Evaluation of the Insecticidal Effects of Aqueous Extracts of the Leaves of:Erythrophleum guineense and Uvaria chamae against Caryedon serratus Ol.(Coleoptera,Bruchidae),an Insect Pest of Groundnut Grains in the Republic of Guinea

The aim of this study is to evaluate the insecticidal potential of aqueous extracts of the leaves of Erythrophleum guineense and Uvaria chamae on Caryedon serratus Ol.(Coleoptera,Bruchidae),an insect pest of groundnut grains in the Republic of Guinea.To do this,tests on their insecticidal efficacy were carried out separately on groups of 8 bruchids using concentrations of aqueous extracts from their leaves in jars each containing 20 g of groundnut.The mortality of the bruchids and the impact of their aqueous extracts were observed and recorded for 96 h and 120 days after infestation,followed by a test of the germinative power of the seeds.Concentrations(C1)of aqueous extracts of the leaves of Erythrophleum guineense and Uvaria chamae applied to 20 g of groundnut resulted in bruchid mortality of 86.99%and 78.82%of each plant respectively.At the same doses,the treated seeds were not attacked during 4 months’storage.The germination rate of groundnut seeds at the start and end of the experiment was 97.65%and 93.60%respectively.Thus,aqueous extracts of the leaves of Erythrophleum guineense and Uvaria chamae can be considered as an alternative bio-insecticide against pests in groundnut storage shops.

Seed Germination and Effects of Three Watering Regimes on the Growth of <i>Dialium guineense</i>(Wild) Seedlings

The effectiveness of three pre-germination treatments in breaking dormancy of the seeds of Dialum guineense and effects of three watering regimes on the growth performance of the seedlings were investigated. The pre-germination treatments were: soaking in hot water for 10 seconds and cooling down in cold water (T1), soaking in cold water for 24 hours (T2), soaking in running water for 48 hours (T3) and control (T4), while watering regimes include: watering once daily in the morning (W1), watering once every two days in the morning (W2) and watering once every three days in the morning (W3). The results showed that germination occurred first at 5 days after sowing (5 DAS) among the seeds soaked in cold water for 24 hours before sowing (T2), while the untreated seeds (control) took the longest period of 12 days before germination occurred. T1 had the highest germination value of 49.6% while T3 had the least of 31.2%. The effects of watering regimes were found to be significantly different on stem-collar diameter, leaf area and total dry weight (P < 0.05). The least significant difference (LSD) test showed that W2 and W3 supported the best growth performance. It is concluded from the results that T2 should be adopted for breaking the dormancy of Dialium guineense seeds and watering interval of three days would not dispose the seedlings to water-stress.

Evaluation of <i>Piper guineense</i>in the Control of Cowpea Storage Weevils: Implication for Sustainable Credit Advancement

The Central Bank of Nigeria Anchored Borrowers Programme efforts geared towards massive production of cowpea and sustainable food security is challenged with post-harvest losses especially due to insect pest infestation in storage. So also, chemical method of pest control posed more health and ecological challenges than food insecurity. This work investigated the effect of Piper guineense on cowpea storage weevil at the agronomy laboratory of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu. Contact toxicity of P. guineense at 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1 g per 20 g of cowpea seeds in test tubes including a control was observed. The treatment materials exhibited significant efficacy from 24 hours after infestation. P. guineense at 1 g concentration significantly reduced the oviposition potential, egg hatching rate, holes and emergence of adult Callosobruchus maculatus on treated seeds. The powders caused chronic toxicity and inhibit development. All the responses were found to be concentration dependent. Increasing rates of P. guineense increased performance. The implication of these results is discussed and recommendations proffered.

Cellular antioxidant and viability efficacy of Harpephyllum caffrum peel and Syzygium guineense seed extracts

Crude phenolic extracts of indigenous sub-Saharan fruit byproducts have potent antioxidant activity.Purification of these extracts and evaluation of their antioxidant activity and viability using appropriate biological models,has,however,not yet been completed.The current study quantitatively evaluated the phenolic composition and in vitro antioxidant activity of crude and purified extracts(PE)of Harpephyllum caffrum peel(HCP)and Syzygium guineense seed(SGS),and cellular antioxidant and viability efficacy of the PE.Phenols were extracted by 60%ethanol(v/v)solvent system and purified using XAD7HP macroporous adsorption resin.The UPLC/Q-TOF-MS was used for the characterization and identification of phenols.Cellular antioxidant activity(CAA)assay was applied to assess the antioxidant efficacy and cytotoxicity of the PE.Analysis of variance of data was done using a generalized linear mixed model with fruit type,extract purity and their interaction as fixed effects.Purification increased(P≤0.05)HCP total phenolic concentration(TPC)by over 200%,while SGS TPC decreased(P≤0.05)by 20%.Regardless of fruit type,PE had higher(P≤0.05)quantities of proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins than crude extracts.The HCP-PE had greater(P≤0.05)in vitro antioxidant activity than the other extracts(P≤0.05).Cellular antioxidant activity of HCP-PE was comparable to that of sodium metabisulphite(P>0.05).Also,HCP-PE had lower(P≤0.05)cytotoxic effects than SGS and sodium metabisulphite with increasing antioxidant concentration.It was concluded that HCP-PE is a potential source of safe natural antioxidants for nutraceutical applications.

