Purpose Improving the nutritional value of rice straw by microbial inoculants and some physical treatments for animal feeding during dry seasons. Methods Different microbial inoculants and some physical treatments were used to improve the nutritional value of rice straw. Rice straw was divided into moist straw, soaked straw for 24 h without pasteurization and soaked for 24 h and pasteurized at 100 °C/1 h, and all of them were inoculated with different microbial inoculants. Results Moistened rice straw inoculated with Azotobacter chroococcum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae recorded the highest significant reduction in organic matter percent, 74.21%. The highest significant reductions in crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber percent were recorded in moistened rice straw inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense and Saccharomyces cerevisiae which gave 27.54, 55.39 and 42.47%, respectively. The highest significant increase in crude protein percent, 13.71%, was recorded in rice straw soaked for 24 h and inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense and Bacillus megaterium. The combined interaction between microbial treatments and physical pretreatments of rice straw gave a significant decrease in organic matter, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber %, as well as a significant increase in crude protein % compared to control. Addition of nitrogen fixers to rice straw improved its nitrogen contents. Conclusions This study showed the possibility of improving the nutritional value of rice straw using microbial inoculants and some physical treatments to produce safe and cheap animal feeds.

Suitable a-cellulose and cellulose II powders for use in the pharmaceutical industry can be derived from maize cob. a-Cellulose was extracted from an agricultural residue (maize cobs) using a nondissolving method based on inorganic substances. Modification of this a-cellulose was carried out by its dissolution in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C 4 mim]Cl), and subsequent regeneration by addition of either water or acetone at room temperature, or of boiling water. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy results showed that the regenerated celluloses had lower crystallinity, and proved that the treatment with [C 4 mim]Cl led to the conversion of the crystalline structure of a-cellulose from cellulose I to cellulose II. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry data showed quite similar thermal behavior for all cellulose samples, although with somewhat lower stability for the regenerated celluloses, as expected. The comparison of physicochemical properties of the regenerated celluloses and the native cellulose mainly suggests that the regenerated ones might have better flow properties. For some of the characterizations carried out, it was generally observed that the sample regenerated with boiling water had more similar characteristics to the a-cellulose sample, evidencing an influence of the regeneration strategy on the resulting powder after the ionic liquid treatment.

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This study has revealed that malaria is perceived as a common health problem among pregnant women attending these 2 health care facilities, and that knowledge, attitude and practice of its management is poor. Efforts should be made to improve anti-malarial intervention during pregnancy, to ensure that the goals of the Roll Back Malaria Initiative are achieved in Nigeria.