No abstract

Yogurt was produced from milk obtained from cow milk, goat milk, soymilk and coconut milk by fermentation using starter cultures of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Lactobacillus acidophilus. The results obtained showed that the initial pH of the fresh milk samples were slightly acidic: cow milk (6.3), goat milk (6.2), soymilk (6.4) and coconut milk (6.0). The pH results of the various fermented milk at 0 hour of production were goat milk (5.24), cow milk (5.85), soymilk (5.73) and coconut milk (5.98), but at 72 hours, all the milk samples tended to be more acidic due to the fermentation and had lower pH values. All the fresh milk samples had the high moisture content which ranged from 63.34%-76.90%. Fat content ranged between 9.76%-15.02%. Crude protein ranged from 7.17%-32.17% with goat milk having the highest protein level of (32.17%). Ash content had the range of 0.52%-0.96%. Goat milk had the highest ash content value and coconut milk had the least value. Specific gravities of soymilk, goat milk, cow milk and coconut milk were 1.018, 1.030, 1.016 and 1.01 g/ml respectively. Taste, color, mouth feel and odor were acceptable at 0 hours of production but their value depreciated with storage at room temperature. This study was able to establish the close nutritional gap between cow milk, goat milk, soya and coconut milk yoghurt preparations. The nutritional values obtained from the proximate analysis of the milk samples were comparable. This clearly points to the fact that either of the food can substitute for each other based on the values established from this study.

This study was carried out to determine the quality of some water supplies in Jericho and Molete areas in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. A total of 6 water samples (Jericho and Molete) from well, borehole and public tap were randomly selected and analyzed in triplicate for some physico-chemical and microbial parameters. The pH ranged from 5.88 ± 0.01 to 6.88 ± 0.06 while total hardness ranged from 2.60 ± 0.04 ppm to 44.00 ± 1.20 ppm. The temperature ranged from 15.00˚C ± 0.07˚C to 18.00˚C ± 0.21˚C while conductivity ranged from 230 ± 1.15 to 460 ± 1.26 mho/cm. Alkalinity, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) ranged from 4.03 ± 0.02 mg/l to 14.88 ± 0.15 mg/l, 0.4 ± 0.02 mg/l to 4.6 ± 0.02 mg/l and 12.80 ± 0.22 mg/l to 26.40 ± 0.72 mg/l respectively. Microbial analysis revealed that all of these water samples were not free from pathogens and thereby not suitable for drinking.

Abstract:The chemical constituents available in plants have been reported to vary with the geographical location of the plants. This investigation assessed the nutritional and phytochemical profile of Niger date palm (Khaokhara) fruit and sought to determine any uniqueness of Niger cultivate Date palm relative to Date palms cultivated in other regions. Standard procedures as described by AOAC were employed in the analyses. The moisture, crude protein and fat contents were determined to be 13.40, 2.67 and 0.70 g/100g respectively while the dietary fibre, ash, and carbohydrate values were respectively estimated as 2.13, 3.29 and 76.95 g/100g. The antioxidant vitamins present in the fruit were also evaluated; ascorbic acid (0.5mg/100g), carotenoid (15.5µg/100g) and Tocopherol (0.00mg/100g). Phytochemical screening of the fruit showed that it contained alkaloids (1.59g/100g), anthraxquinones (0.17g/100g), flavonoids (3.36g/100g), tannins (0.69g/100g), saponins (1.37 x 10 -3 g/100g) and terpenoids (1.97 x 10 -3 g/100g). Other phytochemicals that were detected but not quantified are phlobatanins and steroids. This fruit is very rich in potassium (360.79 mg/100g) and contains appreciable amount of calcium and phosphorus (37.45 and 27.30 g/100g respectively). Overall, the data obtained from this investigation did not show much difference between Niger Date palm fruit and other previously studied cultivars vis-a-vis phytochemical and nutritional compositions.

Natural rubber (NR) is a renewable agricultural resource which has gained fast technological innovation due to some inherent properties and its renewability. Compounding of natural rubber with modified and unmodified nano-sized agricultural waste is of interest because it is economical, environmentally friendly, cheap and readily available, hence, the trial of sugarcane bagasse as an additive in Natural Rubber compounding. The sugarcane bagasse was sourced locally, milled to fine powder and sieved to <100µm in size. Characterization of Natural rubber latex viz-a-viz: Dry rubber content (DRC), Total solid content (TSC), Ash content, Moisture content were carried out. The Sugarcane bagasse was modified via Hydroxylation using 10% Sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The modified sugarcane baggase (MSB) and unmodified sugarcane baggase (USB) were characterized viz-a-viz: their pH, moisture content, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and micro-pixe analysis. The extent of modification was determined via titration. The NR was thereafter compounded with USB, MSB, CB, admix of MSB with CB and admix of USB with CB to give five vulcanizates, labeled A – E ( A- 40 parts CB, B- 40 parts USB, C- 40 parts MSB, D- 20 CB : 20 USB while E was 20 CB : 20 MSB). The vulcanizates were then subjected to physico-mechanical tests viz-a-viz: Tensile strength, Modulus Elasticity, Hardness, Elongation @ break and Yield elongation. The result revealed that mix A (control) with 40 CB has the highest Tensile strength compared to the other mixes, which was followed by mixes E >D >C while B gave the least tensile strength, showing that carbon black acted better than modified sugarcane bagasse and better than unmodified sugarcane bagasse. Compatibility of the unmodified and hydroxylated sugarcane bagasse with natural rubber and carbon black was also established. The extent of the solubility of the mixes in ethanol, kerosene and petrol were investigated to determine the extent of crosslinking and mix A was very resistant to all the solvents followed by mixes C then E then D while mix B dissolves readily.