Medicinal plants, also called herbal medicine, have been used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. The phytochemical screening of root and shoot extracts of Euphorbia hirta plant commonly known as asthma weed was evaluated using soxhlet and aqueous extract as a solvent to determine the active components. Maceration method was used in extracting the active properties/component. Phytochemical screening of root and shoot extracts revealed presences of saponins, anthranoid anthroqunione, phenol, alkaloid, tannins, phylobatannins and cardiac glycoside. Antibacterial screening of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pyogenes, using disk diffusion method, showed that in both the aqueous root and shoot extract Streptococcus pyogenes has the highest zone of inhibition of 120 mg with 12mm while least is Escherichia coli that had no inhibition at all. The aqueous extract the root and shoot were more active than the soxhlet solution. Using the aqueous shoot extracts, Streptococcus at 120 mg with 12mm zone of inhibition of Staphylococcus at 90 mg with 9mm. While in the aqueous root extract, Staphylococcus aureus at 100 mg with 10mm, Streptococcus pyogenes at 90 mg with 9m and Salmonella typhi at 80mm with 8mm. Antifungal screening with clinical isolate of candida albicans had highest zone of inhibition 130 mg with 13mm at root aqueous extract while penicillium spp, Aspergillus, spp and Microsporium spp showed no zones of inhibition at both root and shoot extracts. The results obtained suggested that Euphorbia hirta plant can be used in the treatment of ailments caused by the test microorganisms, with particular attention being paid to its aqueous extract.
Experiments were carried out in the Nursery of the Department of Forestry and Environmental Management, the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike in Abia State during 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons to determine the effect of NPK fertilizer on the growth performance of three selected crops, Zea mays, Abelmoschus esculentus and Vigna unguiculata grown on a derelict kaolin mined soil. The experiment comprised of treatment pots which has three rates of fertilizer on the kaolin soil each (kaolin soil +NPK (40 kg), kaolin soil + NPK (30 kg) and kaolin soil + NPK (20
Original Research Article
Abiotic stress is an important ecological problem limiting crop growth and productivity of other important substances like Carbohydrates, protein, and Chlorophyll ‘a’ and ‘b’ contents in plants. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of various concentrations of NaCl, 20ppm, 40ppm, 60ppm, 80ppm, 100ppm and non-saline concentration on two varieties, Ata Habib and Pirsabak of Triticum aestivum. Effects of NaCl were observed on Biochemicals contents (Carbohydrates, protein, Chlorophyll a and b) and germination percentage, seedling shoot length, seedling root length, seedling fresh and dry biomass, root numbering and leaf numbering. The result showed that germination and seedling growth reduced with the increasing concentration of NaCl while total carbohydrates and chl ‘a’ and ‘b’ increased with increasing salt application on both varieties but protein contents decrease significantly on a high level of sodium chloride. The overall comparison of both varieties in morphologically and biochemically parameters under sodium chloride showed that Pirsabak was more affected by NaCl compared to Ata Habib indicating that the species can tolerate NaCl laden soils. We recommend that the experiment be repeated with more varieties of Triticum aestivum under field conditions to compare results and to obtain more NaCl tolerant varieties.
This study investigated the impacts of spent engine oil on the physicochemical properties of soil, soil's microbial population and growth of Capsicum annuum. It covered assessment of different levels of contamination (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80%) in soil; which represents the degree of oil spillage concentration on the growth performance of C. annuum investigated. Percentage germination, seedling height, number of leaves and number of branches decreased as the concentrations of the spent engine oil in soil samples increased and affected soil physicochemical properties. The screening experiment conducted showed that poultry manure improved the physicochemical properties of sandy loam soils contaminated engine oil. The effects of poultry manure as an organic amendment was assessed using pepper (C. annuum) as test crop. All amendment made significant increase in soil organic carbon and calcium content over the polluted soils. Soil acidity increased, soil exchangeable ions decreased. N, P and K were altered in the polluted soils as compared to the controls. There were increased bacterial counts (2.21 – 2.85) and a decrease in fungi population (0.48 - 0.59) in the spent engine oil-contaminated soils compared with the control. The oil reduced germination percentage, depressed growth, reduction in leaf number and plant height of the C. annuum. Therefore the spent engine oil clearly had detrimental effects on soil's physicochemical and biological properties. The oil contributed largely to the extreme acidic nature of the polluted soils. However, maximum increase in plant height, germination percentage, number of leaves and branches were recorded with amendment of the polluted soils with poultry manure. Results show the considerable potential of remediation protocols with poultry manure as a remediating agent for oil spill remediation in the soil samples.
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