Aim: The work was aimed at assessing the potential of Chlorella vulgaris in remediation of reacti... more Aim: The work was aimed at assessing the potential of Chlorella vulgaris in remediation of reactive dyes. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Plant Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, between January 2019 and December 2019. Methodology: Wastewater containing individual reactive dyes: reactive red 198 (RR198), reactive yellow 176 (RY176), reactive green 19 (RG19), reactive orange 122 (RO122), reactive red 195 (RR195) and reactive violet 1 (RV1) were collected from a local fabric re-dyeing pit at Kofar Na’isa, Kano, Nigeria. The green microalga C. vulgaris was cultured in Bold Basal medium (BBM) at 30 ± 2°C and subjected to adsorption and decolourization assays of the dyes. Results: The highest dye removal efficiency by enzymatic action was recorded after 48 hours, while that for the biomass adsorption was at day 14, at pH 11.3 and temperature of 30°C. The percentage dye removal by adsorption and decolouri...
UMYU Journal of Microbiology Research (UJMR), 2021
Re-dyeing of fabric materials using synthetic dyes (such as reactive dyes) is fast spreading in m... more Re-dyeing of fabric materials using synthetic dyes (such as reactive dyes) is fast spreading in metropolitan Kano which causes serious damage to the ecosystems. This study was carried out to compare the potentials of Aspergillus terreus, Bacillus species and Chlorella vulgaris in bioremediation and adsorption of reactive red 198 (RR198) dye used in fabric re-dyeing. This was achieved through inoculation of pure cultures of the organisms in the dye solution. The highest percentage adsorption for all the test organisms was recorded after 48 hours of inoculation, with Chlorella vulgaris displaying 86.4%, Bacillus species, 84.4% and Aspergillus terreus, 69.8% of dye adsorption. The results showed statistically significant difference in dye adsorption among the three species with Chlorella vulgaris having the highest adsorption potential compared to the Bacillus species and Aspergillus terreus. The adsorption process fitted with the Freundlich's isotherm, revealing a multilayer adsor...
Environmental contaminations by organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) of inland water have been a glob... more Environmental contaminations by organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) of inland water have been a global issue, since most of these compounds are very persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic compounds. Due to the widespread use of DDT for malaria vector eradication programs in the past and no comprehensive works have been conducted to assess trace organic pollutants in river waters, this work is the first effort to assess the contamination levels of OCPs in the major rivers of Southern Thailand. The objectives of this study were to determine the concentration levels of OCPs and oil and grease in the 3 major rivers and to compare the present results with surrounding regions for further assessment of OCPs contamination status in inland waters of Southern Thailand. The water samples were collected along the 3 major rivers (Saiburi, Patani and Tiba River) during June 2007-February 2008. Water samples were solid phase extracted with Supelco C-18 cartridge (1g/6 mL) and quantified by gas chromatograph (GC-ECD). The concentration of oil and grease was determined by gravimetric method and reported as hexane extractable material (HEM) and silica gel treated hexane extractable material (SGT-HEM). Several parameters of waters such as total suspended solid, pH, turbidity, and conductivity were measured. The commonly found OCP residues in these rivers were β-HCH, γ-HCH, heptachlor epoxide, endosulfan 1, p,p'-DDE and endrin aldehyde. The overall results showed that Saiburi River was more polluted with OCPs than Patani and Tiba River, especially p, p'-DDE which was detected in the wide range concentration of 9.6 to 203.1 ng/mL. For oil and grease contamination, Tiba River waters were found to be more polluted than either Patani or Saiburi River. The experimental procedures and analytical results together with the possible sources of OCPs and its environmental impacts are presented.
ATBU Journal of Science, Technology and Education, 2015
The paper examined the relationship between Business Apprenticeship Business Centers (BATCs) and ... more The paper examined the relationship between Business Apprenticeship Business Centers (BATCs) and establishment of small and medium scale industries in Kaduna State. The study had two objectives. Two hypotheses were tested. Survey research design was used in the study. One hundred (100) graduates of Business Apprenticeship Business Centers who have established their own small scale businesses were used in the study. Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient statistic was used to test the null hypotheses. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 levels of significance. The two hypotheses were retained. It was concluded that establishment of small and medium scale industries anywhere in the world is a function of many variables including possession of some skill. However, variables such as finance, conducive economic environment and availability of markets are also vital. Four recommendations were made, among which was that Kaduna State government should establish a revolving fund from ...
Polygalacturonase (PG) was isolated from Aspergillus niger ( A. niger ) (SA6), partially purified... more Polygalacturonase (PG) was isolated from Aspergillus niger ( A. niger ) (SA6), partially purified, characterized and immobilized by entrapment using calcium alginate. The polygalacturonase showed two bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacryamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) suggesting an “endo and exo” polygalacturonase with apparent molecular weights of 35 and 40 KDa, respectively. The enzyme was purified 9 fold with a yield of 0.18% and specific activity of 246 μmole/min/mg. The apparent K M and V max of the immobilized polygalacturonase were11.1 mg/ml and 1.65 μmole/min/mg, respectively. The optimum pH and optimum temperature of the immobilized polygalacturonase were 4.5 and 40°C, respectively. Immobilized polygalacturonase exhibited more stability to changes in pH than the temperature. The activity of the immobilized polygalacturonase reduced to 34.56 and 14.81% of the initial activity in the second and third catalytic cycles, respectively. The half life of the enzyme and the ...
