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In a search for effective methods for controlling seed germination and growth, bio-oils were produced from pyrolysis of bunches of empty palm fruit at different temperatures. Physicochemical chemical characteristics of the bio-oils were evaluated using standard analytical procedures. Allelopathic activities of the bio-oils were evaluated against three selected seeds (tomatoes, okra and Amaranthus). The percentage germination inhibition was calculated for each seed after 72 h of germination. The yields of the bio-oils are 22.07%, 35.13% and 37.47% at 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C, respectively. The bio-oils are acidic and contain compounds such as phenols, phenol derivatives, alkanes, and organic acids. The results revealed that the empty palm fruit bunches’ bio-oils have inhibitory effects on the three selected seeds. The percentage seed germination decreased with increasing concentration of the bio-oils while the inhibitory effect of the bio-oils on seedling growth increased significantly with increasing concentration of the empty palm fruit bunches’ bio-oils. The bio-oils obtained at different pyrolytic temperatures showed appreciable allelopathic activities.

Polyphenols are known for their bioactive potentials and have been used as drugs and preservatives for decades. The drive around this research is to estimate the usefulness of bananas and plantain bracts. The bracts of banana (Musa acuminata) and plantain (Musa paradisiaca) were investigated for their chemical composition, antibacterial, and antioxidant capacity. The result of proximate analysis revealed appreciable amount of moisture content (8.45%; 7.83%), crude protein (1.53%; 1.57%), crude fiber (21.2%; 16.5%), fat content (2.01%; 2.25%), ash content (16.60 %; 15.10%), and carbohydrate (52.6%; 56.8%) dry matter (DM) for M. acuminata and M. paradisiaca respectively. The cellulose and lignin content of the bract samples revealed M. acuminata (34.61 ± 1.06%; 9.13 ± 0.31%) and M. paradisiaca (35.68 ± 0.31%; 11.68 ± 0.75%) respectively. The phytochemical analysis showed that the bracts contained (g/100g) tannins (29.01%; 24.21%), flavonoids (8.35%; 6.33%), saponins (26.02%; 25.08%), phenol (0.56%; 0.34%), and alkaloids (3.30 %; 3.74%), respectively for M. acuminata and M. paradisiaca respectively. Antimicrobial activity of the methanolic, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane extracts presented a wide range of inhibition against studied strains. Methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts demonstrated considerable effect against most of the strains. The zones of inhibition ranged from 2 to 10 mm for the extracts. Methanolic extract of M. acuminata bract exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity (IC50 = 2.14±4.17 mg/ml) against DPPH radical. Meanwhile, methanolic extract of the bracts showed iron-chelating ability (2.03±1.48 mg/ml; 2.14±1.46 mg/ml), and FRAP assay (15.36±0.25 mg/ml; 23.09±0.17 mg/ml) for M.acuminata and M. paradisiaca respectively. The presence of polyphenols and essential nutrients present in the bracts showed potential to be exploited as a cradle for feed enhancement, antimicrobial agent, and protective agent against oxidative stress.

Background The development of resistance to many antibiotics currently in use has necessitated the search for more effective alternatives. Plants have been used in ethnomedicine in different parts of the world to treat various diseases. Many studies on plants have confirmed their medicinal potentials and have led to the isolation and characterization of several potential drug candidates. This study investigates the leaves of Icacina trichantha for antimicrobial properties and seeks to identify the compounds responsible for the observed activities. The leaves of Icacina trichantha are used in ethnomedicine for the treatment of skin infections. In this study, a solvent-based fractionation of bioactive compounds in the leaves of Icacina trichantha was carried out using hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The resultant extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity against six bacteria and four fungi using standard procedures. GC–MS analysis of the most active fraction was carried out. Results The non-polar fraction (hexane) showed better antimicrobial activity than the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. At 200 mg/mL, the fraction showed inhibition of 28.0 ± 0.82, 23.7 ± 0.47, and 24.6 ± 0.94 against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis,, respectively. At the same concentration, the extract showed zones of inhibition of 18.0 ± 0.82 against Candida albicans and Penicillium notatum. The lowest Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) values of 2.5 mg/mL were obtained against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis. GC–MS analysis of the hexane extract revealed 62 peaks, out of which ten peaks were successfully characterized. Conclusions None of the extracts screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities in this study is as potent as the standard drugs, Gentamicin and Tioconazole. The hexane extract, however, showed some activity against the microorganisms and was analyzed using GC–MS. The hexane extract contained many bioactive compounds, some of which could not be identified. Two of the identified compounds, Stigmasterol and β-Sitosterol, are known to possess antimicrobial properties. However, the unidentified compounds could also have contributed significantly to the antimicrobial activities of the extract.

