Federal University of Agriculture

The body encloses a complex antioxidant defence grid that relies on endogenous enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. These molecules collectively act against free radicals to resist their damaging effects to vital biomolecules and ultimately body tissues. Based on their response to general free radical invasion, they can be categorized into first, second, third and even fourth line defense antioxidants. The role and effectiveness of the first line defense antioxidants which basically include superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) is important and indispensable in the entire defense strategy of antioxidants, especially in reference to super oxide anion radical (*O2) which is perpetually generated in normal body metabolism, particularly through the mitochondrial energy production pathway (MEPP). A lot has been published concerning antioxidants and their significance in preventing oxidative stress and the attendant cellular damage, howbeit with paucity of awareness on the fundamental role of SOD, CAT and GPX. The present review tends to articulate important information on SOD, CAT and GPX as first line defense antioxidant enzymes.

Ruminant livestock are important sources of human food and global greenhouse gas emissions. Feed degradation and methane formation by ruminants rely on metabolic interactions between rumen microbes and affect ruminant productivity. Rumen and camelid foregut microbial community composition was determined in 742 samples from 32 animal species and 35 countries, to estimate if this was influenced by diet, host species, or geography. Similar bacteria and archaea dominated in nearly all samples, while protozoal communities were more variable. The dominant bacteria are poorly characterised, but the methanogenic archaea are better known and highly conserved across the world. This universality and limited diversity could make it possible to mitigate methane emissions by developing strategies that target the few dominant methanogens. Differences in microbial community compositions were predominantly attributable to diet, with the host being less influential. There were few strong co-occurrence patterns between microbes, suggesting that major metabolic interactions are non-selective rather than specific.

There is an urgent need to match food production with increasing world population through identification of sustainable land management strategies. However, the struggle to achieve food security should be carried out keeping in mind the soil where the crops are grown and the environment in which the living things survive. Conservation agriculture (CA), practising agriculture in such a way so as to cause minimum damage to the environment, is being advocated at a large scale world-wide. Conservation tillage, the most important aspect of CA, is thought to take care of the soil health, plant growth and the environment. This paper aims to review the work done on conservation tillage in different agro-ecological regions so as to understand its impact from the perspectives of the soil, the crop and the environment. Research reports have identified several benefits of conservation tillage over conventional tillage (CT) with respect to soil physical, chemical and biological properties as well as crop yields. Not less than 25% of the greenhouse gas effluxes to the atmosphere are attributed to agriculture. Processes of climate change mitigation and adaptation found zero tillage (ZT) to be the most environmental friendly among different tillage techniques. Therefore, conservation tillage involving ZT and minimum tillage which has potential to break the surface compact zone in soil with reduced soil disturbance offers to lead to a better soil environment and crop yield with minimal impact on the environment. Keywords: Atmosphere, Greenhouse gases, Conservation tillage, Sustainable crop yield

Coccidiosis, caused by Eimeria species parasites, has long been recognised as an economically significant disease of chickens. As the global chicken population continues to grow, and its contribution to food security intensifies, it is increasingly important to assess the impact of diseases that compromise chicken productivity and welfare. In 1999, Williams published one of the most comprehensive estimates for the cost of coccidiosis in chickens, featuring a compartmentalised model for the costs of prophylaxis, treatment and losses, indicating a total cost in excess of £38 million in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1995. In the 25 years since this analysis the global chicken population has doubled and systems of chicken meat and egg production have advanced through improved nutrition, husbandry and selective breeding of chickens, and wider use of anticoccidial vaccines. Using data from industry representatives including veterinarians, farmers, production and health experts, we have updated the Williams model and estimate that coccidiosis in chickens cost the UK £99.2 million in 2016 (range £73.0-£125.5 million). Applying the model to data from Brazil, Egypt, Guatemala, India, New Zealand, Nigeria and the United States resulted in estimates that, when extrapolated by geographical region, indicate a global cost of ~ £10.4 billion at 2016 prices (£7.7-£13.0 billion), equivalent to £0.16/chicken produced. Understanding the economic costs of livestock diseases can be advantageous, providing baselines to evaluate the impact of different husbandry systems and interventions. The updated cost of coccidiosis in chickens will inform debates on the value of chemoprophylaxis and development of novel anticoccidial vaccines.

