Abiodun Ojo

The field study involved 4 sites and 15 samples according to the wind directions: North, East, South and West. The analysis was conducted through the use of Atomic Absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Ten types of heavy metals were identified as indicators for pollution namely Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, and Cd. The results indicated that the concentration of Fe was the most dominant per specific distances and depths and exceeded the minimum standard in North, East and West directions. While Cu was the second most dominant with concentration exceeding minimum standard per specific distance and depth, mainly in the West direction. The results have shown presence of bacterial species including Pseudomonas, Mirococcus, Actinomyces, Neisseria, Bacillus and Klebsiella. These pathogens can infect wounds and cause sepsis and mortality and can even occur with such organisms to cause secondary infection. These groups of organisms are almost impossible to control since they are ubitiquous

Natural clay has been considered as a potential absorbent for removing pollutants from water and waste water. Nonetheless, the effective application of clay for water treatment is limited due to small surface area and presence of net negative surface charge, leading to it low adsorption capacity. The absorption capacity was boosted via intercalation of CaO derived from snail shell (SS). The methylene blue sorption potential, PZC, and the surface area of unmodified clay sample were substantially enhanced by the intercalation process. The process of sorption of MB from solution was analyzed using five different isotherm models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Harkins-Jura, and Halsey isotherm equations). The value of the Langmuir monolayer sorption capacity qm (mg/g) increased from 50.12 to 88.71, PZC values increased from 4.50 to 7.40, and the surface area (m2/g) value increased from 27 m2/g to 123 m2/g after the intercalation process. The experimental data were fitted into two kinetic...

Parkinson's disease has long been described to be a product of dopamine and (or) melanin loss in the substanstia nigra (SN). Although most studies have focused on dopaminergic neurons, it is important to consider the role of pigment cells in the etiology of the disease and to create an in vitro live cell model for studies involving pigmented adrenergic cells of the SN in Parkinsonism. The Melanocytes share specific features with the pigmented adrenergic neurons as both cells are pigmented, contain adrenergic receptors and have cellular processes. Although the melanocyte cellular processes are relatively short and observable only when stimulated appropriately by epinephrine and other factors or molecules. This study employs the manipulation of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (NMDA-R), a major receptor in neuronal development, in the process formation pattern of the melanocyte in order to create a suitable model to depict cellular process elongation and shortening in pigmented adrenergic cells. NMDA-R is an important glutamate receptor implicated in neurogenesis, neuronal migration, maturation and cell death, thus we investigated the role of NMDA-R potentiation by glutamate/KCN and its inhibition by ketamine in the behavior of fish scale melanocytes in vitro. This is aimed at establishing the regulatory role of NMDA-R in this cell type (melanocytes isolated form Tilapia) in a similar manner to what is observable in the mammalian neurons. In vitro live cell culture was prepared in modified Ringer's solution following which the cells were treated as follows; Control, Glutamate, Ketamine, Glutamate + Ketamine, KCN + Ketamine and KCN. The culture was maintained for 10 min and the changes were captured in 3D-Time frame at 0, 5 and 10 min for the control and 5, 7 and 10 min for each of the treatment category. Glutamate treatment caused formation of short cellular processes localized directly on the cell body while ketamine treatment (inhibition of NMDA-R) facilitated elongation of secondary cellular processes (highly branched) from primary major processes (Less branched); co-incubation of glutamate and ketamine induced short and highly branched process formation. Cyanide toxicity induced degeneration and reduction of cell size while co-treatment of cyanide and ketamine gave changes similar to that observed in glutamate-ketamine co-incubation. NMDA-R is present in the melanocytes. Activation of the receptor reduced elongation process, while inhibition of the receptor facilitated cell process elongation and branching. This confirms that like pigmented adrenergic cells of the nervous system, this cell contains NMDA-R and this receptor also regulates cell process elongation. The study also showed that inhibition of NMDA-R in melanocytes gave opposite outcomes to the role of the receptor in developing neurons; a function that is protective in adult neurons.