Prevalence of malnutrition in children in North-western Nigeria is high due to poor complementary... more Prevalence of malnutrition in children in North-western Nigeria is high due to poor complementary feeding practices. An attempt was made to formulate low-cost, nutritive complementary foods using malted maize, millet and sorghum with groundnut and soyabean. Nutrient qualities of gruel of the formulations thus prepared were evaluated. The ash content ranged from 1.03 ± 0.01 to 2.54 ± 0.35 g/100 g with the crude protein ranging from 6.37 ± 0.23 to 7.88 ± 0.28 g/100 g. Levels of lysine (4.80 to 6.87 g/100 g protein) and methionine (1.25 to 3.33 g/100 g protein) in most formulated complementary foods were higher than the international reference values of 4.2 and 2.2 for lysine and methionine, respectively. Percentage in-vitro protein digestibility of the formulations (75 to 82%) is comparable to that of the commonly used complementary foods (72 to 82%) in the zone. Zinc content ranged from 74.15 to 107.85 ppm and Iron content was between 177.10 and 476.64 ppm. Phytates (0.01 to 0.34 mg/...
This study was performed to determine the safety or otherwise of Carica papaya seeds used as food... more This study was performed to determine the safety or otherwise of Carica papaya seeds used as food condiment on pre-implantation embryo development in female Wistar rats. Rats were divided into 5 major groups: Group I served as control, groups II and III were given the fermented extract at 500 and 1500 mg/kg respectively; groups IV and V were given the unfermented extract at 500 and 1500 mg/kg respectively. They were fed the extracts from GD1 to GD5 and on GD6, they were euthanized. The number of implantation sites (7.13 ± 1.06) and percentage pre-implantation loss (57.75 ± 5.00%) in rats administered aqueous extract of the unfermented seeds at 1500 mg/kg was significantly different (P < 0.05) than the control (12.17 ± 1.01 and 19.00 ± 1.65%, respectively) and other groups. There was no significant difference in the number of corpora lutea in all experimental groups compared to the control (15.00 ± 1.21). Results showed an increase in weight during pre-implantation, except those g...
Proteomics technologies enable a comprehensive study of complex proteins and their functions. The... more Proteomics technologies enable a comprehensive study of complex proteins and their functions. The venom proteomes of three medically important Nigerian Elapidae snakes Naja haje, Naja katiensis and Naja nigricollis was studied using HILIC coupled with LC-MS/MS analysis. Results revealed a total of 57, 55, and 46 proteins in the venoms of N. haje, N. katiensis, and N. nigricollis, respectively, with molecular mass ranging between 7 and 245 kDa. These snakes have 38 common proteins in addition to 3 uncommon proteins: actiflagelin, cathelicidin, and cystatin identified in their venoms. The identified proteins belonged to 14 protein families in N. haje and N. katiensis, and 12 protein families in N. nigricollis. Of the total venom proteins, 3FTx was the most abundant protein family, constituting 52% in N. haje and N. katiensis, and 41% in N. nigricollis, followed by PLA2, constituting 37% in N. nigricollis, 26% in N. haje, and 24% in N. katiensis. Other protein families, including LAAO, CRISPs, VEGF, PLB, CVF, SVMP, SVH, AMP, PI, Globin, Actin, and C-type lectins, were also detected, although, at very low abundances. Quantification of the relative abundance of each protein revealed that alpha and beta fibrinogenase and PLA2, which constituted 18-26% of the total proteome, were the most abundant. The 3 uncommon proteins have no known function in snake venom. However, actiflagelin activates sperm motility; cystatin inhibits angiogenesis, while cathelicidin exerts antimicrobial effects. The three Nigerian Naja genus proteomes displayed 70% similarity in composition, which suggests the possibility of formulating antivenom that may cross-neutralise the venoms of cobra species found in Nigeria. These data provide insights into clinically relevant peptides/proteins present in the venoms of these snakes.
Senna alata (Linn) Roxb. plant is widely used to manage various infections in folkloric medicine.... more Senna alata (Linn) Roxb. plant is widely used to manage various infections in folkloric medicine. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection continues to be a major global public health problem. This study aims to investigate the bioactive components of S. alata leaves active against MRSA. The leaves of S. alata were sequentially extracted and fractionated using standard methods and screened for activities against MRSA. The diethyl ether active thin layer chromatography (TLC) spot was subjected to infrared (IR) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopic (GC-MS) studies. The aqueous extract and diethyl ether fraction of S. alata leaves elicited the highest activity against the MRSA. The GC-MS analysis of the fraction produced 15 eluates; only the sub-fraction 13 was effective. The TLC analysis of the sub-fraction 13 revealed three spots; only the second spot produced activity. The GC-MS result of the spot showed six peaks. The spectral results for peak 3 match the da...
ASIAN TEFL Journal of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 2019
Phonological development refers to the stages that children pass before they can correctly use an... more Phonological development refers to the stages that children pass before they can correctly use and understand the sound system of their language. Inspired by Stampe’s (1969) Natural Phonology Theory, this paper examines the acquisition of Hausa secondary consonants pronunciation by the Hausa children. The paper seeks to achieve the following objectives (a) to identify the phonological processes that are operating in the production of the Hausa secondary consonants by the Hausa 2-5 years children (b) to discover the units that are more affected if certain changes occur in the production of the Hausa secondary consonants (c) to explain whether a parental behavior influence the children’s production of the Hausa secondary consonants. Four children aged between 2-5 years were purposely selected. The data were collected using a Pictorial Stimulus-Driven Elicitation. The study found that reduction, simplification, and substitution phonological processes operate in some of the children’s s...