Image edge detection is a process of locating the edge of an image which is important in finding the approximate absolute gradient magnitude at each point I of an input grayscale image. The problem of getting an appropriate absolute gradient magnitude for edges lies in the method used. The Sobel operator performs a 2-D spatial gradient measurement on images. Transferring a 2-D pixel array into statistically uncorrelated data set enhances the removal of redundant data, as a result, reduction of the amount of data is required to represent a digital image. The Sobel edge detector uses a pair of 3 x 3 convolution masks, one estimating gradient in the x-direction and the other estimating gradient in y-direction. The Sobel detector is incredibly sensitive to noise in pictures, it effectively highlight them as edges. Hence, Sobel operator is recommended in massive data communication found in data transfer.

This study investigated the effect of economic growth on CO 2 emission using the dynamic panel threshold framework. The analysis is based on data from a panel of 31 developing countries. The results indicate that economic growth has negative effect on CO 2 emission in the low growth regime but positive effect in the high growth regime with the marginal effect being higher in the high growth regime. Thus our finding provides no support for the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis; rather a U-shaped relationship is established. Energy consumption and population were also found to exert positive and significant effect on CO 2 emission. Including financial development indicator in the model did not change the conclusion about EKC hypothesis. Employing panel causality methods, there is evidence of significant causal relationship between CO 2 emission, economic growth, energy consumption and financial development. The findings emphasize the need for transformation of low carbon technologies aimed at reducing emissions and sustainable economic growth. This may include energy efficiency and switch away from nonrenewable energy to renewable energy.

We report above-ground biomass (AGB), basal area, stem density and wood mass density estimates from 260 sample plots (mean size: 1.2 ha) in intact closed-canopy tropical forests across 12 African countries. Mean AGB is 395.7 Mg dry mass ha⁻¹ (95% CI: 14.3), substantially higher than Amazonian values, with the Congo Basin and contiguous forest region attaining AGB values (429 Mg ha⁻¹) similar to those of Bornean forests, and significantly greater than East or West African forests. AGB therefore appears generally higher in palaeo- compared with neotropical forests. However, mean stem density is low (426 ± 11 stems ha⁻¹ greater than or equal to 100 mm diameter) compared with both Amazonian and Bornean forests (cf. approx. 600) and is the signature structural feature of African tropical forests. While spatial autocorrelation complicates analyses, AGB shows a positive relationship with rainfall in the driest nine months of the year, and an opposite association with the wettest three months of the year; a negative relationship with temperature; positive relationship with clay-rich soils; and negative relationships with C : N ratio (suggesting a positive soil phosphorus-AGB relationship), and soil fertility computed as the sum of base cations. The results indicate that AGB is mediated by both climate and soils, and suggest that the AGB of African closed-canopy tropical forests may be particularly sensitive to future precipitation and temperature changes.

Increasing human activities worldwide have significantly altered the natural ecosystems and consequently, the services they provide. This is no exception in Nigeria, where land-use/land-cover has undergone a series of dramatic changes over the years mainly due to the ever-growing large population. However, estimating the impact of such changes on a wide range of ecosystem services is seldom attempted. Thus, on the basis of GlobeLand30 land-cover maps for 2000 and 2010 and using the value transfer methodology, we evaluated changes in the value of ecosystem services in response to land-use/land-cover dynamics in Nigeria. The results showed that over the 10-year period, cultivated land sprawl over the forests and savannahs was predominant, and occurred mainly in the northern region of the country. During this period, we calculated an increase in the total ecosystem services value (ESV) in Nigeria from 665.93 billion (2007 US$) in 2000 to 667.44 billion (2007 US$) in 2010, 97.38% of which was contributed by cultivated land. The value of provisioning services increased while regulation, support, recreation and culture services decreased, amongst which, water regulation (-11.01%), gas regulation (-7.13%), cultural (-4.84%) and climate regulation (-4.3%) ecosystem functions are estimated as the most impacted. The increase in the total ESV in Nigeria associated with the huge increase in ecosystem services due to cultivated land expansion may make land-use changes (i.e. the ever-increasing agricultural expansion in Nigeria) appear economically profitable. However, continuous loss of services such as climate and water regulation that are largely provided by the natural ecosystems can result in huge economic losses that may exceed the apparent gains from cultivated land development. Therefore, we advocate that the conservation of the natural ecosystem should be a priority in future land-use management in Nigeria, a country highly vulnerable to climate change and incessantly impacted by natural disasters such as flooding.

The synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles with the use of plant extract is a promising alternative to the conventional chemical method. This work aimed to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using plant extract of chamomile flower (Matricaria chamomilla L.), olive leave (Olea europaea) and red tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum M.). The synthesized ZnONPs were characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with EDS profile. The XRD studies confirmed the presence of pure crystalline shapes of ZnO nanoparticles. The ZnONPs synthesized by Olea europaea had the least size range of 40.5 to 124.0 nm as revealed by the SEM observation while XRD revealed a dominant average size of 48.2 nm in the sample which is similar to the size distribution analysis obtained from TEM. The antibacterial effect of ZnONPs synthesized by Olea europaea on Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) strain GZ 0003 had an inhibition zone of 2.2 cm at 16.0 µg/ml which was significantly different from ZnONPs synthesized by Matricaria chamomilla and Lycopersicon esculentum. Also, the bacterial growth, biofilm formation, swimming motility and bacterial cell membrane of Xoo strain GZ 0003 were significantly affected by ZnO nanoparticle. Overall, zinc oxide nanoparticles are promising biocontrol agents that can be used to combat bacterial leaf blight diseases of rice.

toxins, tremorgenic mycotoxins, fusarins, 3-nitropropionic acid, cyclochlorotine, sporidesmin, etc. These mycotoxins can pose several health risks to both animals and humans, including death. As several mycotoxins simultaneously occur in nature, especially in foods and feeds, the detoxification and/or total removal of mycotoxins remains challenging. Moreover, given that the volume of scientific literature regarding mycotoxins is steadily on the rise, there is need for continuous synthesis of the body of knowledge. To supplement existing information, knowledge of mycotoxins affecting animals, foods, humans, and plants, with more focus on types, toxicity, and prevention measures, including strategies employed in detoxification and removal, were revisited in this work. Our synthesis revealed that mycotoxin decontamination, control, and detoxification strategies cut across pre-and post-harvest preventive measures. In particular, pre-harvest measures can include good agricultural practices, fertilization/irrigation, crop rotation, using resistant varieties of crops, avoiding insect damage, early harvesting, maintaining adequate humidity, and removing debris from the preceding harvests. On the other hand, post-harvest measures can include processing, chemical, biological, and physical measures. Additionally, chemical-based methods and other emerging strategies for mycotoxin detoxification can involve the usage of chitosan, ozone, nanoparticles, and plant extracts.

Glycemic homeostasis refers to glucose balance or control within circulation in living organisms. It is normally and largely compromised in diabetes. The compromise when exacerbated, leads to several complications including retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy which are collectively known as diabetic complications and are the principal actors in co-morbidity and eventual mortality often associated with diabetes. The ability of therapeutic compounds including medicinal plants to restore glycemic balance or homeostasis in hyperglycemic condition is an index of their antidiabetic function and relevance. Alloxan and streptozotocin are the most popular diabetogenic agents used for assessing the antidiabetic or hypoglycemic capacity of test compounds. Notably, alloxan is far less expensive and more readily available than streptozotocin. On this ground, one will logically expect a preference for use of alloxan in experimental diabetes studies. Surprisingly, a sub meta-analysis of randomly selected studies conducted within the last one and half decade revealed otherwise. This observation necessitated the review of alloxan as a diabetogenic agent in animal studies.