Pectin is a complex polysaccharide that makes up about one third of the cell wall of higher plants. It was extracted from fruit peels of Irvingia gabonensis and pulp of Cola milleni and Theobroma cacao using acid extraction and alcohol precipitation methods. The effects of temperature and time on the yield and physicochemical properties of the extracted pectin were evaluated. Optimum yields of pectin from C. milleni, I. gabonensis, and T. Cacao were 10.73%, 19.83%, and 11.73% respectively at extracting period of 150 min and temperature of 100 °C. Although there was significant difference in moisture content, degree of esterification, equivalent weight, and methoxyl content of the extracted pectins, there was no significant difference in yield, protein, and ash content at 95% confidence interval. The monosaccharide composition of the three pectins shows that the extracted pectin composed of galacturonic acid and minor neutral sugars. Major functional groups in the extracted pectin show peaks in the region between 1000 and 2000 cm−1. The bands observed between 1627–1651 cm−1 and 1739–1793 cm−1 indicated the presence of the carbonyl group stretching. The surface morphologies of the extracted pectins show irregular shapes, non-smooth surfaces, and unequal sizes which also reveals more silica nodes in cocoa pulp pectin than in other pectins. Thermogravimetric analysis of the pectin samples shows multi-step stages of thermal decomposition, indicating wide range of thermal stability. The overall results specified that the pectins extracted from these plants are suitable for industrial applications.

Matured fresh root of Ginger (Zingiber officinaleR.) and bulb of Garlic (Allium sativumL.) and their binary mixture were evaluated for phytochemicals and antioxidant potential using standard methods. The results of preliminary phytochemical screening of aqueous and ethanol extract of Ginger and Garlic showed the presence of some phytochemicals such as tannin, saponin, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids and glycosides at various levels. The antioxidant activities of aqueous and ethanol extracts of ginger and garlic showed a total phenolic content mg/g of Ginger (6.432 and 14.176) Garlic (7.172 and 2.146), DPPH content Ginger (58.817 and 86.915) % Garlic (37.582 and 26.451), OH radicals ginger (85.358 and 87.694) garlic (83.956 and 79.751), Fe2+ chelation of ginger (4.584 and 43.444) garlic (7.961 and 53.984), NO radicals of ginger (74.894 and 12.658) garlic (58.966 and 86.392). However the antioxidant contents of the binary mixture of both aqueous and ethanol extracts of ginger and garlic (70:30) showed increased in all antioxidant properties. These implies that both aqueous and ethanol extracts of ginger and garlic possessed good phytochemicals and antioxidant potential which indicates that consumption of these two spices either separately or as a mixture could be encouraged especially for those suffering from any form of cardiovascular diseases.

Starches were isolated from cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifollium), white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) and bitter yam (Dioscorea dumentorum). Starch modification was carried out using acetic anhydride and phthalic anhydride. The native and modified starches were characterized using Fourier Transformed Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR) for identification of the functional groups. Functional properties such as water absorption capacities, oil absorption capacity, swelling power, solubility, gelation temperature, least gelation capacity, amylose content and pH were determined using standard procedures. Acetylation increased the water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, swelling power, amylose content, and solubility of the starches while phthalation decreased water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, swelling power, and solubility of the starches. Native cocoyam starch has the highest gelation temperature (85 °C) while Acetylated bitter yam has the lowest gelation temperature (74 °C). The pH of the native and modified starches was within the range of 4.14 − 6.55. Phthalation and acetylation increased the bulk density of the starches. Native cocoyam, white yam, and bitter yam starches had the lowest gelation concentration (6%). Modification of native starches will improve the usage of starch in food and non-food applications.

Plants have been used in ethno-medicine for ages in the treatment of various diseases. In the current study, the leaves of C. jagus are investigated for antimicrobial activities. The leaves were dried and extracted successively with hexane, ethylacetate and methanol. The concentrated extracts were screened for activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Klebisidlae pneumonae, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium notatum and Rhizopus stolonifer at concentrations between 6.25 and 200 mg/ml using the agar diffusion method. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was also determined. The percentage yields obtained were 0.92 %, 1.20 % and 25.2 % for the hexane, ethylacetate and methanol extracts respectively. The zones of inhibition of the organisms by the extracts generally increased with the concentrations. The methanol extract showed the best activity of the three extracts tested. The methanol extract had values ranging between 20 mm and 26 mm against the bacteria at 200 mg/ml. This extract also showed values between 18 mm and 20 mm against the fungi at 200 mg/ml. The lowest MICs values (of 2.5 mg/ml) were obtained against S. aureus, E. coli, B. subtilis and S. typhi. The polar constituents in the leaves of the plant are likely responsible for the antimicrobial properties observed. None of the extracts showed activity comparable to those of the standard drugs, however the methanol extract showed some potential as a source of antimicrobial compounds. Keywords: Crinum jagus, antimicrobial, Agar diffusion, MIC

This analysis studied the effects modification on the properties of starch-based polymer grafted with acrylonitrile (copolymers). Starch was extracted from bitter yam. The starch was modified by heating the solution above 70 °C and then esterified with phthalic anhydride to produce a pregelatinized phthalated derivative. Acrylonitrile was grafted onto natural and pregelatinized phthalated starch at 120 °C using calcium oxide from snail shell as the initiator. The grafting reaction of starch with poly(acrylonitrile) and the phthalation of the starch were both confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed changes in the morphology of the pregelatinized phthalated grafted copolymers. The X-ray diffractogram showed that native starch grafted copolymer displayed broad diffraction peaks (amorphous), but the phthalated bitter yam starch grafted with acrylonitrile had prominent diffraction peaks (crystalline). Thermogravimetry analysis revealed that the phthalated grafted copolymer has better thermal stability than the native grafted copolymer.

