The impact of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown surpasses the health sector. A multi- disciplinary team of experts in agriculture including crop, livestock, economics and extension drew out a questionnaire on areas of impact, mitigation and constraints imposed by COVID-19 and accompanied lockdown. The survey was administered online to farmers in South-west, Nigeria. A total of 1,080 respondents from Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo and Lagos States (319, 225, 119, 213, 202 and 78, respectively) responded. Obtained data for this study were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation). The study revealed that COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown had a devastating impact on Agriculture/livestock activities and the value chain. Most of the respondents were married, active males (x=44 years) and livestock farmers. The respondents perceived that producer/farmers and marketers (64-66%) were profoundly affected while agro-processors and input/agrochemical merchants (53%) were moderately affected. Majority of the respondents agreed that the pandemic and lockdown changed agriculture with the threat to life and livelihoods (94.44%), with looming food/feed crises (92.96), increased cost of food/feed production (90.65%), economic loss (x WMS = 4.32), reduced quality food availability (x=4.18), increased income insecurity (x=4.18) and social vices (x=4.50) as a result of logistical (transportation/ movement) restrictions and border closures. Our study, therefore, suggests that there is a need for collaborative effort from the government and the stakeholders to strengthen the agricultural sector through finance to increase production and enhanced value chain. This will go a long way in achieving self- sufficiency in food and industrial raw materials post-COVID-19 period.     L'impact de la pandémie et du confinement du COVID-19 dépasse le secteur de la santé. Une équipe multidisciplinaire d'experts en agriculture, y compris les cultures, le bétail, l'économie et la vulgarisation, a élaboré un questionnaire avec les domaines d'impact,   Impact of COVID-19 public health containment measures (lockdown)   d'atténuation et les contraintes imposées par COVID-19 et le confinement accompagné. L'enquête a été administrée en ligne aux agriculteurs du sud-ouest du Nigéria. Au total, 1 080 répondants des États d'Oyo, d'Osun, d'Ekiti, d'Ogun, d'Ondo et de Lagos (319, 225, 119, 213, 202 et 78, respectivement) ont répondu. Les données obtenues pour cette étude ont été analysées à l'aide de statistiques descriptives (nombre de fréquences, pourcentage, moyenne et écart-type). L'étude a révélé que la pandémie et le confinement du COVID-19 avaient un impact dévastateur sur les activités agricoles / de bétail et la chaîne de valeur. La plupart des répondants étaient mariés, des hommes actifs (= 44 ans) et des éleveurs. Les répondants ont perçu que les producteurs / agriculteurs et les commerçants (64-66%) étaient profondément affectés tandis que les agro-transformateurs et les commerçants d'intrants / agrochimiques (53%) étaient modérément affectés. La majorité des répondants ont convenu que la pandémie et le confinement ont changé l'agriculture avec une menace pour la vie et les moyens de subsistance (94.44%), avec des crises imminentes pour les denrées alimentaires et les aliments pour animaux (92.96), une augmentation du coût de la production de denrées alimentaires / aliments pour animaux (90.65%), des pertes économiques (x=4.32), une disponibilité alimentaire de qualité réduite (x= 4.18), une insécurité accrue des revenus (x= 4.18) et des vices sociaux (x= 4.50) en raison des restrictions logistiques (transport / mouvement) et des fermetures de frontières. Notre étude suggère donc qu'il est nécessaire de déployer des efforts de collaboration de la part du gouvernement et des parties prenantes pour renforcer le secteur agricole par le biais du financement afin d'augmenter la production et d'améliorer la chaîne de valeur. Cela contribuera grandement à atteindre l'autosuffisance en matières premières alimentaires et industrielles après la période COVID-19.

Medicinal plants are abundant in phytochemicals that has significant therapeutic effects. They are relatively cheap, effective and safe in prolong use. This experiment was carried out to investigate the phyto-nutritional profile of broom weed (Sida acuta) leaf extract. Proximate analysis Sida acuta leaf indicated the presence of dry matter (91.88 %), crude protein (18.01 %), ash (9.73 %), crude fibre (6.24 %), ether extract (1.77 %) and energy (2760 Kcal/kg). Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of condensed tannins, hydrolysable tannins, flavonoids, saponins, phenols, oxalate, phytate, alkaloids, terpenoids and glycosides at 0.82 %, 2.02 %, 4.25 %, 0.20 %, 0.17 %, 0.05 %, 0.23 %, 0.22 %, 0.95 % and 0.02 % respectively and the vitamin constituents are thiamine (0.33 mg/100g), ascorbic acid (30.17 mg/100g), riboflavin (0.05 mg/100g), β-carotene (0.79 mg/100g) and niacin (0.41 mg/100g). Mineral analysis showed that it contained calcium (127.6 mg/100g), phosphorus (78.6 mg/100g), potassium (31.6 mg/100g), magnesium (102.1 mg/100g), iron (2.14 mg/100g), manganese (0.60 mg/100g), copper (0.04 mg/100g) and zinc (1.75 mg/100g). Result on amino acid composition showed that they contained lysine (2.11 mg/100g), arginine (1.77 mg/100g), aspartic acid (2.13 mg/100g), threonine (1.85 mg/100g), histidine (4.71 mg/100g), serine (2.03 mg/100g), glycine (1.05 mg/100g), alanine (3.31 mg/100g), cystine (5.06 mg/100g), valine (0.88 mg/100g), leucine (2.04 mg/100g), phenyalanine (4.72 mg/100g), tyrosine (3.51 mg/100g), isoleucine (2.84 mg/100g), methionine (0.85 mg/100g) and proline (1.05 mg/100g). It was concluded that  Sida acuta leaf extract is rich in various nutrients and phytochemicals conferring it the ability to perform multiple biological activities and as a natural alternative to antibiotics.

