearly. This has for a long time been solved in addition to modern medicines by...

Density Functional Theory Studies On Structural Properties And Energies Of Isoniazid Analogues

ABSTRACT The prevailing tuberculosis (TB) situation in the world demands the re-engineering and repositioning of some old drug families to achieve effective control of the spread and effects of TB. One such drug that is targeted for re-engineering is isoniazid which is also known as isonicotinohydrazide (INH). In this study, theoretical studies have been carried out to investigate twenty eight structural analogues of the isoniazid (INH) for their reactivity and some drug-likeness. The density...

Gamma Ray Spectroscopic Analysis Of Soil And Green Tea Leaves Of Kericho County

ABSTRACT The knowledge of the distribution of the radionuclides and their levels in the environment is paramount in assessing the effects of radiation exposure from either terrestrial or extraterrestrial sources. Human population and other living organisms are exposed to radiation from naturally occurring radionuclides in soil, building materials, food, volcanic eruptions and other environmental materials. Natural background is of terrestrial and extraterrestrial origin. Terrestrial sources ...

Phytochemical and antimicrobial screening of crotalaria quartiniana a. Rich and erythrina melanacantha harms

ABSTRACT  Information on the potency of many African medicinal plants against microorganisms is scanty, and in the current wave of antimicrobial resistance against chemotherapeutic drugs, there is need to search for plants that could be having phytochemicals that are resistance-free, affordable and with fewer and less side effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the phytochemical properties with respect to antimicrobial effects of the crude and pure components from extracts o...

Design And Implementation Of A Secure Mobile Phonebased Route Navigator (Mguide), Adapted For The Visually Challenged People

ABSTRACT A novel mGuide turn-by-turn Android mobile application for GPS outdoor voice navigation has been developed and presented, which is adapted for visually challenged people. The application was developed in response to the challenges of outdoor navigation by visually impaired persons. The application optimizes five map servers to give the best navigation information at any particular instance and loads map tiles very fast due to superior rendering procedures of the open street maps; lo...

Evaluation Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Var Israelensis And Bacillus Sphaericus Briquets As Anopheles Mosquito Larvicides In Vihiga County, Western Kenya

ABSTRACT Malaria is a key hindrance to the improvement of health in tropical and subtropical countries of the world with more than two billion people exposed to it. One of the approaches of controlling vectors of malaria is by targeting aquatic stages at source. This would lead to significant reduction in the adult vectors as well as malaria transmission. Entomopathogenic bacteria Bacillus thuriengiensis var israelensis (Bti) and Bacillus sphaericus (Bs) in the form of dispersable granular f...


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