Rice–wheat cropping system (RWCS) of the South Asia is labour-, water-, capital- and energy-intensive, and become less profitable as the availability of these resources diminished. This could be further aggravated with deterioration of soil structure, declining underground water and lesser land and water productivity which ultimately are threat in front of sustainable and profitable RWCS in the region. For improving the profits, production and sustainability of this sequence - a paradigm shift is required. Scientists recommended different resource-conserving technologies (RCTs) viz. zero tillage, laser levelling, irrigation based on soil matric potential, bed planting, direct seeding, mechanical transplanting of rice and crop diversification for this purpose. These technologies are site specific and before selecting any particular RCT for a particular region, soil texture and agro-climatic conditions must be considered. A solitary approach/RCT might not be effective to solve the upcoming issue of producing more food grains with inadequate available water and land. Therefore, an integrated approach is required. But before implementing any approach, different issues relating to RWCS must be discovered, considered and addressed in a holistic manner. In this review, an attempt was made to highlight different issues resulted from the practise of intensive rice–wheat cropping sequence of the region, which must be considered while framing and implementing any integrated approach/project such as conservation agriculture for improving the productions, profits and sustainability of RWCS in the region.

In most rural settlements in Nigeria, access to clean and potable water is a great challenge, resulting in water borne diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of some physical, chemical, biochemical and microbial water quality parameters in twelve hand - dug wells in a typical rural area (Igbora) of southwest region of the country. Seasonal variations and proximity to pollution sources (municipal waste dumps and defecation sites) were also examined. Parameters were determined using standard procedures. All parameters were detected up to 200 m from pollution source and most of them increased in concentration during the rainy season over the dry periods, pointing to infiltrations from storm water. Coliform population, Pb, NO3- and Cd in most cases, exceeded the World Health Organization recommended thresholds for potable water. Effect of distance from pollution sources was more pronounced on fecal and total coliform counts, which decreased with increasing distance from waste dumps. The qualities of the well water samples were therefore not suitable for human consumption without adequate treatment. Regular monitoring of groundwater quality, abolishment of unhealthy waste disposal practices and introduction of modern techniques are recommended.

Glycerol monostearate (GMS) and monoglyceride phosphate (MGP) were added to fufu flour at different levels (0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%) in hydrated and powdered form. There were evaluated the effects of those additives on physicochemical and sensory properties of dried fufu. Addition of GMS and MGP had a significant effect on the swelling power, solubility, pasting properties and sensory quality of fufu flour. Results obtained were: Dispersibility (69%-70.33%), water absorption index (WAI, 47.7%-54.4%), least gelation concentration (LGC, 4.67%-6.67%) and water absorption capacity (WAC, 119.3%-136%) for the fufu flour treated with GMS and MGP. Solubility of the samples mixed with the powdered form of the modifier ranged between 23.2% and 31.7%, while that of the samples mixed with the hydrated form of GMS and MGP ranged between 5.3% and 12.7%. The pasting time varied between 8.25min and 18.50min, fufu flour mixed with 1.5% GMS powder had the lowest value while that mixed with 1.0% MGP powder and 0.5% hydrated MGP recording the highest value. Pasting temperature ranged from 67.00°C to 72.00°C, with flour mixed with 1.0% hydrated GMS and 0.5% GMS powder having the lowest and highest value, respectively. The highest value of peak viscosity (762.50BU) was recorded by fufu flour containing 1.0% hydrated GMS. The lowest value of starch stability (255.50BU) was recorded by fufu flour without modifier while the highest value (499.00BU) was recorded by fufu flour containing 0.5% GMS powder. There were significant differences ( p 0.05) in the sensory qualities except for colour of fufu flour samples. The overall quality index (OQI) comprised between 5.24 and 6.01, fufu sample containing 0.5% hydrated GMS had the lowest OQI and that containing 1.0% hydrated MGP the highest OQI. Addition of 0.5% texture modifier to dried fufu may be economically feasible according to the estimated cost of production.