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Study was conducted to investigate the effect of Polyalthia longifolia leaf aqueous extract (PLLAE) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood profile of broiler chickens at finisher phase. 180 broiler chicks was used for the experiment and the birds were weighed and randomly allotted into 5 treatments, 3 replicates and 12birds/replicate using completely randomized design and data collected were subjected to analysis of variance using SPSS version 21 and significant means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test of the same software. Treatment group one birds were not given any medication except vaccine (negative control without PLLAE), T2 serve positive control (given synthetic antibiotic), and T3, T4 and T5 were given 15g, 30g and 45g of Polyalthia longifolia/litre of water, respectively. The inclusion of PLLAE had no significant (P>0.05) effect on growth performance, it improved the survivability of the broiler and PLLAE at concentration of 45g per litre of water numerically improved the growth performance of broiler chickens compared to control diets. This established the antibacterial quality of the PLLAE in broiler production. Nutrient digestibility parameters were significant differently and considering the broilers on PLLAE, value increase with increase in the concentration of PLLAE. Treatment 3–5 had significantly higher white blood cell, also, lymphocyte, neutrophil and red blood cell were significantly higher under treatment 3, this establish the health status of the animal to the PLLAE. Cholesterol increased with increase concentration of PLLAE, thus the research indicates the hypercholesterolemia quality of the PLLAE. It was concluded that PLLAE can be used in any concentration used in this study without causing an adverse effect on the growth performance hence provide alternative synthetic antibiotics.

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Oestrus was artificially synchronized in thirty-six (36) primiparous Red Sokoto goats (RSG) done using 45 mg fluorogestone acetate vagina sponges for fourteen (14) days. Pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) hormone was administered immediately after sponge removal and the does were mated thereafter. Twenty four (24) gravid weighing 15.8 kg -23.7 kg were selected and fed graded levels of baobab (Adansonia digitata. L) pulp-seed meal supplement in a completely randomized experimental design of six (6) replicates per treatment. There were significant differences (P<0.05) in the results obtained. At parturition, animals on 20% baobab fruit inclusion Original Research Article

Plants are the cheapest and indispensable constituents of human diets supplying the body nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fats, amino acids, vitamins) necessary for growth and body development. Therefore, this work was designed to examine the proximate and mineral composition of Pentadiplandra brazzeana stem bark (PBSB). Proximate composition of PBSB revealed the presence of 8.75 % moisture, 91.25 % dry matter, 6.43 % crude protein, 41.03 % crude fibre, 5.70 % ether extract, 12.11 % ash, 17.82 (g/100 g) carbohydrates, 0.47 % total reducing sugar and 632.2 Kj/100g energy respectively. Results on mineral analysis shows that PSSB is abundant in calcium (73.84 mg/100g) followed by phosphorus (41.55 mg/100g), magnesium (32.56 mg/100g), sodium (28.11 mg/100g), zinc (17.56 mg/100g), manganese (10.88 mg/100g), potassium (9.47 mg/100g) and copper (2.33 mg/100g). In order of mineral abundance in PBSB Ca ˃ phosphorus ˃ magnesium ˃ sodium ˃ zinc ˃ manganese ˃ potassium ˃ copper. It was concluded that PBSB is low in protein, energy and some minerals (copper and potassium).

Medicinal plants are used to prevent, treat and promote healthy life in human and animals, their medicinal value are due to the presence of bioactive chemicals or secondary metabolites (phytochemicals) making it more suitable for animals with benefits of low cost and total safety. Phytochemicals are chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants and they perform a multiple biological activities such as: antibacterial, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, antifungal, hepato-protective, hypolipidemic and antiviral properties. The efficacy of phytochemicals in plants depends on their organic composition (tannin, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponin, phenols and alkaloids), method of extraction or processing, harvesting procedure, soil type, geographical location and level of maturity. Plants are also found to be loaded with minerals, vitamins and other nutrients needed for the growth and development of animals.