ABSTRACT The emergence of multi-drug resistant strains is a formidable threat to the fight against skin diseases and hence effective alternative regimes must be sought. Although many studies have been done on antimicrobial activities of Syzygium aromaticum and Eucalyptus citriodora oils, no information is available on their antimicrobial interaction and hence the purpose of this study. Bioactivity testing of Syzygium aromaticum and Eucalyptus citriodora oils was done using disc diffusion tec...
ABSTRACT Aflatoxin contamination is a major problem affecting cereal producers worldwide. Aspergillus species, which are known to produce these toxins, colonize cereals in the field, during post-harvest period through to storage. This study sought to establish variation in: (i) fungal species in maize and soil, (ii) their morphological diversity, (iii) the distribution of toxigenic Aspergillus species as well as, (iv) the seasonal variations of aflatoxins and (v) the predominant toxin type i...
ABSTRACT Ximenia Americana is considered one of medicinal plant which are widely used especially in West of Sudan. This plant has been studied in this research, which is collected from Nuba Mountains and Babanusa. In part I of the present study, crude extracts of different parts of plant was investigated for their biological activity. Preliminary investigations were carried out to select the plant extracts of the highest activity for further investigation. The extracts were screened for phyt...
ABSTRACT Infectious diseases account for approximately one-half of all deaths in tropical countries. In industrialized nations, despite the progress made in understanding of microbiology and their pathogenic control, incidences of epidemics due to drug resistant micro-organisms and the emergence of hitherto unknown disease causing microbes, pose enormous public health concerns. Thus, there is need to continue the search for appropriate drugs for anti-microbial treatment without much drawback...
Abstract Background: Essential oil from Mesembryanthemum edule leaves have been used by the Eastern Cape traditional healers for the treatment of respiratory tract infections, tuberculosis, dysentery, diabetic mellitus, laryngitis and vaginal infections. The investigation of bioactive compounds in the essential oil of this plant could help to verify the efficacy of the plant in the management or treatment of these illnesses. Materials and methods: Various concentrations of the hydro-distill...
Abstract: Banana production in Kenya has been on the decline due to among other factors, pests and disease of which banana weevil is major. Although, entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae have been used successfully to control various agricultural and pasture pests, lack of effective application system limits their wider application.This study therefore seeks to evaluate the potential of utilizing the fungus to control the banana weevil using infected w...
Abstract: Marula (Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.)Hochst.)is often referred to as the “tree of life “since its leaves, stem barks, roots, and fruits are used as food and traditional medicine. The present study is undertaken to investigate antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the aqueous and methanolic extracts of S. birrea leaf and seed extracts. Qualitative analysis of major secondary metabolites including alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpenoids of the S. b...
Abstract: The fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda, is a voracious pest of cereals native to the Americas and which invaded Africa in 2016. Chemical control is the main management option, which however remains ineffective and unsustainable. Fungal endophytes are increasingly used as alternative for the management of insect pests of economic importance. This study assessed the potential of eight endophytic fungal isolates to colonize maize plant and their ability to promote seedlings gro...
ABSTRACT Antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of Mangifera indica peel was tested on some pathogenic organisms. The extract was tested for activity against, Baciollus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonela typhii, Pseudomonas notatum and Aspergillus fumigates. The extract exhibited activity against the organisms in varying degrees. In agar diffusion test, Escherichia coli showed the highest zone of inhibition (8mm) at the concentration of the extract test (1g/3m...
ABSTRACT Bacteria contamination on Nigerian currency evaluated by exposure method. Pure colony of each isolates were identified using colonial morphological characteristics, as well as biochemical reaction. Nutrient agar, blood agar and sabouraud dextrose agar were exposed for 5 minutes in various Nigerian currency mention in chapter 3. Seven bacteria genera and seven fungal genera were isolated. The bacteria isolated includes: Micrococcus spp, Klebsiella spp, Actinomyces spp, Bacillus spp, ...
ABSTRACT Studies show there is less ear damage by insect pests and increased soil fertility from maize/legume intercropping system. These are two main benefits with pre-harvest potential on ear rots incidence and severity which result into mycotoxins reduction. Therefore, in a two season study, impact of push-pull technology (PP), maize desmodium intercrop edged by Brachiaria or Napier grass, was assessed on incidence and severity of four common ear rots: Fusarium, Gibberella, Diplodia and As...
ABSTRACT Cocoa beans at the Toma Warehouses were found to be contaw minated with a tota l number o f 21 fungus sp ecies, the predominant species belonging to the genus A spergillus. The annual average contamination was 4,9 per centi Infection in the main crop was lower (3»9 per cent) than in the minor crop (6 ,4 per ce n t). The higher the bean moisture content the greater the fungal in fe ctio n . Extracts o f testa of fermenting cocoa beans depressed vegetative growth in Aspergillu s f la ...
ABSTRACT Background Buruli ulcer (BU) is a skin disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. BU is the third most common mycobacterial disease after tuberculosis and leprosy, but in Ghana and Cote d’ Ivoire, it is the second. M. ulcerans produces mycolactone, an immunosuppressant macrolide toxin which makes the infection painless. However, some patients have complained of painful lesions and delay healing. Painful ulcers and delay healing experienced by some patients may be due to secondary ba...
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...
Fungi, especially higher ones, have received a lot of attention in the recent decades due to the advances of biotechnological techniques. This is because secondary metabolism in fungal biotechnological cultures is manipulable and produces an array of compounds with diverse as well as novel chemical and biological properties. The activities can be taped into to address the myriad problems afflicting local communities in Kenya especially in agrochemical and medical sectors. Disease burden ...