Authors:C. A. Dada , S. Arowosegbe Pages: 1 - 7 Abstract: Tetrapleura tetraptera and Annona muricata are medicinal plant species with a great medicinal values. Despite their usefulness, preservation of their seed from harvest time to the time when they are required for planting has not been given adequate attention. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of storage conditions and duration of storage on seed germination of T. tetraptera and Annona muricata. Fifty (50) seeds each of Tetrapleura tetraptera and Annona muricata were planted in top soil to determine their germination percentages before subjected to storage conditions, while Tetrapleura tetraptera has 94% germination, Annona muricata has 72% germination. Four storage conditions viz: cold room, refrigerator, room air conditioned and laboratory were used and the experiment was carried out in Ekiti State University, Ado – Ekiti. Seeds stored at different temperatures were collected and planted in polythene nylons filled with top-soil and watered daily, the experiments were replicated four times to test for the germinability on monthly basis for six months. In Tetrapleura tetraptera, highest percentage germination (50%) was recorded in seeds stored in the air conditioned room at 1 month. This was followed by seeds store in the refrigerator with 47% at 2 month. Seeds stored in the room air conditioned had percentage germination of 39% at 2 months, 30.50% at 3 months and 10.70% at 4 month of the experiment. No further germination in seeds under this treatment was observed at the last two months of the experiment. While seeds stored in refrigerator recorded 5.20% at 1 months of the experiment. Seeds stored in cold room and those in laboratory recorded no emergence throughout the period of the experiment. Also in Annona muricata, Highest percentage germination (58.00%) was observed in seeds stored in the room air conditioned at 1 month of the experiment, this was followed by the seeds in this same temperature at two month of the experiment with mean plumule emergence value of 39.00%, seeds under this temperature (air condition) did not respond to germination at 5th and 6th months of the experiment. Seeds of Annona muricata stored in the cold room responded to germination with unappreciable value of 2.05% only at third month of the experiment. Only 1.6% of the seeds stored in the laboratory emerged at 5th month of experimental time, seeds stored in the refrigerator did not respond for the first two months, last fifth and sixth month of the experiment but had 15.53% and 35.00% plumule emergence at third and fourth month of the experiment respectively. Thus, storage of seeds of T. tetraptera and A. muricata in air conditioned room with temperature of -200C might enhance germination in these species. PubDate: 2024-05-29 DOI: 10.9734/aprj/2024/v12i4256 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 4 (2024)
Authors:Atta ul Rehman, Muhammad Ali Hassaan, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Taimoor Aslam, Jawad Ahmed, Zain ul Abideen Pages: 8 - 12 Abstract: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major crop grown in about all part of the world. In Pakistan wheat is one of the major cash crop. In Pakistan Punjab province is the major producer of high quality wheat crop. Wheat are attacked by many different pathogen including Bacterial , Viral and fungal pathogens and they cause a great losses in yield and quality of wheat . Specially the Brown rust which caused by Puccinia triticina is one of the major disease attacking wheat crop in open field. The aim and objective of this study is to determined the efficacy of different fungicide which are mostly used in Pakistan and study which fungicide is most efficient against brown rust of wheat. This experiment was conducted at Plant Pathology Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faislabad, Pakistan . Experiment was laid out in RCBD in 3Replication . And the wheat variety which is used for this study is Akbar-19. Which is the most popular and widely growing variety in Punjab Pakistan . The commonly available and widely used Fungicide I.e Tilt, Amistar top, Belanty, Epic are used in this experiment to check which one is more efficient. Tilt fungicide shows great result against brown rust. PubDate: 2024-05-31 DOI: 10.9734/aprj/2024/v12i4257 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 4 (2024)