Aims: The current study investigates the leaves and bulb extracts of Crinum jagus for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria between June 2016 and September 2017. Methodology: The leaves and the bulb of the plant were subjected to successive extraction using hexane, ethylacetate and methanol. The phytoconstituents and total phenol contents were determined. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant properties of the extracts (compared to that of the standard drug Ascorbic acid) were also determined. The membrane-stabilizing properties of the extracts, compared to that of indomethacin, were used to measure their anti-inflammatory properties. Results: Phytochemical screening indicated the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins and terpenoids in the extracts. The total phenolic content of the extracts ranged between 33.230 and 98.340 gallic acid equivalence/g sample with the ethylacetate extract of the bulb having the highest phenol content. In the DPPH assay, the IC50 values of the extracts ranged between 0.503 and 1.050 with methanol extract of the leaves possessing the highest DPPH scavenging activity. The ferric reducing activities of the extracts ranged between 3.61 and 40.000 mg ascorbic acid equivalent / g of the sample with the ethylacetate extract of the bulb possessing the highest activity. Among the extracts screened for anti-inflammatory activity, the methanol extract of the leaves had the highest membrane stabilizing activity with value of 99.74 ± 0.68 at 0.5 mg/ml compared to indomethacin with a value of 52.65±1.18 at the same concentration. Conclusion: The leaves and bulbs of C. jagus could be sources of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Solid-state chemical pretreatment was carried out on rice husk (RH) for biogas production with hydrochloric acid (HCl), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and ethanol (C2H5OH), at three concentrations i.e., 1, 3 and 5% at 100 and 120 °C for 60 min. Ethanol (organosolv) pretreated sample with 3% concentration and pretreatment temperature of 100 °C (3E100) had the highest biogas production of 5545 mL followed by NaOH pretreated substrate (3N100) with 4705 mL while acid pretreated sample (5H100) produced 700 mL which was lower than the control (raw RH) which was 2500 mL. The biogas yields values were 67.32, 60.89, 32.26 and 9.32 mL/gVS for 3E100, 3N100, RH and 5H100 respectively. Alkaline and organosolv pretreatments improved biogas quality with methane contents of 50.27 and 50.68%. A confirmation that solid state chemical pretreatment of RH with NaOH and C2H5OH could significantly enhance biogas production. The viability of the digestates as biofertilizer was evaluated with the conclusion that they could be used as low grade fertilizers based on their mineral contents and heavy metal concentrations.

This study investigates the bulb extracts of Crinum jagus for antimicrobial activities. The bulb samples were dried, ground and subjected to successive extraction using hexane, ethylacetate and methanol. The extracts were screened for activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Klebisidlae pneumonae, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium notatum and Rhizopus stolonifer at concentrations between 6.25 and 200 mg/ml. Antimicrobial assays werecarried out using agar diffusion method. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the extracts was determined. The percentage yields obtained for the hexane, ethylacetate and methanol extracts of the bulbs are 0.28 %, 0.44% and 24.68 % respectively. Results showed that the methanolic extract had better antibacterial and antifungal activities than the other extracts. The methanol extract showed the highest antibacterial activity against S. aureus with a zone of inhibition of 28 mm at 200 mg/ml. Also, the methanol extract showed the highest antifungal activities against C. albicans, A. niger and P. notatum with a zone of inhibition of 20 mm at 200 mg/ml. The hexane and ethylacetate extracts had no activity against the microorganisms at 6.25 mg/ml.The methanol extract had the lowest Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 2.50 mg/ml against S. aureus, E. coli, B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa and S. typhi. The methanol extract could be a source of potent antimicrobial compounds. Keywords: Antibacterial, Antifungal, Crinum jagus, Agar diffusion, MIC

Production of fuels and chemicals from renewable biomass is crucial to sustainability of bio-based economy. In this study, anaerobic digestion of corn stover (CS) was carried out to produce biogas under mesophilic conditions. The study also investigated the potential of corn stover digestate ash as a potential source for biosilica production. A cumulative volume of 930 mL of biogas was produced with methane content of 85.87%. Higher and lower calorific values of biogas were calculated to be 36.30 MJ/m3 and 32.70 MJ/m3, respectively. Calcination of raw CS (RCS) and the digestate (CSD) was carried out at 600 °C for 3 hours. The samples generated, raw corn stover ash (RCSA) and corn stover digestate ash (CSDA) were characterized using X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X‐ray diffractometer (XRD). The XRF results revealed that CSDA biosilica content was 60.49%, which was 34.84% higher than RCSA. There was reduction in most of the metallic impurities in CSDA compared to RCSA. Potassium oxide was drastically reduced from 12.34% to 1.60%, while Al2O3 was reduced from 7.17% to 6.95%. SEM images showed the changes in the surface morphology of RCSA and CSDA, while FTIR spectra identified the changes in the key functional groups present in the samples. The study showed that CS and its digestate could serve as profitable renewable feedstocks for bioenergy production and bio-based chemicals like silica. Keywords: Anaerobic Digestion; Biogas; Biosilica; Corn Stover; Digestate; Calorific Value

