ABSTRACT Heat stress is one of the major limiting factors for crop productivity, resulting in significant yield losses annually. Reproductive development is extremely sensitive to increased temperatures. With the increase in the frequency and intensity of short waves of high temperatures, a detrimental effect on plant development is expected to rise especially on the reproductive development. Within cereals, maize is a fundamental crop from a global food security perspective. Therefore, und...
ABSTRACT Salinity affects about 40% of the global area mainly the arid and semi-arid regions. In Kenya the ASALs cover approximately 80% of the total area where agricultural production constraints include water scarcity, salinity and sodicity. Sweetpotato Ipomoea batatas L. (Lam.) is the third most economically important root crop after potato and cassava in the world cultivated for human consumption, animal feed and industrial uses. The production of sweetpotato by smallholder farmers in th...
ABSTRACT Interest in herbal drugs is undergoing a renaissance at the present time. This is because herbal agents are regarded to be more effective and comparatively safe as opposed to conventional medications which are relatively inaccessible and arguably associated with various adverse effects. Harrisonia abyssinica and L. buchananii have been used by Ameru and Embu communities to alleviate various ailments. However, despite their wide folklore use, extensive literature research reveals limi...
ABSTRACT Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and P. falciparum malaria have an overlapping distribution and are incriminated as the primary causal agents for endemic Burkitt‘s lymphoma. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism utilized by these two pathogens to cause endemic Burkitt‘s lymphoma has remained elusive. This study therefore sought to provide insights as to whether presence of Epstein Barr Virus in children who develop severe malaria reveals unique serological/nucleic acid signatures that would ...
ABSTRACT Characterization and identification of mushrooms at the species level is an important first step in systematic exploitation in specific applications. Mushrooms industry is growing rapidly in Kenya, importation of cultures and propagation spawns is growing too. The imported strains are susceptible to pest and diseases, and are low yielding. This study aimed at characterising selected wild edible mushrooms using morphological and molecular characteristics and developing of propagation ...
ABSTRACT Enterobacterial constitute a large family of Gram-negative bacteria which reside in the intestines of the animals and can be pathogenic. Penicillins and fluoroquinolones have been used as antibiotics to combat enterobacterial infections. Challenges in treatment of enterobacterial infections with conventional drugs have led the physicians to opt for phyto products and other alternative medicine for treatment of enterobacterial infections. Heavy bacterial load leads to oxidative ...
ABSTRACT Tsetse-transmitted trypanosomiasis is a disease unique to Africa, affecting both humans and animals. This disease occurs in about 10 million km2 in 37 sub-Saharan countries corresponding approximately to one-third of Africa's total land area, and threatens an estimated 50 million people and 48 million cattle. The estimated annual losses in cattle production alone are in the range of 1.0-1.2 billion dollars. The diagnosis of trypanosomiasis is notoriously difficult as there are no sp...
ABSTRACT Maize (Zea mays L.) is the world third most important cereal crop after rice and wheat. It can been used as fodder crop, food crop for human consumptions, also used as raw material for manufacture of sweetener, starch and biofuel. However, tropical maize breeding is faced by many challenges which are biotic, abiotic and most genotypes are recalcitrant and genotype dependent. In this study, two tropical coastal maize genotypes SC DUMA 43 and DHO4, were evaluated for embryogenesis and...
ABSTRACT Extreme habitats are increasingly being recognized as sources of secondary metabolites which provide an encouraging source for development of novel natural pharmaceuticals. Saline and hot water lakes are now becoming appreciated as rich and untapped reservoirs of extremophilic microorganisms with previously uncharacterized functions. Bacilli, a large homogeneous group of bacteria that survive in a wide range of environmental conditions, is one such microorganism. Formation of resist...
ABSTRACT Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by blood-dwelling flukes of the genus Schistosoma transmitted through freshwater snails. While the disease affects as many as 249 million people worldwide, treatment largely relies on a single drug, praziquantel (PZQ), which is extremely effective against all schistosome species known to infect humans, it is welltolerated in the body, making it suitable for mass treatment campaigns. The near exclusive use of this drug for...
ABSTRACT Groundnut or peanut (Arachis hypogae L.) is one of the principal economic oilseed legumes and is largely cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of the world. It is an upright or prostrate annual plant. Groundnut contributes significantly to household food security and cash income through the sale of the seeds and also provides a valuable source of proteins, fats, energy and minerals. Developing countries account for nearly 95% of the world production. Groundnu...
ABSTRACT Dumping of urban, industrial and agricultural wastewater has impacted negatively on the water quality of Lake Victoria. A number of studies have documented pollution in the Lake but several gaps have been identified. Firstly, the focus has been on urban catchment areas and so information on rural areas is missing. Additionally, information on the effects of seasonal variation is limited. Also that individual studies are focused on either the physical, chemical or microbial quality bu...
ABSTRACT Groundnuts also known as peanut (Arachis hypongaea L.) and ‘njugu karanga ’locally is one of the principle economic oilseed and is largely cultivated in warm regions of Kenya. Groundnut contributes significantly to domestic food security and cash revenue through the sale of the seeds. The study aimed at evaluating genetic diversity and phenotypic characterization of groundnut varieties grown in some parts of Kenya. Thirty genotypes each from six varieties (ICG83708, ICGV99568, C...
ABSTRACT Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a tropical root crop that serves as a staple food and a vital source of income to small holder farmers in the tropics. Despite its contribution to food security, cassava production and utilization is faced by several challenges that include post-harvest physiological deterioration, insect and disease susceptibilities and accumulation of cyanogenic glycosides. Cassava crop improvement by conventional breeding has failed to address these constrain...
ABSTRACT Solanum nigrum (commonly referred to as black nightshade) are world-wide weeds on arable land, gardens and rubbish pits. Nightshades have been used in the field of medicine in the manufacture of analgesics, ointments and vasodilators. The limited information available on this neglected and underutilized family hinders their development as well as sustainable conservation. Existing knowledge on the genetic potential of these plants is limited and the information regarding the genomic ...