This article aimed at findings the impact of body language used by Arabic teacher on developing l... more This article aimed at findings the impact of body language used by Arabic teacher on developing language performance of Arabic students. To justify the objectives of the article, the researchers stated one question and attempt was made to answer it. Senior Arabic Schools II in Kaduna State were used as a population of the study, quasi-experimental design was used for the research purposes. The sample of 80 students was drown from the population. They were further subdivided into two experimental group with (40) and control group (40) students, purposive sampling technique was employed in the sampling. The researchers designed questions derived from Arabic Grammar, Arabic liteary texts and Rhetorics to test the performance of the students. The results show that there is positive effect of body language used by Arabic teacher on developing language performance. Based on the research finding, the researchers recommend that Arabic teachers in Senior Arabic schools should use body language appropriately in order to develop students' language performance. Also, National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies, should train the Arabic teachers on the body language skills and the ways in which these skills can be used appropriately used during teaching.
Enhanced microbial bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated (PHC) soils with the eart... more Enhanced microbial bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated (PHC) soils with the earthworm Alma millisoni and the bacterium Bacillus spp. was conducted. The petroleum-contaminated topsoils (PCTS) (0-15 cm) collected from motorcar mechanic workshops were thoroughly mixed, sieved, and air dried for 7 days. The pH, water holding capacity (WHC), total nitrogen (N), organic carbon (OC), heavy metal (HM), and bacteriological analysis of the soil samples were evaluated. The indigenous bacterial isolates were subjected to 1%, 5%, and 50% of spent engine oil (SEO), incubated for 7 days at 37 C, and the isolate with the highest tolerance pattern was used for the remediation. Out of four indigenous bacteria isolated, Bacillus spp. had the highest tolerance to SEO. Preliminary exposure assessments of A. millisoni to PHC soils (100%, 60%, 50%, and 40% PHC) were carried out using 48-h avoidance response, coiling exhibition, swollen clitelium, 14-day survival tests, and antioxidant enzyme activities such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Subsequently, four treatments of 1 kg soil mixed with 100%, 75%, 50%, and 0% PCTS were designed and spiked with 20 g of dried cow dung. Each of the treatments consisted of four setups, viz., A. millisoni alone, A. millisoni and Bacillus spp., Bacillus spp. alone, and control. The bacterial counts, total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), total and bioavailable HM, and total OC and N of the soils were evaluated every 7 days for 35 days. Significant increases in the activities of CAT, SOD, GPx, and GST compared with control were recorded in A. millisoni exposed to the various treatments. Treatment with combined A. millisoni and Bacillus spp. resulted in significant (p < .05) reduction in TPH, reduction in total and bioavailable heavy metals, and increased total OC and N of the soil compared with other treatments. The percentage reduction in TPH and heavy metals with concomitant increase in total OC and total N recorded in the 50% PHC soils followed the order A. millisoni and Bacillus spp. > A. millisoni alone > Bacillus spp. alone. Hence, enhanced bioremediation using A. millisoni and Bacillus spp. may be a good biocatalyst in the remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils.
Journal of Advances in Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Inhibitory activity of crude extract of cysteine protease inhibitors from Calotropis procera agai... more Inhibitory activity of crude extract of cysteine protease inhibitors from Calotropis procera against Plasmodium berghei infected mice was investigated. Various extracts obtained from the leaves, roots, flowers, latex and stem bark of Calotropis procera using different extraction media that included Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrochloric acid, Sodium phosphate buffer and distilled water were used to evaluate for Cysteine Protease inhibitory activity against Papain enzyme. Sodium phosphate buffer extract of the latex of Calotropis procera with the highest Protease inhibitor activity was concentrated by cold acetone precipitation, freeze-dried and used for further studies. Subchronic toxicity study of the extract was carried out in a mouse model. Inhibitory effect of the extract on Plasmodium berghei Cysteine protease and in vivo studies on infected mice was investigated using incremental doses of 20, 30, and 50 mg/kg body weight/day. The crude extract exhibited inhibitory activity against Cysteine protease with an IC 50 value of 25.50 µg/ml. The
Earthworm inoculation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil is thought to catalyze the biore... more Earthworm inoculation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil is thought to catalyze the bioremediation. Most bioremediation studies focus on the petroleum hydrocarbon content and not on the heavy metals. Here, the uptake kinetics of heavy metals by earthworm in used engine oil contaminated soil was investigated. The metals considered were zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti) and manganese (Mn). Five different concentrations of used engine oil contaminated soil were considered: 12.5, 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/kg of soil. At the end of the 20 days study, the concentration of Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr in the worms were found to have decreased (of which initial concentrations in the worms where higher than their concentrations in all used engine oil contaminated soils considered, that is, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, and 100 g/kg of soil), whereas Ti and Mn showed an increase (of which initial concentrations in the worms where lower than concentrations in all used engine oil contaminated soils considered, that is, 12.5, 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/kg of soil). The uptake and elimination rate constants of the metals were estimated using one-compartment model. The percentage drop in total petroleum hydrocarbon was also found to increase with increase in initial used engine oil concentrations.
Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders, 2015
Background The association between hypertension and diabetes has been linked to increased oxidati... more Background The association between hypertension and diabetes has been linked to increased oxidative stress with age. This study was to examine the level of age-dependent alterations in antioxidant defense system between patients having hypertension and/or type-2 diabetes. Methods The study was conducted at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria-Nigeria, using 200 Subjects recruited from the cardiology, endocrinology and outpatient clinics. They were divided into four groups of 50 subjects each, namely: Diabetic group (DG), hypertensive (HG) and hypertensive-diabetic group (HDG) as cases. The control group (CG) was non-diabetic normotensive subjects. They were all stratified into six age-ranges namely 20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, 70–79 years. Oxidative stress markers (lipid peroxidation, antioxidant vitamins and elements, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant) were measured in the blood sample collected from all subjects in each age group within the study groups...
The methanol extracts of all the various parts of Morinda lucida were studied in vivo for anti-pe... more The methanol extracts of all the various parts of Morinda lucida were studied in vivo for anti-peroxidative, protective and ameliorative effects against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatocellular injury. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentration taken as a measure of lipid peroxidation showed pre-treatment with the parts each (100 mg/kg) conferring anti-peroxidative effect while the leaf and bark extracts showed anti-peroxidative effect in the post-treatment test. Markers of hepatic damage viz: AST, ALT, total and conjugated bilirubin also showed significant protection and amelioration against CCl 4-induced liver damage. Lipid profile studies like TG, TC, LDL and HDL showed no statistical difference among the pre-treatment groups and the 'normal control' except in the 'Root+CCl 4 ' or 'Leaf+CCl 4 ' groups which also showed no difference statistically from the 'CCl 4 only' group. In the post-treatment (ameliorative) tests also, no statistical difference was found among the groups compared with the 'normal control' except the 'CCl 4 + Root' and 'CCl 4 + Leaf' groups which bore no statistical difference from the 'CCl 4 only' group, as per LDL and HDL respectively. Findings here show the anti-peroxidative and protective properties of Morinda lucida comparable to Vitamins C and E, and ameliorative properties comparable to Silymarin against liver injury. These could possibly be reasons supporting its application in folkloric medicine.
International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2012
The effect of earthworm (Eudrilus eugeniae) on the bioremediation of used engine oil contaminated... more The effect of earthworm (Eudrilus eugeniae) on the bioremediation of used engine oil contaminated soil, amended with poultry manure, was investigated. Investigation into the effect of initial concentration of used engine oil, in soil, for earthworm inoculated samples showed that the biodegradation rate of used engine oil contaminant increased with increasing initial concentration of used engine oil. For initial used engine oil concentration of 5, 10, 15 and 20 g/kg soil, the drop in total petroleum hydrocarbon was found to be-16.91, 20.82, 34.68 and 36.28% respectively after 42 days of treatment. Investigation into the effect of earthworm concentration showed that the use of earthworms did not result in catalysis of the bioremediation process as the extent of biodegradation for the sample without earthworm was found to be higher than those of all concentrations of earthworm considered (5-20 worms/kg soil). However, the rate of bioremediation was found to increase with increase in earthworm concentration (as earthworm concentration was increased from 5 to 20 worms per kg of used engine oil contaminated soil). Similarly when the rate of bioremediation in the without-earthworm but manually tilled and the without-earthworm and untilled samples where compared with samples inoculated with earthworm for bioremediation, both samples without worms recorded higher bioremediation rates.
International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2011
Oil pollution is a worldwide prevalent threat to environmental sustainability and the remediation... more Oil pollution is a worldwide prevalent threat to environmental sustainability and the remediation of oil contaminated soils, sediments, surface and underground water is a major challenge for environmental research. Earthworms are an important component of the soil biota and their response to oil pollution needs to be better understood when they are considered for use in bioremediation. Laboratory investigations were undertaken to monitor the survival rate of earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris Lin.) in soils contaminated with used engine oil sourced from three different engines (Motorcycle, Motorcar and Truck engines). The aim was to investigate the effect of used engine oil concentration, in soil, on the survival of earthworms (L. terrestris). The ability of L. terrestris to survive in bioremediated used engine oil contaminated soil was evaluated and it was observed that 100% of earthworms survived in both motorcycle and truck engine used engine oil contaminated soil for concentration as high as 150 g used engine oil/kg soil for a period of 30 days. The highest tolerable concentration of the motorcar used engine oil contaminated soil by the worms was found to be 10 g used engine oil/kg soil.
HIV-1 CRF02_AG and subtype G (HIV-1G) account for most HIV infections in Nigeria, but their evolu... more HIV-1 CRF02_AG and subtype G (HIV-1G) account for most HIV infections in Nigeria, but their evolutionary trends have not been well documented. To better elucidate the dynamics of the epidemic in Nigeria we characterised the gag and env genes of North-Central Nigerian HIV-1 isolates from pregnant women. Of 28 samples sequenced in both genes, the predominant clades were CRF02_AG (39%) and HIV-1G (32%). Higher predicted proportion of CXCR4-tropic (X4) HIV-1G isolates was noted compared to CRF02_AG (p = 0.007, Fisher's exact test). Phylogenetic and Bayesian analysis conducted on our sequences and all the dated available Nigerian sequences on the Los Alamos data base showed that CRF02_AG and HIV-1G entered into Nigeria through multiple entries, with presence of HIV-1G dating back to early 1980s. This study underlines the genetic complexity of the HIV-1 epidemic in Nigeria, possible subtype-specific differences in co-receptor usage, and the evolutionary trends of the predominant HIV-1 strains in Nigeria, which may have implications for the design of biomedical interventions and better understanding of the epidemic.
