ABSTRACT Malaria is a serious health problem in many African countries. The Anopheles gambiae mosquito, which is the major vector for this disease, has developed resistance against synthetic pyrethroids, which are the main stay of insecticide treated bed nets. The development of insecticide resistance and side effects associated with synthetic pesticides has triggered intense research efforts towards natural products (for vector control) such as essential oils and the nonvolatiles because o...
ABSTRACT The thermodynamics of the azide binding reactions of the hybrids of human and canine hemoglobin as well as the isolated a and ß polypeptide chains of human and canine hemoglobin have been studied at various pH's and temperatures. Plots of -AH° against pH, for all the species, show a distinct maximum. The pH at which the maximum value of -M° occurs is termed the 'characteristic pH' (pH From the results, it is concluded that the value of pH , for the hemoglobin tetramer is an avera...
ABSTRACT Malaria is a global disease prevalent in the tropics caused by Plasmodium species. It affects 300-500 million people and kills 1.5-2.7 million people annually. To date, a large number of herbal remedies are used to treat malaria and manage related fever; nevertheless, in most of these cases of plant therapies, efficacies have not been proven nor have their active components been identified. Most malaria episodes are accompanied by clinical complications attributable to radical oxyge...
ABSTRACT Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes transmit malaria resulting into about 500 million infections globally every year. Recent studies estimate that more than 50% of the world‟s population is at risk of malaria infections. Apart from the development of insecticide resistance, the use of synthetic insecticides to control mosquito vectors continues to cause adverse effects to the environment, human health and non-target organisms. Plant derived larvicidal compounds are increasingly being exp...
ABSTRACT Due to the high bills involved in the importation of modern medicinal drugs, about 80% of the African population use traditional medicine from plants to treat common infectious diseases caused by microorganisms. The main objective of this research was to determine the antimicrobial activity of crude extracts and isolated compounds from Turraea abyssinica, Meyna tetraphylla (Abyssinian coral tree) and Leonotis mollissima (Lion’s ear) from Meliaceae, Rubiaceae and Lamiaceae families...
ABSTRACT The levels of selected heavy metals in water, plant, soil and sediment samples collected around the Fluorspar Mining and Processing Plant in Kerio Valley were determined using AAS and EDXRFS. Digested soil 7 reference material (IAEA) was used as the standard for analysis of the soil and sediment samples. The results obtained from AAS were compared with those obtained using EDXRFS. The concentration of fluoride in the water, soil and sediment samples was determined using fluoride sel...
ABSTRACT Intensive mining activities and highly mineralised rock formations have a significant impact on both surface and underground water. Mining activities shuffle the rock formations creating fissures and cracks enhancing greater percolation and movement of water underground. Macalder mines(gold mining region) in Nyatike –Karungu Divisions was divided into two regions (Epicentre and surrounding).This research sought to determine the concentration levels of Zn, Cu, Pb, Fe, and water har...
ABSTRACT Tomato is one of the most widely cultivated horticutural crops but the production is affected by the pest problems like Fusarial wilt. Fusarium oxysporium f. sp. Lycopersicit is a destructive disease of the tomato and one of the main causes of the crop decline worldwide. The disease is currently managed using synthetic fungicides but there is a growing concern about the traces of the pesticide residues on the product and resistance to the current fungicides. Fungicides are applied at...
ABSTRACT Biofuels made from plant sources, usually used to run in diesel engines are of two types namely bioethanol and biodiesel. Bioethanol is mostly derived from maize and sugar cane molasses, while biodiesel is derived from vegetable oils and animal fats. A wide range of biofuels can be used as renewable resources of energy, including tallow and waste vegetable oil from hotels and fish vendors. Presently waste vegetable oil is discarded into sewerage systems, causing pollution in water w...
ABSTRACT Consensus of opinion in literature regarding tobacco use has shown that cigarette smoking can cause irreparable damage to the genetic material, cell injury, and the general respiratory landscape. The alkaloid family of tobacco has been implicated in a series of ailments including addiction, mental illnesses, psychological disorders, and mental deficits. Accordingly, this study describes the kinetic and molecular modelling of the major tobacco alkaloids in mainstream cigarette smoke;...
Abstract The structures of some non-cellulosic S-Q-Glycans from three plant sources have been investigated and each was found to be characterised by linked D-pyranosyl a main chain consisting of S-(1-44)- sugars. The polysaccharides were, however, different in structural features in a manner apparently related to their respective locations within the organs of the plants concerned. The polysaccharides were isolated and purified using standard fractionation methods including chromatographic te...
Thesis on A Study Of Oil Bearing Seeds From Some Indigenous Plants. The everyday use of fats and oils can roughly be divided into the following two classes. Firstly, they are one of the basic ingredients) directly and indirectly, in the diet of the, human being. .Secondly, they are used for soap-making, for the manufacture of paints and other drying vehicles, and also for making greases and other miscellaneous, industrial products. For each purpose a different type ·of oil is needed, so tha...
ABSTRACT In sub-Saharan Africa, the high infant mortality is mainly due to diarrhoea, respiratory infections, typhoid and measles. The control of these diseases relies heavily on the use of synthetic drugs. However, due to the high cost of these drugs and increased bacterial resistance to available anti-biotics, their use is increasingly becoming unpopular. Plant– derived herbal medicines are feasible alternatives that can be used to reduce incidence of these diseases. Since they are readi...
ABSTRACT Polyphenols are the primary compounds responsible for the health benefits of tea, including its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Caffeine contributes to tea’s stimulant properties, while gallic acid and polyphenols contributes to its antioxidant properties. Most of the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) methods used for the determination of tea biochemicals include gradient elution systems which involve expensive instrumentation. The aim of this study was t...
ABSTRACT Karate and Pyagro are insecticides currently registered and used in Kenya for control of several insect and mite pests in diverse crops. They are emulsifiable concentrate formulations of the active ingredients lambda-cyhalothrin (Karate) and Pyrethrins (Pyagro). This study established residue levels for lambda-cyhalothrin and Pyrethrins in fresh tea leaves, black tea and brewed tea. The study evaluated the effect of tea preparation procedures on pesticide residue levels in tea and mo...