Iodine Deficiency Diseases (IDDs) occupy important positions in the health problems of developing countries. Salt Iodisation has been the common approach to solving these problems. However, apart from the problems of ...Iodine Deficiency Diseases (IDDs) occupy important positions in the health problems of developing countries. Salt Iodisation has been the common approach to solving these problems. However, apart from the problems of lack of compliance by salt manufacturers, and inculturation of the consumers, health conditions aggravated by high salt intake by humans have become increasingly relevant. These problems can be eliminated if the commonly produced and consumed plants are fortified with Iodine. The prospects are in the inclusion of Iodine-containing compounds in the inorganic fertilizers used by farmers. In this study, Potassium Iodide and Potassium Iodate were used as inoculants. Five different concentrations—0.1 M, 0.2 M, 0.3 M, 0.4 M, and 0.5 M of Potassium Iodide and Potassium Iodate solutions were used to inoculate the soils on which the following edible African plants were planted: Murraya koenigii;Ocimum gratissimum;Cucurbita pepo;Solanum nigrum;Amaranthus hybridus and Abelmoschus esclentus, Corchorous olitoruis, Solanum lycopersicum, Zingiber officinale, Telfairia occidentalis, Talinium triangulare, Solanum melongena. Controls were also planted. After 14 days, alkaline dry ash method was used to determine the Iodine concentrations in the plants. The results showed that Murraya koenigii showed the highest absorption of Iodine 6.90 mg/kg at 0.3 M using KI, followed by Amaranthus hybridus 6.40 mg/kg at 0.1 M. Solanum nigrum, Ocimum gratissimum and Zingiber officinale also showed good absorption. Other plants except Murraya koenigii, Ocimum gratissimum, Solanum nigrum and Zingiber officinale showed very low tolerance to KI absorption. The result also showed that Telfairia occidentalis showed the highest absorption of iodine 8.20 mg/kg at 0.2 M of KIO3 followed by Cucurbita pepo 6.40 mg/kg at also 0.2 M of KIO3. Murraya koenigii, Ocimum gratissimum, Solanum nigrum, Zingiber officinale also showed good absorption of KIO3. Some of the plants were not able to tolerate the absorption at higher concentration for both KI and KIO3. All the plants were poisoned at concentration of 0.5 M for both Ki and KIO3. Murraya koenigii, Ocimum gratissimum, Solanum nigrum, Zingiber officinale can be used in iodine biofortification using KI and KIO3 at concentration < 0.5 M. The overall result may be very significant, when it is considered that Iodine is a micronutrient, with a daily intake requirement of 100 - 150 μg/kg. It can be seen that there is hope in achieving this kind of biofortification.展开更多
Public pipe-borne water system had collapsed in Anambra state of Nigeria, for over fifteen years, challenging the residents of the state to resort to alternative sources of potable water, notably, boreholes. It is imp...Public pipe-borne water system had collapsed in Anambra state of Nigeria, for over fifteen years, challenging the residents of the state to resort to alternative sources of potable water, notably, boreholes. It is imperative to continuously assess the quality of the water. In this work, two boreholes each in nineteen communities, one from Aguluzigbo, in three local government areas?(Anaocha, Awka-North, Awka-South) in the state were sampled, and tested for pH, Conductivity, Hardness, Total Suspended Solids, Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, Bacteria and Yeast loads. The water samples were all soft and mostly acidic. While there were not much threats of yeast, the aerobic bacteria counts were above the acceptable limits. The Lead, Arsenic and Cadmium concentrations were above the tolerable limits in most communities in Anaocha and Awka-South. Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium were absent in all the samples in Awka-North except in four communities where Cadmium was present. Suspended solid contents were also high in all the Local Government Areas. Overall, the quality of the water consumed by the people in the selected population calls to question?of?the water and sanitation component of the public health system.展开更多
文摘Iodine Deficiency Diseases (IDDs) occupy important positions in the health problems of developing countries. Salt Iodisation has been the common approach to solving these problems. However, apart from the problems of lack of compliance by salt manufacturers, and inculturation of the consumers, health conditions aggravated by high salt intake by humans have become increasingly relevant. These problems can be eliminated if the commonly produced and consumed plants are fortified with Iodine. The prospects are in the inclusion of Iodine-containing compounds in the inorganic fertilizers used by farmers. In this study, Potassium Iodide and Potassium Iodate were used as inoculants. Five different concentrations—0.1 M, 0.2 M, 0.3 M, 0.4 M, and 0.5 M of Potassium Iodide and Potassium Iodate solutions were used to inoculate the soils on which the following edible African plants were planted: Murraya koenigii;Ocimum gratissimum;Cucurbita pepo;Solanum nigrum;Amaranthus hybridus and Abelmoschus esclentus, Corchorous olitoruis, Solanum lycopersicum, Zingiber officinale, Telfairia occidentalis, Talinium triangulare, Solanum melongena. Controls were also planted. After 14 days, alkaline dry ash method was used to determine the Iodine concentrations in the plants. The results showed that Murraya koenigii showed the highest absorption of Iodine 6.90 mg/kg at 0.3 M using KI, followed by Amaranthus hybridus 6.40 mg/kg at 0.1 M. Solanum nigrum, Ocimum gratissimum and Zingiber officinale also showed good absorption. Other plants except Murraya koenigii, Ocimum gratissimum, Solanum nigrum and Zingiber officinale showed very low tolerance to KI absorption. The result also showed that Telfairia occidentalis showed the highest absorption of iodine 8.20 mg/kg at 0.2 M of KIO3 followed by Cucurbita pepo 6.40 mg/kg at also 0.2 M of KIO3. Murraya koenigii, Ocimum gratissimum, Solanum nigrum, Zingiber officinale also showed good absorption of KIO3. Some of the plants were not able to tolerate the absorption at higher concentration for both KI and KIO3. All the plants were poisoned at concentration of 0.5 M for both Ki and KIO3. Murraya koenigii, Ocimum gratissimum, Solanum nigrum, Zingiber officinale can be used in iodine biofortification using KI and KIO3 at concentration < 0.5 M. The overall result may be very significant, when it is considered that Iodine is a micronutrient, with a daily intake requirement of 100 - 150 μg/kg. It can be seen that there is hope in achieving this kind of biofortification.
文摘Public pipe-borne water system had collapsed in Anambra state of Nigeria, for over fifteen years, challenging the residents of the state to resort to alternative sources of potable water, notably, boreholes. It is imperative to continuously assess the quality of the water. In this work, two boreholes each in nineteen communities, one from Aguluzigbo, in three local government areas?(Anaocha, Awka-North, Awka-South) in the state were sampled, and tested for pH, Conductivity, Hardness, Total Suspended Solids, Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, Bacteria and Yeast loads. The water samples were all soft and mostly acidic. While there were not much threats of yeast, the aerobic bacteria counts were above the acceptable limits. The Lead, Arsenic and Cadmium concentrations were above the tolerable limits in most communities in Anaocha and Awka-South. Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium were absent in all the samples in Awka-North except in four communities where Cadmium was present. Suspended solid contents were also high in all the Local Government Areas. Overall, the quality of the water consumed by the people in the selected population calls to question?of?the water and sanitation component of the public health system.