Tuberculosis is a contagious airborne infection that mostly affects the lungs. The causative agent of tuberculosis in human is Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The emergence and dissemination of M. tuberculosis isolates that are resistant to multiple antimicrobial drugs represent a growing public health threat. Fractions from Alafia barteri, Chasmanthera dependence, Chrysophyllum albidum, Emilia coccinea, Mezoneuron benthamianum, Phyllanthus muellerianus, Secamoni afzeli, Senna alata, Xylopia aethiopica and Acalypha fimbriata were screened for activity against drug susceptible M. tuberculosis H37Rv and the local isolates using proportion and nitrate reduction methods. The organisms used were M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain and the local isolates from TB patients. The standard antitubercular drugs used were isoniazid and rifampicin. No fractions from A. barterii, C. dependens, E. coccinea, S. afzeli, S. alata and X. aethiopica showed sensitivity against the M. tuberculosis strains. The hexane fraction of C. albidum, butanol fraction of M. benthamianum, ethyl acetate fraction of P. muellerianus and ethyl acetate fraction of A. fimbriata showed sensitivity with minimum inhibition concentration of 0.5 mg/ml. The ethylacetate and hexane fractions of M. benthamianum together with hexane fraction of P. muellerianus showed sensitivity with MIC value of 1.25 mg/ml. The highest MIC value of 2.5 mg/ml was obtained from hexane fraction of A. fimbriata. Thus, C. albidum, M. benthamianum, P. muellerianus and A. fimbriata possessed antimycobacterium tuberculosis activity and further research work would be required to assess possible antitubercular agents present in the four medicinal plants. Key words: Tuberculosis, anti-mycobacterium, fractions, sensitivity and inhibition.

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was prepared from Gliricidia sepium and Cola gigantea cellulose with yields of 1.59 g/g and 1.76 g/g, respectively. The pH of the products were weakly acidic (6.47 and 6.54, respectively). The sodium chloride content was 0.22 for C. gigantea CMC and 0.27 for G. sepium CMC, while the degree of substitution was 0.46 and 0.51, respectively. The swelling capacity of G. sepium CMC was 802%, which was higher than the 519% of C gigantea CMC. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed that the products were CMC, and a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed that C. gigantea CMC was more stable than G. sepium CMC. Detergent fortified with G. sepium CMC had better performance than C. gigantea CMC in terms of cleaning action and emulsion index, and it competed favorably with a detergent fortified with commercial grade CMC.

The proximate, mineral and anti-nutritional compositions of Basella alba and Senecio biafrae were determined. The vegetables were also screened for phytochemicals and the polyphenols present in them analyzed using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The results of proximate in % were: moisture (11.75, 12.24), crude protein (19.22, 20.17), ash (20.95, 21.48), total dietary fibre (16.57, 22.51), crude fat (10.49, 13.34) and carbohydrate (21.02, 10.26). Dietary minerals were present in appreciable quantities: sodium (660, 300), potassium (7800, 1430), calcium (1050, 1150), magnesium (350, 310), zinc (41, 34), copper (0.10, 1.80), iron (1.40, 2.00), and phosphorus (20.50, 13.40) in mg/100g respectively. Lead was not detected in Basella alba but in trace amount in Senecio biafrae (0.002). Vitamins in µg/g were: vitamin A (13.21, 9.78), thiamine (315.22, 315.22), ascorbic acid (14.86, 9.85) and tocopherol (49.89, 192.38). Amino acid profile of the two vegetables showed appreciable essential: histidine (2.14, 2.27), isoleucine (3.01, 3.43), leucine (7.75, 8.85), lysine (2.92, 4.62), methionine (0.89, 0.99), phenylalanine (3.88, 4.22), threonine (2.84, 3.15) and non essential amino acids: valine (3.13, 3.71), arginine (3.97, 4.49), aspartic acid (7.32, 8.28), serine (2.09, 2.22), glutamic acid (10.15, 10.83), proline (2.24, 2.65), glycine (3.07, 3.56), alanine (3.49, 4.03), cysteine (0.79, 0.86), tryosine (2.22, 2.70). Antinutrient factors present in mg/g were: tannin (2.34, 1.45), oxalate (1.17, 0.45) and phytate (1.03, 0.08). Caffeic acid was, most aboundant phenolic acid in both vegetables (32.74, 37.51); and their flavonoid compositions were similar except for catechin which was lacking in Senecio biafrae. The nutritional and nutraceutical potential of both vegetables are good and could be exploited to promote health.Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 52(3), 201-208, 2017