Authors:Ayeni M. Janet, Oyeyemi S. Dele, Olaleye T. Favour, Adeleke B. Gladys Pages: 13 - 26 Abstract: The study investigated the nutritional, mineral Anti-nutritional factors, molar ratios and antioxidants compositions in the leaves of four selected wild edible vegetables (Piper guinensis, Piper umbelatum, Celosia argentia and Jatropha tajorensis) collected in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The proximate, minerals and anti-nutrient compositions of the samples were determined using standard procedures. Also antioxidant activity of the samples were detected using standard assays such as 1, 1, diphenyl-2-2 picrylhydrazyl (DDPH) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Potential (FRAP).The mineral ratio, molar ratio and Mineral Safety Index were calculated from mineral results. The results of the proximate compositions for the four wild vegetables for moisture content, ash, crude fat, crude fiber, crude protein and carbohydrate ranged from 11.16 - 12.15%, 2.76-4.03%, 4.07 -7.31%, 13.33-16.73%, 7.36 – 10.09%, and 52.09 -58.22% respectively,. The results of the mineral composition revealed high content of K, moderate content of Ca, P, and low contents of Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu and very low concentrations of Pb and Ni. Cd was absent in all the samples investigated. Zn/Cu and Fe/Cu ratios indicated low copper load. Antinutrients factors in the vegetable were low with the exception of phytate which can be reduced to non-toxic level through boiling or cooking. The calculated mole ratio for [Phy][Zn], [Ca]/[Phy], [Phy]/[Fe] and [Ca][Phy]/[Zn] conformed with the standard values. The results of the antioxidant properties showed that the wild vegetables are good natural antioxidant sources. The assessment of the vegetables showed that they are rich sources of crude protein, crude fiber and carbohydrate with high energy calories. The mineral ratios and mineral safety index suggested that the minerals could not pose any mineral load to human body. Hence, the vegetables could be explored as supplement diet for man. The vegetables could provide the needed nutrition health benefit and also help in addressing the problem of food security in Nigeria. PubDate: 2024-06-10 DOI: 10.9734/aprj/2024/v12i4258 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 4 (2024)
Authors:RMHKK Rajapaksha, EMN Fernando, AWMKK Bandara, NRM Nelumdeniya, ARN Silva Pages: 27 - 34 Abstract: Aims: Over the past two decades, the rise of multidrug resistance (MDR) in bacteria has posed a significant threat to global health. The urgent need for new treatment alternatives has brought attention to the potential of plants, which harbor a wealth of unexplored phytochemicals with therapeutic properties. This study aims to evaluate the anti-bacterial efficacy of methanol and aqueous extracts from the leaves and bark of Horsfieldia iryaghedhi In vitro. Methodology: Aqueous and methanol extracts were obtained from the cold maceration method. In vitro anti-bacterial activity of methanol and aqueous leaf, bark, and combination extracts were determined against gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (ATCC® 25922) and gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC® 25923). The anti-bacterial assay for different concentrations of each extract was conducted through the well-diffusion method, with Gentamycin serving as the positive control. Results: Methanol leaf and combination extracts of Horsfieldia iryaghedhi have shown a positive anti-bacterial response at their highest concentrations of 1000µg/mL and 500µg/mL against gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus while none of the extracts showed anti-bacterial activity against gram-negative E. coli at the experimented concentrations. Conclusion: The study concludes that methanol extracts of H.iryaghedhi should be further analyzed for their anti-bacterial activity, and there could be potential lead molecules that can be developed as antibiotics. PubDate: 2024-06-12 DOI: 10.9734/aprj/2024/v12i4259 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 4 (2024)
Authors:Nsofor Benedicta Chineze , Nwankwo Valerie Ezinne , Obidiegwu Onyeka Chinwuba , Eze Peter Maduabuchi , Abba Chika Christiana Pages: 35 - 47 Abstract: Choosing the right solvent in herbal preparation is very important for extracting bioactive compounds from medicinal plant, as it greatly affects the yield and quality of phytochemicals obtained. This study aimed to investigate the proximate composition, phytochemical analysis and HPLC profiling of various solvents extracts of Anthocleista djalonensis leaves, a medicinal plant used in herbal remedies. The dried leaves of Anthocleista djalonensis were analyzed for their nutritional profile using standard methods. The leaves were then extracted by maceration using three different solvents: 95% analytical ethanol, hot distilled water, and local gin (78% alcohol). Various phytochemicals in the extracts were identified and quantified using standard analytical methods. Additionally, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to compare the chemical compositions of the extracts, using a reverse-phase C18 column and UV detection at 254nm. The results of the proximate analysis revealed good nutritional value, with protein (15.90%), moisture content (9.08%), total ash (10.37%), crude fibre (4.00%), crude fat (2.40%), carbohydrate (61.53%), and an energy value of 331.33 KJ. All tested phytochemicals were found in the ethanol and local gin extracts, while the distilled water extract showed the absence of terpenoids and steroids. In the quantitative analysis, the local gin extract had the highest concentrations of alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and