Comparative UV absorption spectra analysis was carried out on seeds and seedlings of six Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp accessions. Optical density (OD) UV absorbance (A) value was taken from A200 to A960 wavelengths using spectrophotometer. At 280 nm protein content in Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp was between 4.2-5.7 % in seedling and 6.6-16.9 % in seed. Absorbance spectra between 200-960 nm UV wavelengths of protein extracts from Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp seeds and seedlings were not the same in each of the six accessions analyzed. The difference in the seeds and seedlings protein absorbance spectra could possibly be due to difference in their protein chemical composition and shape. With this level of detail in the analysis, the multiwavelength UV approach has the potential to provide a sensitive biosensor for the detection, identification and enumeration of various biomolecules.

ABSTRACT Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) of rice is a very destructive disease worldwide and is caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo).The aim of the present study was to examine if the Xoo virulence pathotypes obtained using phenotypic pathotyping could be confirmed using molecular approach. After screening of 60 Operon primers with genomic DNA of two Xoo isolates (virulent pathotype, Vr, and mildly virulent pathotype, MVr), 12 Operon primers that gave reproducible and useful genetic information were selected and used to analyze 50 Xoo isolates from 7 West African countries. Genetic analysis revealed two major Xoo virulence genotypes (Mta and Mtb) with Mta having two subgroups (Mta1 and Mta2). Mta1 (Vr1) subgroup genotype has occurrence in six countries and Mta2 (Vr2) in three countries while Mtb genotype characterized mildly virulence (MVr) Xoo isolates present in five countries. The study revealed possible linkage and correlation between phenotypic pathotyping and molecular typing of Xoo virulence. Xoo virulence genotypes were known to exist within country and there was evidence of Xoo pathogen migration between countries. Durable resistance rice cultivars would need to overcome both Mta and Mtb Xoo virulence genotypes in order to survive after their deployment into different rice ecologies in West Africa.

Cocoyam is an edible, starchy tuberous root of taro plants. Taro plants are grown as root vegetables plants and has a long history of cultivation. The study was carried out to investigate the antioxidant potentials as well as the composition of fatty acids in Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum, cocoyam specie. The total phenolic content, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and fatty acid analysis were determined using established techniques. The results showed that it has a phenolic content of 0.518 ± 0.006 mg GAE/g sample and ferric reducing antioxidant power of 2.697 ± 0.034 mg GAE/g sample. The result also showed the presence of fat with the percentage value of 0.80 ± 0.03. Four different fatty acids were found in the gas chromatography- mass spectroscopy (Gc-Ms) characterization and these include n-capric acid, heptadecanoic acid, oleic acid and stearic acid. Oleic acid was the highest while the stearic acid was the lowest. The study suggests that the consumption of cocoya...

Glia activation and neuroinflamation are major factors implicated in the aetiology of most neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). Several agents and toxins have been known to be capable of inducing glia activation an inflammatory response; most of which are active substances that can cause oxidative stress by inducing production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Neurogenesis on the other hand involves metabolic and structural interaction between neurogenic and glia cells of the periventricular zone (PVZ); a region around the third ventricle. This study investigates glia activation (GFAP), cell proliferation (Ki-67) and neuronal metabolism (NSE) during neurogenesis and oxidative stress by comparing protein expression in the PVZ against that of the parietal cortex. Adult Wistar Rats were treated with normal saline and 20 mg/Kg KCN for 7 days. The tissue sections were processed for immunohistochemistry to demonstrate glia cells (anti Rat-GFAP), cell proliferation (anti Rat-Ki-67) and neuronal metabolism (anti Rat-NSE) using the antigen retrieval method. The sections from Rats treated with cyanide showed evidence of neurodegeneration both in the PVZ and cortex. The distribution of glia cells (GFAP), Neuron specific Enolase (NSE) and Ki-67 increased with cyanide treatment, although the increases were more pronounced in the neurogenic cell area (PVZ) when compared to the cortex. This suggests the close link between neuronal metabolism and glia activation both in neurogenesis and oxidative stress.