Biochar is a solid material obtainable from biomass pyrolysis and useful for pollution alleviation and soil amendment. In this study, Biochars A and B were produced from elephant grass at pyrolytic temperatures of 400 °C and 600 °C, respectively, for removal of nitrate ion from aqueous solution. The physicochemical characteristics of the biochars were evaluated. The biochars were also characterised using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Operational variables such as pH, contact time, and concentration of nitrate ion were varied and optimum variables were obtained. Kinetic and equilibrium data were subjected to kinetic (pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, Avrami fractional order, Elovich and intraparticle diffusion) and equilibrium (Langmuir, Freundlich, Liu, and Redlich-Peterson) models, respectively, to elucidate the interaction between the nitrate ion and biochars. The yields of Biochars A and B were 41.40 % and 32.25 %, respectively. The two biochars possessed good cation exchange capacity, water-holding capacity, carbon stability, and porosity. Avrami fractional kinetic order was the best model that explained the kinetic data. Maximum adsorption capacities obtained from Liu model (the best equilibrium model) are 140.7 and 237.5 mg g−1 for Biochars A and B, respectively. Adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. There was a decrease in the disorderliness in the nitrate-biochar system. Biochar B performed better than Biochar A for removal of nitrate ion from water. In summary, the biochars produced from elephant grass excellently removed nitrate ion from solution and could be utilised for water decontamination.

The methanol extracts of two edible mushrooms; Termitomyces robustus (ewe) and Lentinus squarrosulus (erirokiro) were screened for phytochemicals of medicinal importance and the chemical profile investigated using standard analytical methods with the aim of assessing their health promoting properties. Both mushrooms tested positive to flavonoids, saponin, tannin and terpenoid but negative to steroid, anthraquinone and phlobatannin. The results of proximate compositions in % were; moisture contents (7.22 ± 0.07; 11.03 ± 0.21), crude protein (31.34 ± 0.01; 42.77 ± 0.57), ash (7.07 ± 0.04; 10.45 ± 0.43), crude fibre (4.07 ± 0.18; 9.48 ± 0.04), crude fat (3.71 ± 0.16; 6.76 ± 0.22), carbohydrate by difference (24.90 ±0.11; 41.27 ± 0.19), calorific value in kcal (331.55±3.41; 342.35±3.09), and total dietary fibre (10.21 ± 0.00; 11.68 ± 0.00). The anti-nutrient factors in mg/g were; tannin (3.25 ± 0.80; 7.40 ± 0.14) oxalate (1.53 ± 0.00; 1.71 ± 0.07), and phytate (1.48 ± 0.06; 1.94 ± 0.05). Mineral elements, vitamins, essential and non-essential amino acids in substantial quantities were detected in the mushrooms. The phenolic compounds identified and quantified were gallic acid, catechin,chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, epicatechin, rutin, isoquercitrin, quercitrin, quercetin and kaempferol.The mushrooms exhibited various antifungi and antimicrobial activities. The two mushrooms possessed good nutritional and chemical qualities and could be sources of many different nutraceuticals.

Tuberculosis is a multi-systematic disease with myriad presentations and manifestations and is the most common cause of infectious disease-related mortality worldwide. The disease is treated with the roasted cotyledonous part of Chrysophyllum albidum seeds by traditional practitioners in Ogun state, Nigeria. The phytoconstituents of the hexane fraction and the hexane extracts of the roasted seeds at 50o C, 100o C and 120o C were investigated using GC-MS analysis. The results showed the hexane fraction of the raw seeds contained 92.71 % by proportion of esters of long chain fatty acids. The hexane extract of roasted seeds (50o C) contained 68.69 % of long chain fatty acids, hexane extract of roasted seeds (100o C) contained74.54 % while the hexane extract of roasted seeds (120oC) contained 91.65 %.The traditional method of application of roasted seeds instead of raw seeds in treating tuberculosis enhances the availability of free fatty acids. The main fatty acids content at 120o C are Hexadecanoic acid and 9, 12-Octadecadienoic acid. Fatty acids had been reported to be toxic to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Thus the efficacy of the treating of tuberculosis with the roasted seeds of Chrysophyllum albidum is due to the presence of hexadecanoic acid and 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid which could work together or work synergistically with other antimicrobial effectors to bring about macrophage-mediated killing of the pathogen.