Aim: The work was aimed at assessing the potential of Chlorella vulgaris in remediation of reacti... more Aim: The work was aimed at assessing the potential of Chlorella vulgaris in remediation of reactive dyes. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Plant Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, between January 2019 and December 2019. Methodology: Wastewater containing individual reactive dyes: reactive red 198 (RR198), reactive yellow 176 (RY176), reactive green 19 (RG19), reactive orange 122 (RO122), reactive red 195 (RR195) and reactive violet 1 (RV1) were collected from a local fabric re-dyeing pit at Kofar Na’isa, Kano, Nigeria. The green microalga C. vulgaris was cultured in Bold Basal medium (BBM) at 30 ± 2°C and subjected to adsorption and decolourization assays of the dyes. Results: The highest dye removal efficiency by enzymatic action was recorded after 48 hours, while that for the biomass adsorption was at day 14, at pH 11.3 and temperature of 30°C. The percentage dye removal by adsorption and decolouri...
UMYU Journal of Microbiology Research (UJMR), 2021
Re-dyeing of fabric materials using synthetic dyes (such as reactive dyes) is fast spreading in m... more Re-dyeing of fabric materials using synthetic dyes (such as reactive dyes) is fast spreading in metropolitan Kano which causes serious damage to the ecosystems. This study was carried out to compare the potentials of Aspergillus terreus, Bacillus species and Chlorella vulgaris in bioremediation and adsorption of reactive red 198 (RR198) dye used in fabric re-dyeing. This was achieved through inoculation of pure cultures of the organisms in the dye solution. The highest percentage adsorption for all the test organisms was recorded after 48 hours of inoculation, with Chlorella vulgaris displaying 86.4%, Bacillus species, 84.4% and Aspergillus terreus, 69.8% of dye adsorption. The results showed statistically significant difference in dye adsorption among the three species with Chlorella vulgaris having the highest adsorption potential compared to the Bacillus species and Aspergillus terreus. The adsorption process fitted with the Freundlich's isotherm, revealing a multilayer adsor...
Environmental contaminations by organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) of inland water have been a glob... more Environmental contaminations by organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) of inland water have been a global issue, since most of these compounds are very persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic compounds. Due to the widespread use of DDT for malaria vector eradication programs in the past and no comprehensive works have been conducted to assess trace organic pollutants in river waters, this work is the first effort to assess the contamination levels of OCPs in the major rivers of Southern Thailand. The objectives of this study were to determine the concentration levels of OCPs and oil and grease in the 3 major rivers and to compare the present results with surrounding regions for further assessment of OCPs contamination status in inland waters of Southern Thailand. The water samples were collected along the 3 major rivers (Saiburi, Patani and Tiba River) during June 2007-February 2008. Water samples were solid phase extracted with Supelco C-18 cartridge (1g/6 mL) and quantified by gas chromatograph (GC-ECD). The concentration of oil and grease was determined by gravimetric method and reported as hexane extractable material (HEM) and silica gel treated hexane extractable material (SGT-HEM). Several parameters of waters such as total suspended solid, pH, turbidity, and conductivity were measured. The commonly found OCP residues in these rivers were β-HCH, γ-HCH, heptachlor epoxide, endosulfan 1, p,p'-DDE and endrin aldehyde. The overall results showed that Saiburi River was more polluted with OCPs than Patani and Tiba River, especially p, p'-DDE which was detected in the wide range concentration of 9.6 to 203.1 ng/mL. For oil and grease contamination, Tiba River waters were found to be more polluted than either Patani or Saiburi River. The experimental procedures and analytical results together with the possible sources of OCPs and its environmental impacts are presented.
ATBU Journal of Science, Technology and Education, 2015
The paper examined the relationship between Business Apprenticeship Business Centers (BATCs) and ... more The paper examined the relationship between Business Apprenticeship Business Centers (BATCs) and establishment of small and medium scale industries in Kaduna State. The study had two objectives. Two hypotheses were tested. Survey research design was used in the study. One hundred (100) graduates of Business Apprenticeship Business Centers who have established their own small scale businesses were used in the study. Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient statistic was used to test the null hypotheses. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 levels of significance. The two hypotheses were retained. It was concluded that establishment of small and medium scale industries anywhere in the world is a function of many variables including possession of some skill. However, variables such as finance, conducive economic environment and availability of markets are also vital. Four recommendations were made, among which was that Kaduna State government should establish a revolving fund from ...
Polygalacturonase (PG) was isolated from Aspergillus niger ( A. niger ) (SA6), partially purified... more Polygalacturonase (PG) was isolated from Aspergillus niger ( A. niger ) (SA6), partially purified, characterized and immobilized by entrapment using calcium alginate. The polygalacturonase showed two bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacryamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) suggesting an “endo and exo” polygalacturonase with apparent molecular weights of 35 and 40 KDa, respectively. The enzyme was purified 9 fold with a yield of 0.18% and specific activity of 246 μmole/min/mg. The apparent K M and V max of the immobilized polygalacturonase were11.1 mg/ml and 1.65 μmole/min/mg, respectively. The optimum pH and optimum temperature of the immobilized polygalacturonase were 4.5 and 40°C, respectively. Immobilized polygalacturonase exhibited more stability to changes in pH than the temperature. The activity of the immobilized polygalacturonase reduced to 34.56 and 14.81% of the initial activity in the second and third catalytic cycles, respectively. The half life of the enzyme and the ...
