Urinary schistosomiasis: Efficacy of praziquantel and association of the ABO blood grouping in disease epidemiology

June 2010

Schistosomiasis, one of the neglected tropical diseases continues to plague communities with little or no access to potable water and with high water contact activities. Ipogun village in Ondo State is one of such communities in Nigeria. This study assessed the efficacy of praziquantel and the association of the ABO blood grouping in disease epidemiology in the only private primary school in the village. Ten milliliters...

Author(s): M. O. Oniya and O. Jeje

Optimization of carbon and nitrogen sources of submerged culture process for the production of mycelial biomass and exopolysaccharides by Trametes versicolor

May 2010

Medicinal mushrooms have profound health-promoting benefits. Polysaccharides constitute an important percentage of fungal biomass, where the hyphal wall frequently contains more than 75% of polysaccharide. Trametes versicolor is a medicinal fungus producing exopolysaccharides (EPS). The media were tested with different carbon and nitrogen sources which maximize the production of EPS by T. versicolor. The media were...

Author(s): Krishna Bolla, B. V. Gopinath, Syed Zeenat Shaheen and M. A. Singara Charya

Substrate utilization and inhibition kinetics: Batch degradation of phenol by indigenous monoculture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

May 2010

The biodegradation potential of an indigenous monoculture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied in batch fermentation using synthetic phenol in water in the concentration range of (100 - 500) mg/L as a model limiting substrate. The effect of initial phenol concentration on the degradation process was investigated. Phenol was completely degraded at different cultivation times for various initial phenol concentrations....

Author(s): S. E. Agarry, B. O. Solomon, and T. O. K. Audu

Pathogenic variability within biochemical groups of Pectobacterium carotovorum isolated in Algeria from seed potato tubers

March 2010

One hundred Pectobacterium carotovorum, isolates, recovered from soft rot symptoms on potato tubers in Algeria  and previously characterised taxonomically, were assessed in a half-tuber test for differences in ability to cause tuber rotting on two cultivars (Désirée and Bintje) respectively considered to be moderately and very susceptible to soft rot. A first trial at 20°C, involving the...

Author(s): R. Yahiaoui-Zaidi, R. Ladjouzi and S. Benallaoua

Studies in the graft copolymerization of acrylonitrile onto cassava starch by ceric ion induced initiation

March 2010

  Graft copolymers of starch and acrylonitrile were synthesized in aqueous solution. Ceric ammonium ion was used to initiate the graft copolymerization. Ten grades of graft copolymers were synthesized- five by varying the initial concentration of the monomer and the other five by varying the initial concentration of the initiator. Evidence of graft copolymerization of the hydrolyzed products was obtained from...

Author(s): E. U. Ikhuoria, A. S. Folayan and F. E. Okieimen