The antioxidative effect of methanol and water orange peel extracts on Refined Palm Kernel Oil (RPKO) stored for twelve months at room temperature (270C-330C) was determined by monitoring the colour, refractive index, free fatty acid (FFA), acid value (AV) and peroxide value (PV). The oil was dosed with different concentrations (200 ppm to 1000 ppm) of the extracts and butylatedhydroxytoluene (BHT) (Cone. 200 ppm. The colour and refractive index of RPKO containing the extracts ranged between 11.0-13.0 units and 1.458-1.460 respectively whereas the colour and refractive index of RPKO with no additive (0 ppm) and 200 ppm BHT were 10.0 units and 1.460 accordingly. Free fathy acid (FFA) and acid value (AV) of RPKO containing methanol and water orange peel extracts were lower than RPKO containing 200 ppm BHT and they were significantly different at P

Auto Mechanic Workshops in thestudy area generate waste containing hazardous chemicals Thirty-six Soil samples were collected from selected automobile workshops (five) in the study area at the depths of 0-15 cm, 30-45 cm, 45-60 cm, 60-75 cm and 75-100 cm. A total of sixty (30) soil samples were collected in five different locations in the ancient town of Okitipupa. Six control samples were also collected in a farm land about 3km away from Auto Mechanic Activities. The physicochemical parameters such as soil composition based on particle size in percentage, ranged 7.65-10.71 for clay, 1.93-6.99 for silt and 85.36-89.98 for sand pH values ranged 4.57-5.93 and electrical conductivity (EC) (?scm?1) ranged 31.67- 143.67. The percentage soil composition was in this order; Sand>Clay>Silt. Assessment of pH shows acidity increases down the depth of the profile and EC follows the same trend. Comparing the values with the control indicate the presence of soluble inorganic salts that is higher in the study area than control.

The use of thermochemical processes to convert biomass into energy products has continued to allay apprehensions arising from increasing depletion of fossil fuels and growing energy demand. Pyrolysis products (bio-oils and bio-chars) from cocoa pods and plantain peels have been characterized. Products distribution for cocoa pod and plantain peel was 29.4% and 38.1% condensate; 46.5% and 38.5% bio-char; and 24.1% and 23.4% noncondensable gas respectively. Bio-oils from the wastes were found to possess low acidity and improved stability upon storage. Over 70% oleic acid was obtained in cocoa pod bio-oil, which could serve as a raw material for many chemical industries. Bio-chars from both residues have higher heating value (HHV) as ˜22 MJ/kg and pH as ˜10 and could serve as renewable fuels in the country. SEM-EDS morphology and elemental composition revealed that these bio-chars contain about five elements essential for plant growth.

Lignin was extracted from some underutilized plant materials using soda–anthraquinone and soda–anthraquinone–ethanol pulping chemicals. Soda–anthraquinone–ethanol gave higher lignin yield, ranging from 44.47% to 50.41% versus 39.40% to 47.92% of soda-anthraquinone. The isolated lignin was used as a partial substitution for phenol in preparation of lignin-phenol-formaldehyde. The free formaldehyde of the resins ranges from 0.25% to 0.67% versus 1.23% of phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin used as control. The bonding effectiveness of the resin was evaluated when used as glue for board preparation. The density of the board ranges from 333.54 Kg/m3 to 363.84 Kg/m3. The result revealed that Musa sapientum-, Musa parasidiaca- and Tithonia diversifolia- soda–anthraquinone-derived resins, and soda-anthraquinone–ethanol-derived resin of M. parasidiaca and T. diversifolia had boards with better modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) than the board obtained using PF resin.

The aim of this study was to determine the thermal stability and shelf life of the extract together with the influence of extract concentration, temperature and pH variation of the acidic medium on the inhibition efficiency using 1.0 M Sodium hydroxide. The dried plant samples were ground, sieved using 0.25µm and then extracted with methanol using maceration method. The phytochemical constituents were analyzed using appropriate methods. The phytochemicals detected were: Alkaloid, saponin, flavnoid, tannin, terpenoid, steroid and cardiac glycoside. Weight loss experiment was performed to ascertain the stability and shelf life of the extract at different storage temperature and time respectively while polarization experiment was used to study the behaviour of the extract on mild steel corrosion at varying concentration of the extract, pH and temperature of the acidic media. It was found that the stability of the extract inhibition efficiency was affected by the mode of storage and the inhibition efficiency decreases with increase in storage temperature of the extract. The life span of the extract was found to be 60 days from its production stage, after this, there was reduction in the inhibition efficiency of the extract. Moreso, the corrosion rate of the mild steel in 1.0 M HCl, monitored by electrochemical measurement revealed that the corrosion rate decreases with increase in the pH, decrease in temperature and increase in concentration of the extract in the acidic solution.

