Volume 17, No 1 , 2016

Trypanosoma brucei, a causative agent of trypanosomiasis in livestock also possesses the ability to reoccur in disease conditions thereby increasing the trouble of ill health and if not treated on time could cause great losses to man. A comparative study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of different fractions of the extracts of Terminalia avicennoides and Bombax buopodezense on Trypanosoma brucei brucei infected wistar rats. The plants extract were fractionated using different solvents by chromatography technique.

Radiology unit is one of the commonly used diagnostic centres in the hospital. Medical devices in this unit harbour nosocomial pathogens that may likely complicate patient illnesses. This study investigated the presence of pathogenic microbes in usable equipment from hospital radiology units. Samples were collected via sterile swab stick from three radiological units (Ultrasound, X-ray and Mammogram rooms) equipment of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City. The media used in the isolation of the microorganisms were Nutrient Agar (bacteria) and Potato Dextrose Agar (fungi).

This study was carried out to determine the effect of temperature on radial growth phase of Aspergillus spp. Aspergillus niger was isolated from apparently spoilt samples of onion, tomato and carrot. These food samples were obtained from different locations. Isolation of A. niger was done using Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). A. niger which was inoculated at the centre of the PDA plate was observed for radial growth for a period of seven days at 12 hourly interval, twice daily at 280C and 370C respectively. It was generally observed that A.

Monitoring pathogen survival in polluted environmental media is useful as an early warning tool to forestall outbreaks of infections and safeguard public health. Survival of clinical strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi and Vibrio cholerae was monitored for 192 hours in pre-sterilised samples of domestic wastewater and sediment, agricultural wastewater and river water.

This investigation was aimed at determining the helminth parasites and prey items in the stomach of Ptychadena sp. from Obazuwa wetland in Edo State Nigeria. Four Ptychadena sp. (P. longirostris, P. bibroni, P. oxyrhynchus and P. mascareniensis) were collected using the visual/acoustic encounter survey methods. The stomach contents of the frogs examined revealed a total of 127 identifiable items comprising of 108 arthropods, 16 nematodes and 3 cestodes.

Field trials were conducted during the rainy season of 2011 and 2012. The main objective of the study was to investigate the possibility of increasing the productivity of Kenaf under organic conditions. Organic manure (Mucuna pruriens, compost manure, and control), sowing distances (15 and 30cm) and number of seed per stand (2 and 4 plant per hill) were factorially combined (3×2×2) to obtain twelve factorial treatment combinations.

Urine-impacted-soils were collected from different sampling points located within the vicinity of Iyaro Motor Park and analysed for physicochemical, aromatic hydrocarbon and bacteriological profiles. Standard analytical procedures which included serial dilution and pour plating, usage of appropriate meters, atomic absorption spectrophotometry and gas chromatography were employed in the evaluation of the bacteriological, physicochemical, heavy metal and poly aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) profiles of the soils.

Comparative phytoassessment of some selected vegetation exposed to automobile emission along Sapele road, Benin City, Nigeria at different distances from the road was carried out. Three plots (100 cm2 in area) were mapped out at intervals of 10 m away from the road to serve as treatment plots. The plots were designated as A (0 m – 10 m), B (10 m – 20 m) and C (20 m – 30 m) and a fourth plot was the control (100 m – 110 m) plot. Three plants, Sida acuta, Sida garckeana and Mariscus alternifolius; were selected for physiological studies as they were common to all the plots.

Genotoxicity testing represents a powerful line of evidence for assessing impacts from chemical contaminants in drinking water. In this study, fifteen brands of sachet water, five of which do not have the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration numbers, were collected in the Benin metropolitan city square in Edo State of Nigeria and subjected to cytological evaluation using the macroscopic and microscopic parameters in Allium cepa L.

An ecological survey of acridoid grasshoppers was conducted in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria from January to November 2001. A total of 34 taxa distributed in 3 families, 12 sub-families and 27 genera were encountered. The family Acrididae had the highest number of species (28), followed by pygomorphidae with 5 species. The family Tetrigidae was represented by only one species. Several species showed ecological plasticity and were found in all the locations while many others showed ecological restriction.