tannins. On the other hand, the HPLC fingerprint analysis identified seventeen (17), twelve (12), and nine (9) compounds in ethanol, local gin and water extracts respectively. Four (4) shared peaks with similar retention time were observed across all extracts, indicating the presence of common phytocompounds. In conclusion, this study shows that Anthocleista djalonensis leaves have good nutritional values, suggesting their potential as dietary phytonutrient. Local gin stands out as the best solvent among those tested for extracting beneficial compounds from Anthocleista djalonensis leaves supporting its traditional use as solvent in herbal preparation. PubDate: 2024-06-19 DOI: 10.9734/aprj/2024/v12i4260 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 4 (2024)
Authors:Ekubay Tesfay Gebreigziabher Pages: 48 - 56 Abstract: Water availability is a major concern in regions with limited water resources. Implementation of best irrigation water management methods can maximize crop yields and irrigation water use efficiency. An experiment was conducted in Laelay Koraro district, Tigray, Ethiopia for two consecutive years (2018 and 2019 off seasons) to investigate the effect of growth stage-based deficit irrigation on tomato yield, yield characteristics and water usage efficiency. The experiment used a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments were three irrigation levels (100%, 50%, and 25% of crop irrigation requirement) and four FAO-defined tomato growth stages (initial, developmental, mid, and late seasons). Data on agronomic parameters and irrigation water were collected and analyzed statistically. The results revealed that reducing irrigation amount by up to 75% during the development growth stage significantly decreased marketable yield by up to 66.5%. However, the highest water use efficiency (9.2kgm-3) was achieved by reducing irrigation amount by 75% at the end-growth stage of tomato. Treatments with the lowest water use efficiency (3.5kgm-3) were those receiving 75% less irrigation amount than the full requirement during the development growth stage. Irrigation deficit up to 75% of the full requirement during tomato development stages greatly affect marketable yield and water use efficiency. Therefore, the tomato crop is highly susceptible to water stress when receiving more than a 50% reduction in full irrigation requirement during its developmental growth stage. PubDate: 2024-07-08 DOI: 10.9734/aprj/2024/v12i4261 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 4 (2024)
Authors:Lyka G. Dente, Flyndon Mark S. Dagalea, Ma. Lourdes C. Alvarez Pages: 57 - 65 Abstract: Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and environment-friendly approach to remediate or clean our environment using plants by accumulating contaminants. Helianthus annuus L., commonly named sunflower is known to be a hyperaccumulator of heavy metals from the soil. This study focuses on using sunflowers for the phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil, specifically Arsenic (As), Lead (Pb), ad Mercury (Hg). The researcher collected soil samples in the months of March – April 2024 at the Catarman Sanitary Landfill located at Sitio Banihit, Catarman, Northern Samar, and were analyzed for pH, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K) test using a Soil Test Kit (STK) from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management – Department of Agriculture, and detected the presence of As, Pb, and Hg using qualitative analysis. The analysis showed that the soil is slightly acidic, has low nitrogen, high phosphorus, and sufficient potassium, that is an indication of heavy metal contamination, and is good for metal uptake and accumulation in plant. The researcher planted sunflower using the collected soil samples. Leaves were extracted after one (1) month and two (2) weeks, and tested for physical properties in terms of pH, density, and solubility. Results showed that sunflower leaves extract is slightly acidic with an average pH of 6.94., density of 1.00 g/ml, and shows a polar property. The plant sample was also analyzed using Colorimetric analysis for Arsenic, Flame AAS for Lead, and Cold Vapor AAS for Mercury. Findings revealed that the concentration of these three (3) heavy metals are below the detection limit. But in small concentrations, exposure to these heavy metals still poses a great threat to living organisms. Using sunflower plants of about four (4) months of more could further be tested for possible detection of considerable amount of heavy metal uptake. PubDate: 2024-07-13 DOI: 10.9734/aprj/2024/v12i4262 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 4 (2024)