Prevalence of malnutrition in children in North-western Nigeria is high due to poor complementary... more Prevalence of malnutrition in children in North-western Nigeria is high due to poor complementary feeding practices. An attempt was made to formulate low-cost, nutritive complementary foods using malted maize, millet and sorghum with groundnut and soyabean. Nutrient qualities of gruel of the formulations thus prepared were evaluated. The ash content ranged from 1.03 ± 0.01 to 2.54 ± 0.35 g/100 g with the crude protein ranging from 6.37 ± 0.23 to 7.88 ± 0.28 g/100 g. Levels of lysine (4.80 to 6.87 g/100 g protein) and methionine (1.25 to 3.33 g/100 g protein) in most formulated complementary foods were higher than the international reference values of 4.2 and 2.2 for lysine and methionine, respectively. Percentage in-vitro protein digestibility of the formulations (75 to 82%) is comparable to that of the commonly used complementary foods (72 to 82%) in the zone. Zinc content ranged from 74.15 to 107.85 ppm and Iron content was between 177.10 and 476.64 ppm. Phytates (0.01 to 0.34 mg/...
This study was performed to determine the safety or otherwise of Carica papaya seeds used as food... more This study was performed to determine the safety or otherwise of Carica papaya seeds used as food condiment on pre-implantation embryo development in female Wistar rats. Rats were divided into 5 major groups: Group I served as control, groups II and III were given the fermented extract at 500 and 1500 mg/kg respectively; groups IV and V were given the unfermented extract at 500 and 1500 mg/kg respectively. They were fed the extracts from GD1 to GD5 and on GD6, they were euthanized. The number of implantation sites (7.13 ± 1.06) and percentage pre-implantation loss (57.75 ± 5.00%) in rats administered aqueous extract of the unfermented seeds at 1500 mg/kg was significantly different (P < 0.05) than the control (12.17 ± 1.01 and 19.00 ± 1.65%, respectively) and other groups. There was no significant difference in the number of corpora lutea in all experimental groups compared to the control (15.00 ± 1.21). Results showed an increase in weight during pre-implantation, except those g...
Proteomics technologies enable a comprehensive study of complex proteins and their functions. The... more Proteomics technologies enable a comprehensive study of complex proteins and their functions. The venom proteomes of three medically important Nigerian Elapidae snakes Naja haje, Naja katiensis and Naja nigricollis was studied using HILIC coupled with LC-MS/MS analysis. Results revealed a total of 57, 55, and 46 proteins in the venoms of N. haje, N. katiensis, and N. nigricollis, respectively, with molecular mass ranging between 7 and 245 kDa. These snakes have 38 common proteins in addition to 3 uncommon proteins: actiflagelin, cathelicidin, and cystatin identified in their venoms. The identified proteins belonged to 14 protein families in N. haje and N. katiensis, and 12 protein families in N. nigricollis. Of the total venom proteins, 3FTx was the most abundant protein family, constituting 52% in N. haje and N. katiensis, and 41% in N. nigricollis, followed by PLA2, constituting 37% in N. nigricollis, 26% in N. haje, and 24% in N. katiensis. Other protein families, including LAAO, CRISPs, VEGF, PLB, CVF, SVMP, SVH, AMP, PI, Globin, Actin, and C-type lectins, were also detected, although, at very low abundances. Quantification of the relative abundance of each protein revealed that alpha and beta fibrinogenase and PLA2, which constituted 18-26% of the total proteome, were the most abundant. The 3 uncommon proteins have no known function in snake venom. However, actiflagelin activates sperm motility; cystatin inhibits angiogenesis, while cathelicidin exerts antimicrobial effects. The three Nigerian Naja genus proteomes displayed 70% similarity in composition, which suggests the possibility of formulating antivenom that may cross-neutralise the venoms of cobra species found in Nigeria. These data provide insights into clinically relevant peptides/proteins present in the venoms of these snakes.
Senna alata (Linn) Roxb. plant is widely used to manage various infections in folkloric medicine.... more Senna alata (Linn) Roxb. plant is widely used to manage various infections in folkloric medicine. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection continues to be a major global public health problem. This study aims to investigate the bioactive components of S. alata leaves active against MRSA. The leaves of S. alata were sequentially extracted and fractionated using standard methods and screened for activities against MRSA. The diethyl ether active thin layer chromatography (TLC) spot was subjected to infrared (IR) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopic (GC-MS) studies. The aqueous extract and diethyl ether fraction of S. alata leaves elicited the highest activity against the MRSA. The GC-MS analysis of the fraction produced 15 eluates; only the sub-fraction 13 was effective. The TLC analysis of the sub-fraction 13 revealed three spots; only the second spot produced activity. The GC-MS result of the spot showed six peaks. The spectral results for peak 3 match the da...
ASIAN TEFL Journal of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 2019
Phonological development refers to the stages that children pass before they can correctly use an... more Phonological development refers to the stages that children pass before they can correctly use and understand the sound system of their language. Inspired by Stampe’s (1969) Natural Phonology Theory, this paper examines the acquisition of Hausa secondary consonants pronunciation by the Hausa children. The paper seeks to achieve the following objectives (a) to identify the phonological processes that are operating in the production of the Hausa secondary consonants by the Hausa 2-5 years children (b) to discover the units that are more affected if certain changes occur in the production of the Hausa secondary consonants (c) to explain whether a parental behavior influence the children’s production of the Hausa secondary consonants. Four children aged between 2-5 years were purposely selected. The data were collected using a Pictorial Stimulus-Driven Elicitation. The study found that reduction, simplification, and substitution phonological processes operate in some of the children’s s...