Mycotoxins are well established toxic metabolic entities produced when fungi invade agricultural/farm produce, and this happens especially when the conditions are favourable. Exposure to mycotoxins can directly take place via the consumption of infected foods and feeds; humans can also be indirectly exposed from consuming animals fed with infected feeds. Among the hundreds of mycotoxins known to humans, around a handful have drawn the most concern because of their occurrence in food and severe effects on human health. The increasing public health importance of mycotoxins across human and livestock environments mandates the continued review of the relevant literature, especially with regard to understanding their toxicological mechanisms. In particular, our analysis of recently conducted reviews showed that the toxicological mechanisms of mycotoxins deserve additional attention to help provide enhanced understanding regarding this subject matter. For this reason, this current work reviewed the mycotoxins' toxicological mechanisms involving humans, livestock, and their associated health concerns. In particular, we have deepened our understanding about how the mycotoxins' toxicological mechanisms impact on the human cellular genome. Along with the significance of mycotoxin toxicities and their toxicological mechanisms, there are associated health concerns arising from exposures to these toxins, including DNA damage, kidney damage, DNA/RNA mutations, growth impairment in children, gene modifications, and immune impairment. More needs to be done to enhance the understanding regards the mechanisms underscoring the environmental implications of mycotoxins, which can be actualized via risk assessment studies into the conditions/factors facilitating mycotoxins' toxicities.

BACKGROUND: Over the past 20 years, schistosomiasis control has been scaled up. Preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel is the main intervention. We aimed to assess the effect of preventive chemotherapy on schistosomiasis prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa, comparing 2000-10 with 2011-14 and 2015-19. METHODS: In this spatiotemporal modelling study, we analysed survey data from school-aged children (aged 5-14 years) in 44 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. The data were extracted from the Global Neglected Tropical Diseases database and augmented by 2018 and 2019 survey data obtained from disease control programmes. Bayesian geostatistical models were fitted to Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni survey data. The models included data on climatic predictors obtained from satellites and other open-source environmental databases and socioeconomic predictors obtained from various household surveys. Temporal changes in Schistosoma species prevalence were estimated by a categorical variable with values corresponding to the three time periods (2000-10, 2011-14, and 2015-19) during which preventive chemotherapy interventions were scaled up. FINDINGS: We identified 781 references with relevant geolocated schistosomiasis survey data for 2000-19. There were 19 166 unique survey locations for S haematobium and 23 861 for S mansoni, of which 77% (14 757 locations for S haematobium and 18 372 locations for S mansoni) corresponded to 2011-19. Schistosomiasis prevalence among school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa decreased from 23·0% (95% Bayesian credible interval 22·1-24·1) in 2000-10 to 9·6% (9·1-10·2) in 2015-19, an overall reduction of 58·3%. The reduction of S haematobium was 67·9% (64·6-71·1) and that of S mansoni 53·6% (45·2-58·3) when comparing 2000-10 with 2015-19. INTERPRETATION: Our model-based estimates suggest that schistosomiasis prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa has decreased considerably, most likely explained by the scale-up of preventive chemotherapy. There is a need to consolidate gains in the control of schistosomiasis by means of preventive chemotherapy, coupled with other interventions to interrupt disease transmission. FUNDING: European Research Council and WHO.

In this study, the antimicrobial and scaffold of zinc-substituted hydroxyapatite, (Zn-HAp) synthesized via chemical co-precipitation technique was investigated. The structure of the synthesized Zn-HAp was investigated with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy dispersive X-spectroscopy (EDAX), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Bioactivity study was performed in simulated body fluid (SBF), while the antimicrobial activity was studied using disc diffusion method. The XRD structure revealed that Zn ion incorporation up to 10% led to the second phase hydroxyapatite (HAp) formation, while higher concentration diminished the apatite structure. The presence of phosphate ions, carbonates ions, and hydroxyl groups in the apatite powder was ascertained by the FT-IR evaluation. SEM evaluation showed that the apatite contains fine particles with nearly round shape with interconnected pores and decreasing Ca/P ratio with increasing Zn ion concentration. TEM results showed particulate polycrystalline apatite with crystallite size ranging from 68 nm in pure HAp to 41 nm in 20% Zn-doped HAp indicating a decrease in the crystal size with increasing Zn ion in the samples. The bioactivity study showed spherical deposition around the porous region of the scaffold HAp suggesting the growth of apatite in SBF media after 7 days of incubation, while antibacterial activity studies showed zones of inhibition with an increase in zinc ions concentrations.

