ABSTRACT Maize production in sub-Saharan Africa remains low and the yields are on the decline. This has been attributed to a variety of factors which include soil nutrient depletion and Striga infestation. Soil phosphorous, nitrogen and Striga hermonthica are the major constraints to maize production in Nyanza Province of Kenya. The yields are typical of low input systems ranging below 1.0 t ha-1 against a potential of 5.0 t ha-1 per season. In an attempt to overcome these constraints, field...
ABSTRACT Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake located about 80 km northwest of Nairobi and lies about 1890 metres above sea level. The freshwater system is used for drinking, washing and livestock watering by more than 600,000 people. However, declining water quality due to environmental perturbations has raised public concerns worldwide. The occurrence of blooms of cyanobacteria has become a serious problem as they produce a wide spectrum of toxins including microcystin which cause various ad...
ABSTRACT Fluorosis is a condition caused by excessive intake of fluoride, and is characterized mainly by mottling of teeth. A number of defluoridation techniques have been proposed, studied and even implemented in a number of countries, to varying degrees of success. Among these techniques, contact precipitation, a hybrid technique involving the use of calcium and phosphate compounds together with bone char to effect defluoridation of water has been extensively used. The mechanism of fluorid...
ABSTRACT Mosquitoes present a worldwide, public health and nuisance challenge since they transmit human diseases including west Nile virus, malaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, filiarisis and other viral diseases throughout the globe. An obvious method for preventing the spread of these diseases is to control mosquito vector population by insecticides and synthetic agents, which have been developed and employed in the field with considerable success. As a result of insects’ resistance a...
ABSTRACT Tea is a beverage and also a stimulant that is consumed by many people all over the world. It contains various bioactive compounds like alkaloids, polyphenols, and amino acids among others. Amino acids play the role of moderating taste of the tea infusion. Theanine is a unique amino acid found in the Camellia sinensis species and has been reported to reduce high blood pressure, improve learning and concentration and reduce premenstrual symptoms. This study was conducted to determine ...
ABSTRACT Maize (Zea mays L.) and the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are the two most important staple foods not only in Kenya but also in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the importance of these two crops, there have been production constraints due to diseases caused by bacterial and fungal pathogens. The major diseases affecting maize production are Gray Leaf Spot (GLS) and maize ear rot which are caused by fungal pathogens, Cercospora zeae-maydis, Fusarium moniliforme and Fusarium graminear...
ABSTRACT Mosquitoes transmit serious human diseases, resulting into millions of deaths globally every year. The use of synthetic insecticides to control vector mosquitoes has caused physiological resistance and adverse environmental effects in addition to high operational costs. Mosquito larvicidal compounds from certain plant and fungal species have been reported. Basidiomycetes fungi are known to synthesize a wide range of bioactive secondary metabolites. The objective of this work was to ...
ABSTRACT Pelargonium sidoides is a medicinal plant grown in Kenya for export to Germany where it is used in the manufacture of drugs for lung related diseases. The farm contributes to the well being of the local community by providing permanent employment to for over 80 persons, with 80 percent being women. It also offers free pre-primary education to their children including the ones from the neighbourhood. The broad spectrum of activity against viruses and bacteria may be caused by the coum...
ABSTRACT The effect of combinations of superphosphate and Minjingu phosphate rock (a sparingly water-soluble fertiliser) in the percentage ratios of superphosphate to Minjingu phosphate rock of 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60, 50:50, 60:40, 70:30, 80:20 and 90:10 was studied in a laboratory incubation experiment. Three acid soils from Rift Valley Province having contrasting chemical properties were used. The treatments consisted of three P sources (superphosphate, Minjingu phosphate rock and m...
ABSTRACT Although molecular toxins and emission of particulates from the thermal degradation of biomass materials such as meat is a complex area of study, it has become necessary to investigate this phenomenon and determine how it affects biological functions and as precursors for cancer, degenerative diseases that stress the respiratory landscape. Accordingly, this study describes the pyrolysis of goat meat in the temperature range 300-525 ˚C. Goat meat sample of 10±0.2 g was heated under...
ABSTRACT Plants are a potential source of antimicrobial compounds. In this study, a plant from the family Simaroubaceae, Harrisonia abyssinica, traditionally used to treat a number of diseases was used. Research has been carried out on its stem bark, root bark and leaves and a number of chemical constituents have been isolated but no research has been carried out on its berries. Therefore the berries of this plant were chosen in order to investigate for antimicrobial compounds. The berries o...
ABSTRACT The botanical insecticides are generally pest-specific, relatively harmless to non-target organisms and biodegradable. Unlike conventional insecticides which are based on a single active ingredient, plant-derived insecticides comprise of an array of chemical compounds which act concertedly on both behavioural and physiological processes. Thus the chances of pest developing resistance to such substances are less likely. Essential oils are good example of plant compounds with such pro...
ABSTRACT The need for energy has risen greatly all over the world in recent years. One major source of energy is fossil fuel and most countries get access to this fuel through imports. Besides the rise in cost of fossil fuel, it has serious impacts on the environment which include air pollution and increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Furthermore, this source of energy is nonrenewable and is quickly being depleted. Recently, attention has turned to environmentally benign and sustaina...
ABSTRACT Helminthic infections have severe consequences on the health of millions of people worldwide and cause serious economic losses. Synthetic drugs have been effective wormicides, however, they are expensive, show side effects and develop resistance. This has generated interest in the use of plant based anti-helmintics, which seem to offer a reliable, cheap and cost effective method. In this research, the anti-helmintic activity of secondary metabolites from Teclea nobilis and Rapanea m...
ABSTRACT The plant Tarchonanthus camphoratus belongs to Asteraceae family. Its common name is wild sage or camphor bush. This study was aimed at isolating bioactive phenypropanoid esters and sesquiterpene lactones from the leaves of this plant. A powdered sample of the leaves weighing 500 g was sequentially extracted with of hexane (1.5 L), dichloromethane (1.5 L) and methanol (3 x 1.5 L). The methanolic extract was partitioned between equal volumes (250 ml each) of distilled water. The n-but...