This article aimed at findings the impact of body language used by Arabic teacher on developing l... more This article aimed at findings the impact of body language used by Arabic teacher on developing language performance of Arabic students. To justify the objectives of the article, the researchers stated one question and attempt was made to answer it. Senior Arabic Schools II in Kaduna State were used as a population of the study, quasi-experimental design was used for the research purposes. The sample of 80 students was drown from the population. They were further subdivided into two experimental group with (40) and control group (40) students, purposive sampling technique was employed in the sampling. The researchers designed questions derived from Arabic Grammar, Arabic liteary texts and Rhetorics to test the performance of the students. The results show that there is positive effect of body language used by Arabic teacher on developing language performance. Based on the research finding, the researchers recommend that Arabic teachers in Senior Arabic schools should use body language appropriately in order to develop students' language performance. Also, National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies, should train the Arabic teachers on the body language skills and the ways in which these skills can be used appropriately used during teaching.
Enhanced microbial bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated (PHC) soils with the eart... more Enhanced microbial bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated (PHC) soils with the earthworm Alma millisoni and the bacterium Bacillus spp. was conducted. The petroleum-contaminated topsoils (PCTS) (0-15 cm) collected from motorcar mechanic workshops were thoroughly mixed, sieved, and air dried for 7 days. The pH, water holding capacity (WHC), total nitrogen (N), organic carbon (OC), heavy metal (HM), and bacteriological analysis of the soil samples were evaluated. The indigenous bacterial isolates were subjected to 1%, 5%, and 50% of spent engine oil (SEO), incubated for 7 days at 37 C, and the isolate with the highest tolerance pattern was used for the remediation. Out of four indigenous bacteria isolated, Bacillus spp. had the highest tolerance to SEO. Preliminary exposure assessments of A. millisoni to PHC soils (100%, 60%, 50%, and 40% PHC) were carried out using 48-h avoidance response, coiling exhibition, swollen clitelium, 14-day survival tests, and antioxidant enzyme activities such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Subsequently, four treatments of 1 kg soil mixed with 100%, 75%, 50%, and 0% PCTS were designed and spiked with 20 g of dried cow dung. Each of the treatments consisted of four setups, viz., A. millisoni alone, A. millisoni and Bacillus spp., Bacillus spp. alone, and control. The bacterial counts, total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), total and bioavailable HM, and total OC and N of the soils were evaluated every 7 days for 35 days. Significant increases in the activities of CAT, SOD, GPx, and GST compared with control were recorded in A. millisoni exposed to the various treatments. Treatment with combined A. millisoni and Bacillus spp. resulted in significant (p < .05) reduction in TPH, reduction in total and bioavailable heavy metals, and increased total OC and N of the soil compared with other treatments. The percentage reduction in TPH and heavy metals with concomitant increase in total OC and total N recorded in the 50% PHC soils followed the order A. millisoni and Bacillus spp. > A. millisoni alone > Bacillus spp. alone. Hence, enhanced bioremediation using A. millisoni and Bacillus spp. may be a good biocatalyst in the remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils.
Journal of Advances in Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Inhibitory activity of crude extract of cysteine protease inhibitors from Calotropis procera agai... more Inhibitory activity of crude extract of cysteine protease inhibitors from Calotropis procera against Plasmodium berghei infected mice was investigated. Various extracts obtained from the leaves, roots, flowers, latex and stem bark of Calotropis procera using different extraction media that included Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrochloric acid, Sodium phosphate buffer and distilled water were used to evaluate for Cysteine Protease inhibitory activity against Papain enzyme. Sodium phosphate buffer extract of the latex of Calotropis procera with the highest Protease inhibitor activity was concentrated by cold acetone precipitation, freeze-dried and used for further studies. Subchronic toxicity study of the extract was carried out in a mouse model. Inhibitory effect of the extract on Plasmodium berghei Cysteine protease and in vivo studies on infected mice was investigated using incremental doses of 20, 30, and 50 mg/kg body weight/day. The crude extract exhibited inhibitory activity against Cysteine protease with an IC 50 value of 25.50 µg/ml. The
Earthworm inoculation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil is thought to catalyze the biore... more Earthworm inoculation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil is thought to catalyze the bioremediation. Most bioremediation studies focus on the petroleum hydrocarbon content and not on the heavy metals. Here, the uptake kinetics of heavy metals by earthworm in used engine oil contaminated soil was investigated. The metals considered were zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti) and manganese (Mn). Five different concentrations of used engine oil contaminated soil were considered: 12.5, 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/kg of soil. At the end of the 20 days study, the concentration of Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr in the worms were found to have decreased (of which initial concentrations in the worms where higher than their concentrations in all used engine oil contaminated soils considered, that is, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, and 100 g/kg of soil), whereas Ti and Mn showed an increase (of which initial concentrations in the worms where lower than concentrations in all used engine oil contaminated soils considered, that is, 12.5, 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/kg of soil). The uptake and elimination rate constants of the metals were estimated using one-compartment model. The percentage drop in total petroleum hydrocarbon was also found to increase with increase in initial used engine oil concentrations.
Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders, 2015
Background The association between hypertension and diabetes has been linked to increased oxidati... more Background The association between hypertension and diabetes has been linked to increased oxidative stress with age. This study was to examine the level of age-dependent alterations in antioxidant defense system between patients having hypertension and/or type-2 diabetes. Methods The study was conducted at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria-Nigeria, using 200 Subjects recruited from the cardiology, endocrinology and outpatient clinics. They were divided into four groups of 50 subjects each, namely: Diabetic group (DG), hypertensive (HG) and hypertensive-diabetic group (HDG) as cases. The control group (CG) was non-diabetic normotensive subjects. They were all stratified into six age-ranges namely 20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, 70–79 years. Oxidative stress markers (lipid peroxidation, antioxidant vitamins and elements, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant) were measured in the blood sample collected from all subjects in each age group within the study groups...
The methanol extracts of all the various parts of Morinda lucida were studied in vivo for anti-pe... more The methanol extracts of all the various parts of Morinda lucida were studied in vivo for anti-peroxidative, protective and ameliorative effects against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatocellular injury. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentration taken as a measure of lipid peroxidation showed pre-treatment with the parts each (100 mg/kg) conferring anti-peroxidative effect while the leaf and bark extracts showed anti-peroxidative effect in the post-treatment test. Markers of hepatic damage viz: AST, ALT, total and conjugated bilirubin also showed significant protection and amelioration against CCl 4-induced liver damage. Lipid profile studies like TG, TC, LDL and HDL showed no statistical difference among the pre-treatment groups and the 'normal control' except in the 'Root+CCl 4 ' or 'Leaf+CCl 4 ' groups which also showed no difference statistically from the 'CCl 4 only' group. In the post-treatment (ameliorative) tests also, no statistical difference was found among the groups compared with the 'normal control' except the 'CCl 4 + Root' and 'CCl 4 + Leaf' groups which bore no statistical difference from the 'CCl 4 only' group, as per LDL and HDL respectively. Findings here show the anti-peroxidative and protective properties of Morinda lucida comparable to Vitamins C and E, and ameliorative properties comparable to Silymarin against liver injury. These could possibly be reasons supporting its application in folkloric medicine.
International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2012
The effect of earthworm (Eudrilus eugeniae) on the bioremediation of used engine oil contaminated... more The effect of earthworm (Eudrilus eugeniae) on the bioremediation of used engine oil contaminated soil, amended with poultry manure, was investigated. Investigation into the effect of initial concentration of used engine oil, in soil, for earthworm inoculated samples showed that the biodegradation rate of used engine oil contaminant increased with increasing initial concentration of used engine oil. For initial used engine oil concentration of 5, 10, 15 and 20 g/kg soil, the drop in total petroleum hydrocarbon was found to be-16.91, 20.82, 34.68 and 36.28% respectively after 42 days of treatment. Investigation into the effect of earthworm concentration showed that the use of earthworms did not result in catalysis of the bioremediation process as the extent of biodegradation for the sample without earthworm was found to be higher than those of all concentrations of earthworm considered (5-20 worms/kg soil). However, the rate of bioremediation was found to increase with increase in earthworm concentration (as earthworm concentration was increased from 5 to 20 worms per kg of used engine oil contaminated soil). Similarly when the rate of bioremediation in the without-earthworm but manually tilled and the without-earthworm and untilled samples where compared with samples inoculated with earthworm for bioremediation, both samples without worms recorded higher bioremediation rates.
International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2011
Oil pollution is a worldwide prevalent threat to environmental sustainability and the remediation... more Oil pollution is a worldwide prevalent threat to environmental sustainability and the remediation of oil contaminated soils, sediments, surface and underground water is a major challenge for environmental research. Earthworms are an important component of the soil biota and their response to oil pollution needs to be better understood when they are considered for use in bioremediation. Laboratory investigations were undertaken to monitor the survival rate of earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris Lin.) in soils contaminated with used engine oil sourced from three different engines (Motorcycle, Motorcar and Truck engines). The aim was to investigate the effect of used engine oil concentration, in soil, on the survival of earthworms (L. terrestris). The ability of L. terrestris to survive in bioremediated used engine oil contaminated soil was evaluated and it was observed that 100% of earthworms survived in both motorcycle and truck engine used engine oil contaminated soil for concentration as high as 150 g used engine oil/kg soil for a period of 30 days. The highest tolerable concentration of the motorcar used engine oil contaminated soil by the worms was found to be 10 g used engine oil/kg soil.
HIV-1 CRF02_AG and subtype G (HIV-1G) account for most HIV infections in Nigeria, but their evolu... more HIV-1 CRF02_AG and subtype G (HIV-1G) account for most HIV infections in Nigeria, but their evolutionary trends have not been well documented. To better elucidate the dynamics of the epidemic in Nigeria we characterised the gag and env genes of North-Central Nigerian HIV-1 isolates from pregnant women. Of 28 samples sequenced in both genes, the predominant clades were CRF02_AG (39%) and HIV-1G (32%). Higher predicted proportion of CXCR4-tropic (X4) HIV-1G isolates was noted compared to CRF02_AG (p = 0.007, Fisher's exact test). Phylogenetic and Bayesian analysis conducted on our sequences and all the dated available Nigerian sequences on the Los Alamos data base showed that CRF02_AG and HIV-1G entered into Nigeria through multiple entries, with presence of HIV-1G dating back to early 1980s. This study underlines the genetic complexity of the HIV-1 epidemic in Nigeria, possible subtype-specific differences in co-receptor usage, and the evolutionary trends of the predominant HIV-1 strains in Nigeria, which may have implications for the design of biomedical interventions and better understanding of the epidemic.
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Papers by Sani A Ibrahim