Authors:Manjoo Rani Pages: 66 - 77 Abstract: Aims: To review the antidiabetic properties, pharmacological characteristics, and phytochemical research on Momordica Ccharantia (bitter gourd) and assess its potential as a therapeutic agent for diabetes and cancer prevention. Study Design: Review of existing literature and research studies, including pre-clinical trials and animal and in vitro studies. Methodology: Analysis of traditional uses, pharmacological data, and phytochemical research on M. Charantia. Evaluation of anti-diabetic and anti-HIV properties based on available studies. Results: Charantia has shown anti-diabetic and hypoglycemic effects in pre-clinical studies. Limited and unreliable clinical data due to poor research design and inadequate statistical power. Recent studies indicate potential anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, and anti-HIV properties. Plant extract components have demonstrated effectiveness in cancer prevention through immune function enhancement, induction of cell death, and inhibition of cancer-related processes. Conclusion: M. Charantia holds promise as a therapeutic agent for diabetes management and cancer prevention. However, there is a need for better-designed clinical trials to confirm its efficacy and establish reliable clinical evidence. PubDate: 2024-07-17 DOI: 10.9734/aprj/2024/v12i4263 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 4 (2024)
Authors:Gbadamosi A. S., Oseni M. O., Adetukonbo B. A., Oseni O. A. Pages: 78 - 94 Abstract: Several studies have mainly focused primarily on seeking promising ways to solve major human diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neuro-degenerative disease. In the quest for new antimicrobial and modifications of existing ones, interestingly, medicinal plants have emerged as the preferred and safest source of various medicines, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Plants and their bio-active compounds hold potential as antimicrobial agents to combat these diseases and are pioneers in the discovery of new medicines. Tridax procumbens is a highly promising species that produces secondary metabolites that have been reported to possess a variety of medicinal uses, including anti-anemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anesthetic properties. This species has a long history of traditional use by different communities. This study aimed to investigate the medicinal properties of phytochemicals constituents and other biochemical components. The phytochemical screening, Vitamin C content antioxidants and antimicrobial properties as well as green synthesis of three metallic nanoparticles of the Tridax procumbens leaf extracts were determined using standard analytical procedures. The extracts of the leaves was found to contain medicinal important phytochemical constitutes; strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The metallic nanoparticles were characterized with FTIR peaks around 4000, 3705, 2777, 1800, 1500 cm-1for AgNP, CuNP and ZnNP. Both the plant extracts and all the nanoparticles exhibited maximum inhibitory activity against the tested pathogens. Based on the results obtained in this study, this species could potentially serve as an effective, safe, and affordable source of treatment of certain ailments and drug development against major human diseases that pose threats worldwide. PubDate: 2024-07-25 DOI: 10.9734/aprj/2024/v12i4264 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 4 (2024)
Authors:Laxmi Kanta Paudel, Dinesh Sharma, Diksha Sigdel, Anup Timsina Pages: 95 - 103 Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of various pre-sowing chemical treatments on True Potato Seed (TPS) germination and early growth to identify optimal treatments that enhance seedling vigor and productivity in Dolakha, Nepal. The experiment was conducted from April to June 2023 in Charikot, Dolakha district (27.669518° N, 86.051006° E). It used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with eight treatments, each replicated three times. Treatments included hot water, gibberellic acid (GA3) at concentrations of 1000, 1500, and 2000 ppm, and potassium nitrate (KNO3) at 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6%. These are applied for 24 hours in the dark, followed by shade drying. Key metrics recorded were germination percentage, shoot length, root length, leaf number, and seedling vigor. Data analysis was conducted using ANOVA in R-Studio and the results were presented via MS Excel. The findings revealed that seeds treated with 2000 ppm GA3 had the highest germination rate at 86.34%, compared to the control group (59.72%). This concentration also produced the longest shoot length (11.92 cm) and the highest seedling vigor index (1.01). The Variations in the relative growth rates for shoot, root lengths, and the number of leaves were not statistically significant across treatments. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that higher concentrations of GA3 (2000 ppm) and KNO3 (0.6%) significantly improved TPS germination and seedling vigor. These findings suggest that these treatments can benefit potato cultivation by enhancing seedling quality and reducing dependence on seed tubers. Further research is recommended to explore the long-term impacts on crop yield and broader applicability. PubDate: 2024-08-07 DOI: 10.9734/aprj/2024/v12i4265 Issue No:Vol. 12, No. 4 (2024)
Open Access journal
[66 journals]