Larvicidal activities of hydro-ethanolic extracts of three Cameroonian medicinal plants against Aedes albopictus

Objective: To investigate the larvicidal activity of Syzygium guineense(Myrtaceae)(S. guineense), Monodora myristica and Zanthoxylum heitzii(Rutaceae)(Z. heitzii) extracts against Aedes albopictus(Ae. albopictus).Methods: The larvicidal activity of the hydro-ethanolic extracts from these plant species was assessed at three different concentrations(50, 100 and 200 mg/L) on first-instar of Ae. albopictus larvae in comparison with untreated controls. Mortality rate was recorded daily for a period of 12 days. The values of LC_(50) and lethal time killing 50% of the tested individuals(LT_(50)) were calculated using the log-probit analysis.Results: The root extract of S. guineense exhibited the best activity with 100% mortality after 8 days of treatment at 200 mg/L, followed by the fruit extract of Z. heitzii with83.33% mortality at the same concentration. Nonetheless, larvae were most susceptible to the fruit extract of Z. heitzii both in terms of LC_(50)(39.89 mg/L) and LT_(50)(145.68 h). A statistically significant difference between the control and the group treated at 200 mg/L was noticed in all the extracts.Conclusions: The present study shows that the hydro-ethanolic extracts of S. guineense,Monodora myristica and Z. heitzii tested have significant larvicidal activity. These preliminary results are of great interest and some of these plant species can be proposed for the formulation of new bioinsecticides to control Ae. albopictus populations.

Comparison of Antioxidant Activities of Silver Nanoparticles and Methanol Extracts of Three Indigenous Nigeria Herbal Seeds

The antioxidant of seeds was carried out using extracts from methanol and Silver Nanoparticles from the spice. The SEM shows the shapes, dispersion and agglomeration of the sample, while the EDX confirms the SEM and the presence of some compounds. The FT-IR reveals the AgNPs capping and reducing the particular biomolecule from the functional group for identification. Compounds found in the FT-IR seeds of Capsicum annum are Ag L (Silver iodide), C K (Cyanogen chloride), P K (Phenol). Monodora myristica are Mo L (Molybdenum), Ag L (Silver iodide), C K (Cyanogen chloride), P K (Phenol), Mg K (Magnesium). Piper guineense are Ag L (Silver iodide), Ci K (Potassium chloride), C K (Cyanogen chloride), P K (Phenol). The seeds show that the AgNPS of CA and MM has a better antioxidant activity than the methanol of CA and MM, while the PG methanol has a better activity than the AgNPS PG. The control (Catechin and Galic acid) has a slight overall better DPPH activity than the AgNPS. It is important to note that there is a concentration dependency in CA, MM AgNPS, PG methanol respectively. Notably, at CA methanol, the conc. at 125 was higher than the conc. at 250. Hence, there is need to create a great part in using plant samples for making tabulated or capsulated drugs for treatment of diseases and using plant silver nanoparticles to develop a healthy food/drug preservative package material “smart packaging” that will enhance shelf-life.

The role of spices in nutrition and health:a review of three popular spices used in Southern Nigeria

OBJECTIVES:Spices are increasingly finding other useful roles in healthcare aside their primary use as organoleptic enhancers in culinary.Several herbs and spices are currently being investigated for their potential health benefits,hence the explosion in scientific literature in the fields of nutraceuticals and functional foods.The rise in interest on medicinal properties of herbs and spices is consequent on the failing efficacy and toxicity associated with conventional drugs and their inaccessibility to poor rural dwellers.This work reviews three piquant spices;Piper guineense,Afromomum melegueta,and Tetrapleura tetrapetra common in the culinary of the Southern part of Nigeria,and it aims at concisely highlighting the researches that have been done on the nutritional quality,phytochemistry,and medicinal properties of these spices.MATERIALS AND METHOD:A large body of peer-reviewed articles,most of them indexed in PubMed,were consulted for the purpose of the present review.CONCLUSION:The overarching conclusion from the reviewed publications is the validation of most of the ethnomedical uses of these spices.The authors hope that this concise presentation on these spices will guide subsequent research in this field.