African Scientist Vol. 25, No. 1, March 2024

The phenological study provides a detailed comparison of life cycles of six species of Euphorbia with a view to enhancing the knowledge of the taxonomic status of the genus. Growth and developmental stages were investigated using pot experiments. Description of six principal growth stages was done and these include leaf development, shoot development, flowering emergence, fruit development, seed ripening and seed dispersal. All the investigations were carried out for 77 days under the same experimental conditions.

Therapeutic reactivation of foetal haemoglobin (HbF) can alleviate clinical complications associated with sickle cell anaemia (SCA), a severe monogenic disorder that is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. Traditional medicine practitioners in Nigeria utilize the stem bark of Theobroma cacao as a haematinic for SCA patients, but its potential to induce HbF remains uncertain.

This study assessed the toxicity of water-soluble fractions of petrol on Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus obliquus. Water soluble fractions of petrol were prepared into various concentrations as follows: 0%, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. These treatments were inoculated with 5 mL of the test microalgae and read at 750 nm at two-day intervals for 14 days using a UV/VIS Spectrophotometer.