Oxidative stress (OS) is a major concern that impacts the overall health of chickens in modern production systems. It is characterized by an imbalance between antioxidant defence mechanisms and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This literature review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of oxidative stress in poultry production, with an emphasis on its effects on growth performance, immune responses, and reproductive outcomes. This review highlights the intricate mechanisms underlying OS and discusses how various factors, including dietary components, genetic predispositions, and environmental stressors can exacerbate the production of ROS. Additionally, the impact of oxidative stress on the production performance and physiological systems of poultry is examined. The study also emphasizes the relationship between oxidative stress and poultry diseases, highlighting how impaired antioxidant defenses increase bird's susceptibility to infections. The review assesses the existing approaches to reducing oxidative stress in chickens in response to these challenges. This includes managing techniques to lower stress in the production environment, antioxidant supplements, and nutritional interventions. The effectiveness of naturally occurring antioxidants, including plant extracts, minerals, and vitamins to improve poultry resistance to oxidative damage is also examined. To improve the antioxidant defenses of poultry under stress conditions, the activation of cellular homeostatic networks termed vitagenes, such as Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (Nrf2) is necessary for the synthesis of protective factors that can counteract the increased production of ROS and RNS. Future studies into novel strategies for managing oxidative stress in chicken production would build on these research advances and the knowledge gaps identified in this review.

This study aimed to review fungal mycotoxins in foods, their roles and significance in human nutrition and health. This paper provided comprehensive information on the mycological quality and mycotoxin safety of foods. The review showed that moulds are multicellular fungi that form thin thread like structures called hyphae. They are widely distributed and found wherever moisture is present with adequate nutrients that can sustain their growth. Fungi are major spoilage of foods and feedstuffs. The proliferation of various fungi in agricultural products leads to reduction in yield and quality with significant economic losses. Fungi produce secondary metabolites which are referred to as mycotoxins which have been found to be present in most food substances. The mycotoxins are low weight metabolites which cause harm known as mycotoxicoses, in livestock, domestic animals and humans and therefore of public health significance. The production of mycotoxins is stimulated by certain environmental factors: Therefore the extent of contamination will differ with geographic location, agricultural methods and the susceptibility of commodities to the penetration of fungi during storage and processing periods. Fungi that produce toxins in food are therefore classified into field fungi and storage fungi based on their ecological requirements for growth. Mycotoxins have been reported in several food products such as cereals, legumes, processed flour, and smoked-dried fish and in dried meats.

Abstract This study investigated some quality attributes of unripe cooking banana ( UBF ), pigeon pea ( PPF ), and sweetpotato ( SPF ) flour blends. Simplex centroid mixture design was used to obtain 17 blends from the flours. The nutrient composition, color, and functional properties of the blends were evaluated using standard methods. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and treatment means were compared using Duncan's multiple range test at 5% probability level. There were significant ( p < .05) differences in the nutrient composition, and functional and pasting properties of the blends. The crude protein, crude fiber, ash, foaming capacity, emulsion capacity, and least gelation capacity of the blends increased as the PPF level increased. The blends had Na/K ratio of <1.0. The dispersibility, bulk density, water, and oil absorption capacities of the blends increased as SPF and UBF increased. The peak, setback, and final viscosities increased as UBF and SPF inclusion increased,whereas pasting temperature and time increased as the PPF level increased. The L*, a*, and b* values of the flour blends which were significantly ( p < .05) different ranged from 79.58 to 102.71, −0.15 to 2.79, and 13.82 to 23.69, respectively. Cooking banana‐pigeon pea‐sweetpotato flour blends are desirable for alleviating malnutrition in Nigeria and developing new food formulations.