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The vulnerability to contamination of the aquifer at Osubi, Niger Delta, was assessed in order to develop a foundation strategy for safeguarding its groundwater resources using the DRASTIC model and geographic information system (GIS). Using GIS, data corresponding to the seven DRASTIC model parameters were collected and translated into seven thematic maps. The DRASTIC map was created using these maps, which describe the depth to water level (D), net recharge (R), aquifer media (A), soil media (S), topography (T), influence of the vadose zone (I), and hydraulic conductivity (C). The results obtained from this study showed that 7% of the area was classified as very-high vulnerability to pollution, 18% was classified as high vulnerability, 60% was classified as moderate vulnerability and 15% as low vulnerability. The most vulnerable areas occur around waste dumpsites, and some septic systems in residential areas. Policies should be put in place to make it easier to close possible pollution sources in high-vulnerability areas, such as open dump sites, leaking underground storage tanks at fuel stations, effluent discharge from industries, and pit latrines/sewage disposal units.

A study on the effect of organic manure on seedling growth and proximate composition of T. africana seedlings was conducted to influence the growth and improve the nutritive quality of the plant as an alternative source of feed for dry season feeding. Three months old seedlings of T. africana were transplanted on the field containing samples of organic manure (poultry and cow dung) mix with top soil in a ratio of one kilogram of soil to 25 g of manure and a control (without manure) in a Randomized Complete Block Design which was replicated thrice. The seedlings were assessed for plant height, number of foliage, collar diameter and number of branches. Samples of the seedlings foliage were collected across the treatments and analyzed for proximate composition after the eighth week of transplanting. Seedlings under cow dung application recorded a significantly (P>0.05) higher values for number o foliage per plant (21.82), plant height (66.58 cm), collar diameter (12.96 mm) and number of branches (4.20) at 8 weeks after planting (WAP), followed by seedlings to which poultry manure was applied and lastly by the control. Proximate composition showed that the dry matter (DM) content values of the samples were high which ranged from 894.60- 896.30 g/ kg DM (p

This experiment was conducted to determine the blood chemistry and carcass characteristics of broilers fed malted sorghum sprouts (MSP) or wheat offal (W/O)-based diets supplemented with yeast culture and enzyme. A total of two hundred and forty 28-day old, Marshal Broiler chickens used for the experiment were randomly allotted to 8 dietary treatment groups of 30 birds each. Each treatment group was replicated thrice with 10 birds per replicate. Data on selected blood indices and carcass traits of the birds were collected during the course of the feeding trial that lasted for 4 weeks. The experiment was a 2X4 factorial consisting of two (2) test ingredients (MSP and wheat offal) at 4 inclusion levels of enzyme or yeast (0g kg-1, +0.01gkg-1 yeast and Roxazyme G2(G) enzyme, +0.01gkg-1 yeast ,+ Roxazyme G2(G) enzyme. At the end of the trial, the effect of MSP and wheat offal inclusion showed a significant effect (P

We investigated the use of four nutrient solutions (organic, organo-mineral, inorganic, and a commercial hydroponics solution that served as a control) on the yield and quality of hydroponically pr...

Effect of consuming solely poultry-by-products by grower pigs, instead of conventional feeds was the focus of this study. Thirty–six Large White male pigs of 6 weeks 5.7 – 7.5kg were fed Boiled Dead Birds (BDB) (T3), Boiled Hatchery Waste BHW (T2) and conventional pig food PKC (T1). Thus, there were three treatments with 12 pigs per treatment. The pigs were reared for 10 weeks over which the chemical composition, performance and digestibility studies, carcass and organ function, serum and haematological status, and physico – chemical analysis and palatability were evaluated. The study was arranged as a completely randomized design. Daily weight gain, daily feed intake and body weight gain had highest (P

The nutritive value of forage resources from natural grazing land as dry season feed supplements for grazing animals were evaluated through their chemical composition and in vitro gas production. The forage resources include conserved forages (hay and silage), browse plant (Leucaena leucocephala leaves) and the forages in the natural pasture during the dry season served as the control. Crude protein (CP) contents of the forage resources ranged from 59 to 171 g/kg dry matter (DM), with L. leucocephala leaves having the highest (p< 0.05) CP contents. Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents of the forage resources ranged from 560 to 705 g/kg DM and 363 to 440 g/kg DM, respectively. The highest in vitro gas production of 38.7 ml/200mg DM was recorded for L. leucocephala leaves which was followed by silage and hay while forages in the natural pasture during the dry season recorded the least gas production. The volume of gas production significantly (p

Inhibitory activities of both aqueous and methanolic extracts of the root, stem bark, and leaf of Morinda lucida on Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi , and Salmonella typhorium was investigated in vitro. In vitro experiment was carried out using the agar well diffusion and disc diffusion methods with Gram-negative enterobacteria. M. lucida extracts were more active against all the tested bacteria than the standard antibiotics, chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin even at the same concentrations of 5, 10 and 20 mg/ml. The results of this study show that the extracts of M. lucida has the potentials of inhibiting the growth of E. coli and Salmonella species, thereby suggesting its potency in the treatment of infections in which E. coli and Salmonella species are implicated. Keywords: Gram-negative, inhibitory activity, Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, enterobacteria, infections, antibiotics African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol. 13(3), pp. 471-475, 15 January, 2014

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of intercropping Panicum maximum var. Ntchisi and Lablab purpureus on the growth, herbage yield and chemical composition of P. maximum var. Ntchisi at different harvesting times at the Teaching and Research farm, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in a randomized complete block design. Samples were collected at different harvesting times (8, 10, 12, 14 weeks after planting). The growth parameters which were plant height, leaf length, leaf number and tiller number measured showed that the intercropping of grass with legume were higher than in the sole plot of P. maximum var. Ntchisi. The plant yield was consistently higher (p < 0.05) in intercropped forages than in sole throughout the harvesting times. The crude protein contents of the forages were also higher for the intercropped across the treatments. The values of the fibre components were significantly different (p < 0.05) at different harvesting times and it was increasing as the harvesting time was increasing. From this study, considering the herbage yield and chemical composition of intecropping Panicum maximum var. Ntchisi and Lablab purpureus, they can be grazed by ruminant animals or harvested at 12 weeks after planting when the quality and quantity will support livestock productivity and can be conserved to be fed to ruminant animals during dry season when feed availability and quality are extremely low.

To determine the incidence of gametocytes and the propensity of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine to promote gametocytogenesis when used as intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy.This observational non-interventional study assessed the influence of intermittent preventive treatment with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine on Plasmodium falciparum gametocytaemia among Nigerian pregnant women. A total of 306 pregnant women were enrolled in the study.The 306 pregnant women had 711 events, of which 31 pure gametocytaemic episodes were documented and 27 were recorded among the intermittent preventive treatment users. Only 4 episodes of pure gametocytaemia were recorded in pregnant women who did not receive any dose of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (27/129 vs. 4/276, χ(2) = 15.9, p = 0.00006).Our findings show that intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine may predispose to gametocyte carriage in pregnant women resident in the hyperendemic malaria region of southwest Nigeria. We therefore suggest that the use of insecticide-treated nets be encouraged among pregnant women resident in malaria-endemic sub-Saharan Africa in order to reduce malaria transmission.