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Jatropha curcas is an ornamental plant which is also employed to cure various infections in traditional medicine. The hexane, ethanolic and aqueous extracts and latex of this plant were analysed phytochemically and screened against different microorganisms responsible for various human infections. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts and latex revealed the presence of many secondary metabolites including steroids, alkaloids and saponins. Ethanolic extract was found to be richer than hexane extract and aqueous extract as well as latex. The extracts and latex displayed potent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria gonorrhoea, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus flavus, giving minimum inhibitory concentration as low as 0.5 mL. The results confirmed the potency of this plant in treating human infections including sexually transmitted diseases.

Abstract:Renewed interest in natural materials as food flavors and preservatives has led to the search for suitable essential oils. Moringa oleifera seed essential oil was extracted by solvent-free microwave and hydrodistillation. This study assessed its chemical constituents. Cytotoxicity of the oils was investigated using hatchability and lethality tests on brine shrimps. A total of 16 and 26 compounds were isolated from the hydrodistillation extraction (HDE) and solvent-free microwave extraction (SME) oils, respectively, which accounted for 97.515% and 97.816% of total identifiable constituents, respectively. At 24 h when the most eggs had hatched, values of the SME (56.7%) and HDE (60.0%) oils were significantly different (P<0.05) from those of sea water (63.3%) and chloramphenicol (15.0%). Larva lethality was different significantly (P<0.05) between HDE and SME oils at different concentrations and incubation periods. The median lethal concentration (LC 50 ) of the oils was >1000 mg/ml recommended as an index for non-toxicity, which gives the oil advantage over some antioxidant, antimicrobial, therapeutic, and preservative chemicals.

Evaluation of amino acid and fatty acid profiles of commercially cultivated oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju) grown on gmelina wood waste AbstractEdible mushrooms are used in the preparation of several delicacies in many parts of Nigeria; however, little information is available on the nutritional qualities of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju) cultivated on gmelina wood waste. This study ascertains the nutritional and antinutritional amino acid and fatty acid composition of commercially grown oyster mushroom (P. sajor-caju) on gmelina wood waste in Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria. The sample was obtained and analyzed for fatty acid profile and amino acid profile on dry weight basis using standard methods. The chemical score of the essential amino acid of the sample, which ranged from 55.94% (methionine) to 150.31% (isoleucine), was comparable to standard dietary reference intake requirement. Fatty acid profile showed the presence of polyunsaturated (linolenic 29.54%, linoleic 11.6% and arachidonic 0.22%), monounsaturated (oleic 41.71%, palmitioleic 0.22% and erucic 7.09%) and some saturated (caprylic 0.92%, myristic 0.18%, palmitic 5.34%, margaric 0.21%, stearic 2.38%, arachidic 012%, behenic 0.25% and lignoceric 0.16%) fatty acid. This study showed that oyster mushroom grown on gmelina wood waste has potential for use as acceptable human food. & 2015 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Tomato samples were dried at different frequency of light using clothes of different colours with wooden drying
fabrication. The proximate composition and microbial count of the Tomato fruits were determined. Results
showed that temperature and relative humidity of the environment affected the rate of drying of tomato as well
as the growth of spoilage organisms in the fruits. Highest temperature values of tomato was observed in the
control and light red colour frequency which also had a slightly lower average bacterial count (53 × 103 cfu/g and
62 × 103 cfu/g) respectively. The light purple colour had highest average bacterial count of 96 × 103 cfu/g which
was significantly higher (P<0.05) compared with the control and other colour frequency. Tomato dried with light
green colour frequency had the highest amount of protein and carbohydrate (13.78% and 51.37%, respectively).
Dark blue colour had the highest amount of fat (0.97%), light blue colour had the highest fibre (25.30%), while
the highest percentage of ash was observed in black colour (54.30%). All data from the colour frequencies were
significantly different (higher or lower) from the control at (P<0.05). Microorganisms isolated from tomato fruit
during drying were: Erwinia carotovora, Proteus sp, Bacillus sp, Micrococcus luteus, Aspergillus sp, Aspergillus
niger, Rhizopus stolonifer, and Penicillium chrysogenum