ABSTRACT The need for utilizing renewable resources to meet the future demand for fuel and other value added products has increased the attention on lignocellulose, the most abundant and renewable resource in the world. Lignocellulose is degraded by lignocellulolytic enzymes produced by fungi and bacteria. Mutagenic agents can be used to achieve improvement of these strains. However, there has been a challenge in improving and optimizing fermentation process which in most cases has been carr...
Abstract: There are many examples of associations between insects and fungi. Where the fungi involved are pathogens, such associations may be of economic importance. Insects of no economic concern alone can also become important pests because of their association with fungal pathogens. Insects may assist in the spread of pathogens by carrying them on or in their bodies. Insects may also predispose plants to infection by creating wounds during feeding, oviposition or other behavioural activit...
Fungi are ubiquitous plant pathogens that are major spoilage agents of foods and feedstuffs. The infection of plants by various fungi not only results in reduction in crop yield and quality with significant economic losses but also contamination of grains with poisonous fungal secondary metabolites called mycotoxins. There is an urgent need to address the food safety and International trade issues associated with mycotoxin contamination in Nigerian consumer goods and agricultural products be...
ABSTRACT Microbial infections remain to be a major global public health challenge. In Kenya, these infections cause significant morbidity and mortality. Their devastating effects are majorly attributed to antimicrobial drug resistance. Nonetheless, the biodiversity and ecology of tropical Basidiomycetes fungi is an untapped source of potential bioactive compounds. Therefore, the current study aimed to isolate and test crude extracts and antimicrobial compounds from Basidiomycetes against sel...
ABSTRACT Cowpea is a multipurpose legume crop that serves as human food, livestock fodder, and income source and is widely produced in sub-Saharan Africa. Soil fertility and attack by insect pests and diseases are significant limitations to its production. Although farm inputs such as phosphate-rich fertilizers and pesticides can solve the mentioned constraints, they are costly for resource-poor farmers. This study aimed at determining the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation ...
Abstract: Cowpea is a multipurpose legume crop that serves as human food, livestock fodder, and income source and is widely produced in sub-Saharan Africa. Soil fertility and attack by insect pests and diseases are significant limitations to its production. Although farm inputs such as phosphate-rich fertilizers and pesticides can solve the mentioned constraints, they are costly for resource-poor farmers. This study aimed at determining the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation ...
ABSTRACT The struggle to rule gave room to chieftaincy dispute for which the study examined the impeding factors and the effects of the Chieftaincy Conflict in Funsi Traditional Area in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Dahrendorf’s Conflict and Relative Deprivation theories anchored the study. Case study design was used. A sample of 45 was chosen using purposive and convenience sampling. Semi-structured interview schedules were used to collect the data. The data was analyzed using content a...
ABSTRACT Agricultural pesticides use is rising in crop protection against plant invaders of which fungi are chief in reducing both yield quantity and quality. Botrytis cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina and Alternaria alternata are polyphagous fungi of economic importance with severe yield and quality losses worldwide. Environmental concerns on pesticide use and their resistance now on a worldwide scale. Extensive studies of plant secondary metabolites have not exhausted the...
INTRODUCTION Mycotoxins are pharmacologically active mold metabolites produced in a strain-specific way that elicit some complicated toxicological activities (Bennett, 2003). Mycotoxins could also be described as secondary metabolites produced by a wide variety of organisms categorized as fungi, including mushrooms, yeasts and molds. The term mycotoxin was used for the first time in 1961 in the aftermath of a veterinary crisis in England, during which thousands of animals died. The disease wa...
Abstract: This study was intended to investigate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of endophytic fungi isolates from coffee husks. The coffee husk sample was collected from the local processor in Nensebo district, Arsi Zone, Ethiopia. The samples were surface sterilized before used as endophytic fungal culture. The nutrient value was prepared as per manufacturer instructions. Fungal culturing and identifications of genera were made according to fungal identification manual. Then, ...
ABSTRACT Soybean is afected by a wide range of diseases, many of which are seed-borne. Infection by seed-borne pathogens leads to seed rot, low seedling vigour and reduction in plant growth. Seed-borne fungal pathogens on farmer-saved seeds of soybeans were investigated by examining a total of eleven (11) seed samples from two districts (Saboba and Yendi) in the Northern region and one from CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI). Appearance quality of farmer-saved soybean se...
ABSTRACT Water contamination is one of the major causes of water borne diseases worldwide. In Kenya, approximately 43% of people lack access to potable water due to human contamination. Physicochemical and biological factors influence microbial community and quality of water. Residents in Bungoma County depend on river Kuywa water for domestic and agricultural use. The river water is currently experiencing contamination due to human activities such as farming and disposal of industrial and do...
ABSTRACT This study evaluated the protein fatty acid and mineral changes in sweet potato root iheal inoculated with two selected fungi by solid state fermentation procedure. The total protein content was raised from 4.95% to 11.83% and 6.69% within 48 hrs for Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger respectively. The total lipid dropped from 1.93% in thè control to 1.36 and 4.19% for A. niger and A. oryzae respectively. The fatty acids 0 6 : 0 and 0 8 :2 were preponderant over other fatty ac...
ABSTRACT Human fungal infections pose serious medical issues. Up to now, more than a hundred thousand fungal species are considered as natural contaminants. During the last decade, the incidence of superficial and deep mycotic infections has continued to increase explosively. There is a general consensus among researchers, clinicians and pharmaceutical companies that new, potent, effective and safe antifungal drugs are needed. Majority of work has been conducted on Camellia sinensis extracts ...
ABSTRACT Majority of life-threatening fungal infections in clinics are caused by Candida albicans. The emergence of azole resistance in fungi complicates patient management. In response to chemical stress, C. albicans make transient changes in the gene expression for survival. Notable among these is the upregulation of efflux pump which is known to be the main mechanism of antifungal resistance. Potent therapeutic agents targeting this resistance mechanism are urgently needed. Chemo-sensitiza...