This study was aimed at investigating the influence of different drying methods on the photochemical composition and inhibition efficiency of Alchornea laxiflora and Muccuna flagellepes leaves extracts in corrosion prevention. The fresh samples of the leaves were collected, sorted, dried using two different drying methods viz; air drying and sun drying methods. The dried plant samples were ground separately sieved using 0.25µm and then extracted with ethanol using maceration method and then concentrated the filtrate in a water bath at 600C to obtained air dried Alchornea laxiflora leaves (AALL), air dried Muccuna flagellepes leaves (AMFL), sun dried Alchornea laxiflora leaves (SALL) and sun dried Muccuna flagellepes leaves (SMFL) extracts. The extract of each sample was analyzed separately for their phytochemical constituents using appropriate methods. From the results, there was variation in the composition in respect of the phytochemical of interest but it could be concluded that the drying methods have little effect on the phytochemical composition of the studied plant but air drying methods could be adopted as it gave highest content (AALL: Sapolin 45.55 mg/g, tannin 10.58mg/g, flavnoid 7.49mg/g, Terpenoid 7.06 mg/g, Alkaloid 35.61mg/g, phytobalatin 2.43mg/g and cardiac glycoside 4.72mg/g; AMFL: Sapolin 28.55mg/g, Tannin 5.39 mg/g, Flavnoid 6.42 mg/g, Terpenoid 5.94 mg/g, Alkaloid 4.53mg/g, Cardiac glycoside 6.33 mg/g; SALL: Saponin 20.00mg/g, Tannin 4.04 mg/g, Flavnoid 1.91 mg/g, Terpenoid 6.03 mg/g, Alkaloid 12.56 mg/g, Phytobalatin 2.57 mg/g, Cardiac glycoside 3.86mg/g: SMFL: Sapolin 15.00 mg/g, Tannin 3.82 mg/g, Terpenoid 4.82 mg/g, Alkaloid 6.25 mg/g and cardiac glycoside 4.93 mg/g. The corrosion inhibition efficiency of the samples extract on mild steel in 1.0M HCl solution was investigated using weight loss measurements. The weight loss measurement indicates an increase in corrosion inhibition efficiencies that reach 90.02% and 84.92% in AALL and AMFL extract and 79.74% and 72.12 in the SALL and SMFL extract respectively. The weight loss data established that the inhibition efficiency on mild steel increases with increase in the concentration of the plant extracts but decreased with increase in temperature. Thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy change, entropy change, and activation energy were evaluated. Kinetics of the reaction in the presence of the extracts revealed that it follows a first order reaction and the half-life increased as the concentration of the extract increases.

A method is described whereby the effect of some essential oils on potato sprout growth was investigated. The essential oils were applied by wick volatilization to assess both cumulative release and release rate of each oil. Sprout suppression was assessed on the basis of sprout length at 14 and 28 days after applications. The mechanism of the volatile oil release was a first order kinetic action and the release profile demonstrates a diffusion-based delivery system. The oils evaporated rapidly during the first three days, reaching 45%, 39%, 42%, 32% and 30% for Monodora myristica , Cymbopogon citratus , Chenopodium ambrosioides , Lippia multiflora and Zingiber officinale , respectively. Thereafter the evaporation rate was relatively constant. Tubers treated with L. multiflora and C. citratus had shorter sprout at 14 days with sprout length of 4.00 mm and 4.56 mm, respectively, when compared to tubers treated with the other volatile oils and control. At 28 days Z. officinale appeared to have the greatest sprout suppression activity with sprout length of 5.65 mm. The formulated essential oils are suitable for application as sprout suppressants. The responses were concentration and time dependent. The wick method reduced the volatility of the essential oils and extended the sprout-free period of stored potatoes.

This work presents the physicochemical and mineral analysis of compost samples made from waste materials of cassava, vegetable, banana, orange, and cow dung fortified each with 100g of NPK, 100g of kaolin and 100g of ammonium chloride. Microbial analysis of the fresh compost samples revealed that the unfortified compost possesses more microbial load than the fortified samples. The physicochemical analysis showed that the kaolin fortified compost (KFC) has the highest ash content and phosphorus content while the unfortified compost (UC) contains the highest organic matter. All the compost samples have little nitrogen when compared with NPK chemical fertilizer. However, the fortification with kaolin, NPK and ammonium chloride increased the percentage of nitrogen over that of the unfortified compost by 38.8%, 56.23%, and 71.17% respectively. The fortification with kaolin, NPK, and ammonium chloride also increased the phosphorus content over that of the unfortified by 56.31%, 53.21% and 36.75%, respectively. The result of the mineral content showed that the fortification with NPK and ammonium chloride increased the magnesium content of the compost sample while fortification with kaolin increases the magnesium and calcium content. The nitrate and sulfate contents are reduced by the fortification with kaolin, NPK and ammonium chloride.

