This study was conducted to assess the retail market edibility quality of Citrullus lanatus fresh-cut fruits enhanced with the extracts from the leaves of Ocimum gratissimum. Analytical graded ethanol and hexane were used to extract O. gratissimum leaves differently. The fresh-cut fruits were dipped in the extract obtained from the leaves and reconstituted with Tween 80, fruits treated with Tween 80 and untreated fruits were used as controls. The treated fruits with the extracts, fruits treated with Tween 80 and fruits without treatment were analysed for quality test using the following parametres: carotenoids, ascorbic acids, total phenolic acid, pH, total soluble solids, microbial loads and moisture contents at day 0 and at an interval of 3, 5 and 9 days. The quantitative estimations of the phytochemicals in the extracts were determined and the constituents in the essential oil of the hexane extracts were established with the use of GC-MS system, and the data generated from the study were analysed with SPSS 20.0. This study showed that there was lower reduction in moisture content, pH, ascorbic acid and potential browning values of the treated fresh-cut fruits of C. lanatus, compared to higher reduction in untreated and tween 80 treated fresh-cut fruits during the storage intervals for nine days. The treated fresh-cut fruits had higher Brix values of TSS, total phenolic acid and carotenoids contents, compared with the untreated fresh-cut fruit, which was low during the period of storage for nine days. The microbial loads in the untreated fresh-cut fruit of C. lanatus were higher than what was obtained in the treated fresh-cut fruits of C. lanatus after nine days of storage. The yield of Alkaloids from ethanol and hexane extracts were 54.25±0.09 mg/ 100g and 51.86±0.06 mg/ 100g respectively. γ-Terpinene (17.21 %) and (E)-9-Octadecenoic acid (11.848 %) had the highest percentage composition of phytoconstituents present in the essential oil from Citrullus lanatus. This study was able to establish the preservation potential of Ocimum gratissiumum on fresh-cut fruits of Citrullus lanatus.

The incidence of chronic and incurable diseases ravaging humanity today has awakened a resolve for healthy eating and natural living. Mankind generally cultivates diverse foodstuff for survival, multiplication, replenishment, and commercial purposes. Vegetables are a variety of food that provide nourishment of essential vitamins and minerals to the body. The various categories of vegetables cut across leafy, bulb, flower, seed, root, fruit to stem. The variety of colors from different array of vegetables are evidence of the numerous phytochemicals present in vegetables. These phytochemicals have been recorded to help the body fight against diseases and reduce the incidence of occurrence. Metabolic activities of the human body are enhanced when vegetables are consumed in large quantities. Vegetables can be eaten either raw or cooked and play an important role in human nutrition. They are mostly low in fat and carbohydrates, but high in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Due to the short shelf-life of many vegetables, it is pertinent to handle them in a most hygienic way to prevent the loss of essential nutrients especially the easily volatile group like essential oil, vitamin B, and vitamin C. Handling process of vegetables include canning, freezing, dehydrating and blanching.

Cassava and sweet potato peels are two potential agro-wastes with high possibility for biofuel production due to the possession of high polysaccharides. Studies were conducted to evaluate the chemical compositions of these wastes as well as determine their potential as feedstock for bioethanol production using indigenously sourced yeast strain; Candida tropicalis (IMI 398401). Cashew nut shell extract was used to hydrolyze and saccharify the gelatinized mashed agro-waste. The results indicates that moisture content (14.16 %), ash content (2.25 %), fibre (5.10 %) and cellulose (734 mg/g) were higher in cassava peels and lower; 13.04 %, 1.12 %, 1.81 % and 498 mg/g respectively in sweet potato peels. Pretreatment of the peels with organic acid extract of Anacardium occidentale nut shell showed maximum reducing sugar yield of 300 mg/g and 471 mg/g in sweet potato peel and cassava peel. The amount of bioethanol (g/L) produced after 72 h of fermentation was higher; 23.90 ± 0.60 in sweet potato peel. The study shows that these peels may be useful for biofuel production after a proper pretreatment.

Moringa oleifera (Moringa) is a highly valued plant and various parts of this plant are employed for the therapeutic purposes in the indigenous system of medicine. This study was undertaken to compare the phytochemical, mineral, proximate and antioxidant constituents of the aqueous, ethanol and coconut oil extracts of M. oleifera leaf, seed and pod. Pulverized samples of the leaves, seeds and pods were extracted separately with distilled water, ethanol and coconut oil. The proximate analysis was carried out using standard AOAC protocols while the mineral contents were analyzed through atomic absorption spectrometry. The phytochemicals and antioxidants constituents of the extracts were analysed using standard protocols. The phytochemical screening of M. oleifera revealed the presence of alkaloids in each extract of the leaf, seed and pod in varying concentrations with the absence of phlobatannins in all sampled parts. Proximate composition of M. oleifera revealed higher percentage of crude protein (26.05±0.01 %) and total fatty acid (5.42±0.01 %) in the seed, while the leaf had higher percentage of fibre (8.12±0.02 %) and ash (7.82±0.02 %). The pod showed higher percentage of carbohydrate (72.05±0.2 %) and the seed revealed lowest moisture content (3.12±0.01 %) compared to other sampled parts. Sodium was revealed as the highest composition of mineral in each part of the plant. The result for antioxidant activity revealed that the leaf, seed and pod extracts have stronger scavenging effect on nitric oxide radical compared to the standards (ascorbic acid 8467.15μg/ml) and the least scavenging effect on FRAP. The results obtained from this study validate the pharmacological and nutritional potentials of M. oleifera and its use in treating different ailments as used in traditional medicine.

Samples of Shea butter were randomly collected from five local markets from four different states in Nigeria. Isolation and identification of microbial contaminants (Bacteria and Fungi) were carried out as well as the analysis of some physical and chemical parameters. Results from this study reveal the presence of five fungal and three bacterial species as contaminants. The isolated fungi include: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium species, Mucor species and Trichoderma species. Citrobacter freundii, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the bacteria established in the study. Differences were also noted in the colour, refractive index and the viscosity of the shea butters sampled. A great significant differences was also observed in the peroxide (2.0 -8.60 meq/kg), saponification (29.21 -47.48 mgKOH/g), iodine (4.31 -13.20 I g/100g) and the fatty acid (27.50 -2 88.83 mgKOH/kg) values respectively. It was deduced from this study that hawked Vitelleria paradoxa (Shea butter) in our local markets are heavily contaminated with microbes (fungi and bacteria) and this may be detrimental to the health of the users especially those with wounds on their skin. Keywords:Microbial contaminant, shea butter, local market, physicochemical parameters ABSTRACT 333