Physicochemical parameters of surface water collected from six different points (P1 to P6) on River Sokoto were analysed during January (Dry Season) and August (Rainy Season), 2014 to determine its water quality using standard methods. The highest temperature of 25.6˚C was recorded by P1 in dry season while P5 recorded the highest value of 29.2˚C in rainy season. All the water samples were alkaline in dry season with the highest pH value of 8.50 in P5 and the least value of 8.02 in P6 whereas in rainy season, P1, P2 and P3 were slightly acidic while P5 and P6 were slightly neutral and P4 alkaline. The highest values of 510 µS/cm and 850.3 mg/l were recorded from P4 for electrical conductance and hardness respectively in the rainy season whereas in dry season, P5 and P4 had the highest values of 321 µS/cm and 282.8 mg/l respectively. The highest DO and BOD levels in dry season were 1.7 mg/l and 0.7 mg/l respectively in P1 and the least values were 0.7 mg/l and 0.2 mg/l respectively in P5. But in the rainy season, P6 recorded the highest DO value of 0.1 mg/l while P2 and P5 recorded the least value of 0.07 mg/l. For BOD, P5 had the highest value (2.13 mg/l) while P3 had the least value (0.20 mg/l). For COD, the highest value (230 mg/l) was found in P4 and P6 and the least value (30 mg/l) was found in P1 in dry season while in the rainy season, P2 had the highest COD value (1008 mg/l) and P4 had the least value of 32 mg/l. TDS and TSS values generally were higher in the rainy season than in the dry season due to higher amount of floating particles in the rainy season. While P1 and P6 recorded the highest values (800 mg/l and 700 mg/l respectively) in the rainy season, P4 recorded the least value of 100 mg/l in both seasons. The highest Chloride level was found in P4 in the dry (100 mg/l) and rainy (180 mg/l) seasons with the least level in P2 (35 mg/l) in dry season and in P1 and P2 with the least level of 60 mg/l in the rainy season. The highest concentration of Sulphate in P1 (220 mg/l) in dry * Corresponding author. M. I. O. Raji et al. 195 season was far above the highest concentration (124 mg/l) in the rainy season whereas highest concentration of Nitrate in dry season in P1 (19.7 mg/l) was somehow below the highest concentration in rainy season in P4 (28.1 mg/l). Phosphate and Ammonia had the highest values of 1.77 mg/l and 0.84 mg/l respectively in P5 in dry season while in rainy season, P6 and P4 had the highest values of 0.22 mg/l and 1.20 mg/l respectively. There was significant seasonal variation in some physicochemical parameters and most of the parameters were within permissible limits, thus, making the water suitable for irrigation purposes.

ABSTRAC:This study investigated the physico-chemical characteristics of drinking waters collected from tap, well and sachet in Sokoto metropolis in North Western Nigeria. Conductivity and pH values were determined by standard methods while elemental composition was analysed using X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy. Majority of the water samples had neutral pH (6.80 -7.20) few were slightly alkaline and one was acidic. Tap water samples had similar conductivity values (180 -190µS/m), sachet water samples had conductivity values ranging from 80µS/m to 260µS/m while well water samples had highest conductivity values with a sample having value above standard limit of 1,500µS/m. Heavy metals (copper and lead), rare earth metals (gallium, rubidium, strontium and vanadium) and other elements (potassium, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, arsenic, selenium, bromine and molybdenum) were detected. Result of elemental analysis showed the presence of 18 compounds in the different water samples, of which seven, namely: As, Cr, Mn, Pb, Ni, Se and Br had levels above WHO recommended permissible limits, with their attendant health implications. Generally, all the sampled waters analysed in this study failed chemical tests and therefore not suitable for drinking. @ JASEM

Microbiological quality of some brands of intravenous fluids produced by some pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria was investigated. Membrane filtration method was used for concentration of contaminating organisms in the intravenous fluids. Thioglycollate medium, Tryptone Soya broth, Brilliant Green Agar, Pseudomonas medium, Mannitol salt agar, MacConkey agar, and Nutrient agar and Saboraud dextrose agar were the media used for the isolation and differentiation of the microbial species. Rabbitory method was used for Pyrogen test. Out of 160 samples analyzed, 14 (8.25%) were contaminated and remaining 146 (91.75%) were found sterile. The result of pyrogen test showed that 58 (36.25%) of the samples were pyrogenic. Dextrose (5%), peritoneal dialysis and Normal saline were free of detectable microbial species. Contaminating organisms in Dextrose Saline are Microsporum fulvum and Aspergillus sp. In Half strength Darrow's Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Aspergillus sp. were detected. In Half strength Darrow's, Full strength Darrow's and Ringer Lactate, the contaminating bacterial species include K. pneumoniae, M. fulvum, Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp.

Dried leaves of Abrus precatorius, Desmodium ramosissimum, Scoparia dulcis and aerial parts of Phyllanthus amarus used in folkloric medicine of Ebiraland were extracted with hexane, methanol and water sequentially using soxhlet apparatus. The extracts were screened for antimicrobial activities against Bacillus subtilis, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans using the agar-cup diffusion protocol. All the extracts except the hexane extract of Abrus precatorius were active against at least two of the test microorganisms at the highest concentration of 100 mg/ml used in this study. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of Phyllanthus amarus were active against all the test microorganisms. The methanolic extract of Phyllanthus amarus also showed a broad spectrum of activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (M.I.C.) of 1.56 mg/ml against all the test microorganisms. The extracts were also screened for secondary metabolites and the result indicated the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins and terpenoids. The results of this investigation, appears to justify the ethnomedicinal uses of these plants for the traditional treatment of infectious diseases. However, further investigation is required to obtain more information on their antimicrobial potentials and also to isolate their bioactive compounds. Keywords: Medicinal plants, antimicrobial activity, minimum inhibitory concentration, phytochemical screening.

The hypoglycaemic activity of the aqueous extract of Stachytarpheta angustifolia (Verbanaceae) was studied in normoglycaemic and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The extract was administered orally to the rats and blood glucose level was monitored for 7 h. Results indicate that the aqueous extract (750 mg kg(-1)) produced a significant blood glucose reduction in both normoglycaemic and alloxan-induced diabetic rats (p < 0.05). The present result therefore appears to support the use of the plant aqueous extract for the management of type 2 diabetes by traditional medical practitioners in Northern Nigeria. The mechanism of action of the aqueous extract needs to be studied.