The bioconcentration levels of 3 non-essential elements (Pb, Cd and Ni) have been investigated in three different seafoods; Fish (Tilapia zilli), Crab (Callinectes sapidus) and periwinkle (Littorina littorea), to investigate the ecosystem health status in Ondo oil-polluted coastal region, Nigeria. The seafood samples were chosen based on their popularity as a food source and the potential of the species to contain high levels of metals based on past research results. Metal concentrations in the biota showed marked interspecific differences with C. sapidus recording the highest concentrations of all the metals. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) showed that C. sapidus and T. zilli have the greatest potential to concentrate Cd (BCF = 3-10) and Pb (BCF = 11-84) respectively. Lead uptake from both water and sediment (BCF ≈ BSAF: 0.003-0.018) were abysmally low in L. littorea as compared with other organisms. The high concentrations of Pb in fish species, effective bioaccumulation of Cd in species of crab and periwinkles, as well as very high BSAF of Ni found in species of crab indicated a strong influence from anthropogenic pollutant source on the biotic community. Oil pollution appears to be a major source of bioavailable metal contaminants for the selected biota. The study shows that C. sapidus and L. littorea can effectively compartmentalize potentially toxic metals such as Cd, Pb and Ni within their tissues. In terms of toxicity, C. sapidus had Cd concentrations greater than the 3,000 ng/g limit set by the Commission of the European Communities while Pb concentration exceeded their limits in both C. sapidus and T. zilli. All levels of Ni were below the U.S. Food and Drug Administration action levels for these metals in fish, crustaceans and shellfish. The study revealed anthropogenic enrichment of the metals studied which can possibly pose potential threats to the ecology of the area.

The essential oil from the dried leaves of Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King & H. Rob. was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major components were α-pinene (42.2%), β-pinene (10.6%), germacrene D (9.7%), β-copaen-4α-ol (9.4%), (E)-caryophyllene (5.4%), and geijerene/prejeigerene (7.5%). The oil was screened for antimicrobial activity and showed antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus (MIC = 39 μg/mL) and antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger (MIC = 78 μg/mL). DFT (B3LYP/6-31G*) and post-HF (MP2/6-311+G**) indicate that pregeigerene is less stable (0.45 and 3.99 kcal/mol, respectively) than its Cope rearrangement product geigerene.

The steam distilled volatile oil obtained from pulverized Aframomum sceptrum seeds was examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major components were 1,8-cineole (81.9 %), α-terpineol (10.1 %) and β-pinene (4.8 %). The oil displayed no antibacterial activity against either Gram positive organisms such as Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, or Gram negative organisms such as Escherichia coli, (MIC = 625 μg/mL).

The steam distilled volatile oil obtained from dried Lippia multiflora Moldenke was examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major components were 1,8-cineole (60.5%), sabinene (16.9%), α-terpineol (14.1%) and α-pinene (4.4%). The oil displayed no antibacterial activity against either gram positive Bacillus cereus or Staphylococcus aureus or gram negative Escherichia coli, (MIC = 1250 µg/mL). A cluster analysis was performed for comparison and characterization of L. multiflora essential oil from Nigeria with other oils reported in the literature from different locations across central Africa, and reveals much chemical variation in this species with at least 13 different chemotypes.

Smoking and/or grilling, when carried out with traditional methods involving direct contact with wood combustion fumes, is responsible for high contamination levels with carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The aim of this work was to investigate the PAH content of different smoked or grilled meat and fish products commonly consumed in Nigeria. A rapid method involving microwave-assisted saponification and simultaneous extraction followed by solid-phase extraction (SPE), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation and spectrofluorometric detection was employed. Samples that were smoked or grilled using traditional systems, which use a wood fire, were heavily contaminated with benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) at levels ranging from 2.4 to 31.2 microg kg(-1) wet weight. Considerably lower contamination levels were found in samples smoked or grilled in the laboratory using a charcoal fire (BaP from 0.7 to 2.8 microg kg(-1) wet weight). The health risk associated with a daily consumption of 100 g of these products was also evaluated using the margin of exposure (MOE) approach. MOE values lower than 10,000 were obtained for all smoked/grilled commercial samples, indicating a potential concern for consumer health.

Seasonal changes in petroleum hydrocarbons in water and streambed sediment from selected oil-related areas of Ondo State, Nigeria have been examined using gravimetric and infrared methods. The highest and lowest total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations (TPH) in water (sediments in brackets) gravimetrically were 3.49 mg L−1 (199.3) mg kg−1 and 0.003 mg L−1 (81.0) mg kg−1 while the concentrations found by IR were 24.0 mg L−1 (135.0 mg kg−1) and 14.0 mg L−1 (33.0 mg kg−1) respectively. The two seasons were positively correlated (α = 0.01) by both methods. The TPH level was well correlated with the sediment organic carbon (OC) during both seasons. The characteristic carbonyl (C=O) vibrations at 1650 cm−1 and 1700 cm−1 indicate oxidation of the oil residue. The study recommends further investigation into the type of organics present to evaluate their toxicity and appropriate remediation.

Chemical analysis of the volatile oil of Cymbopogon citratus and its antibacterial effects were investigated. Chemical analysis of the C. citratus oil was determined using Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometry technique. Out of 47 peaks (representing 97.36 % of the total oil), 37 constituents were identified representing 90.86 % of the total oil constituents. The major constituents were geranial (40.9 %), neral (29.7 %), myrcene (11.3 %), linalool (1.7 %) and geranylacetate (1.6 %). The oil was examined against six bacteria; Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumonia, Serratia marcescens and Staphlycoccus aureus. It was found that C. citratus inhibited the growth of all tested microorganism.