Ghana Journal of Science

Nutrients, phenolics, fatty acids and mineral composition of Telfairia pedata (SIMS) hook seed kernels obtained from Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

2024-02-18T23:51:10+00:00

In this study, the nutrients, phenolics, minerals and fatty acids compositions of the seed kernels of Telfairia pedata was determined using standard laboratory procedures. The results from Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) indicated that the studied T. pedata was composed of 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)phenol (9%), pentadecanol (2%), di(2- propylpentyl)phthalic acid (5.8%), myristic acid (1.5%), palmitic acid (14%), linoleic acid (44%) and others. Quantification of fatty acids showed linoleic acid (500 μg/mL), oleic acid (350 μg/mL), 5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid (403 μg/mL), palmitic acid (410 μg/mL), heneicosanoic acid (462 μg/mL) and others. Proximate analysis indicated moisture (5.06%), total ash (1.22%), crude fat (62%), crude fibre (0.89%), crude protein (23.05%) and total carbohydrate (7.78%). Mineral composition analysis showed the presence of K (320.71 μg/ mL), Na (130.98 μg/mL), Mg (6.45 μg/mL), Ca (8.01 μg/mL), Fe (2.46 μg/mL), Zn (0.62 μg/ mL), Cu (0.69 μg/mL) and Mn (0.2 μg/mL). These results suggest that the seeds of T. pedata could be a good source of supplements to improve cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, immunomodulation, anti-inflammation, and antimicrobials. The seeds could also be a source of proteins, fats, and minerals to alleviate malnutrition especially for children under 5 years. Furthermore, since these seeds are rich in oil, they could be used for production of soaps, paints and lubricants.

Plastics management for job creation, a feasible and practical solution to the waste pollution and unemployment

2024-02-19T00:31:44+00:00

Plastic waste is a growing pollution concern in Ghana even though several attempts have been made to reduce the negative effects on the environment and quality of life. However, the role of the waste generator in adaptation process received minimal attention. Hence an exploratory and quantitative survey was employed in Greater Accra Metropolitan Area. The investigations bordered on the experiences of young plastic waste generators with the management of plastic wastes, the economic benefits in the management process, and the gender influence on perceived value of plastics and the recovery measures. Generated data and analysis show that young people acquire experiences through observations and practices. They found the plastic management process economically beneficial and will separate plastics from other wastes. The experiences narrowed the gap for education and induced a positive attitudinal change to plastics management amongst the young people. Young females were found to be dependable stakeholders in sustainability measures to mitigate effects of plastic mismanagement.

Effects of broodstock sex pairing ratios and rest periods of the nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus on fry production

2024-02-18T22:28:58+00:00

This study evaluated the effects of varying male to female brood stock pairing ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 with resting intervals of 0, 3 and 7 days on fry production of the Nile tilapia at the Aquaculture Demonstration Centre (ADC), Ashaiman, Ghana. Nine (9) treatments were arranged according to a 3 x 3 factorial design with three replicates giving a total of 27 spawning hapas (1 m³). Male and female brooders of mean body weight (229 ± 5.43 g and 171.6 ± 21.7 g respectively) were paired at the different sex ratios. Water temperature and DO were taken daily whiles pH, salinity and ammonia were measured weekly. All the water quality parameters were within suitable range for Nile tilapia fry production. The total mean fry output for the sex pairing ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3) were 716 ± 344, 973 ± 325 and 723 ± 577 respectively. The total fry output for 0, 3 and 7 days of resting were 1503 ± 868, 2030 ± 637 and 3051 ± 1054 respectively with an observed 35% (3 days rest) and 103% (7 days rest) fry production increment over the 0-resting treatment. With respect to the combined effect of varying sex ratios and resting periods, the highest mean fry production (701 ± 405) was attained under the 7 days resting period at a pairing ratio of 1:2. The high reproductive performance of broodstock pairing ratio 1:2 and resting period of 7 days under this study confirms its efficient as a broodstock management technique for an increased Nile tilapia fry production.

Nutritional composition, bacterial load and organoleptic quality of farm-raised catfish(Clarias gariepinus, burchell 1822) from the Dormaa Municipality, Ghana

2024-02-18T20:17:07+00:00

The aim of this study was to assess the quality of farm-raised African catfish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell, 1822) in the Dormaa Municipality, Ghana. Thirty (30) individuals of freshly harvested fish of average weight 912.78±16.43 g obtained from a fish farm and an
equal number of smoked farm-raised fish of average weight 769.19± 6.48 g were used for the study. The mean values obtained for the proximate analysis of fresh catfish were: moisture (77.4 ± 1.94 %), ash (1.34 ± 0.26 %), fat (0.57 ± 0.17 %), protein (17.58 ± 0.23 %) and total carbohydrate (4.45 ± 1.55 %) and those for the smoked fish were: moisture (11.63 ± 0.43 %), ash (7.06 ± 0.66 %), fat (9.31 ± 1.80 %), protein (25.72 ± 1.51 %) and 53.34 ± 0.15 % for total carbohydrate. The overall acceptability of fresh and smoked farm-raised catfish ranged from 3.2-4.6 and 3.0-3.8 respectively. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in the nutritional, bacterial and organoleptic qualities between the fresh and smoked catfish. Results from the study revealed higher nutritional composition in smoked catfish and lower bacterial loads in both fresh and smoked fish except E. coli, which must be of concern for consumer safety. It is recommended that farmed catfish should be smoked before consumption to obtain maximum nutritional benefit.

Molecular screening of chewing sticks and sponges found on the ghanaian local market for diarrhoea-causing microbes- a pilot study

2024-02-18T22:45:34+00:00

Chewing sticks and sponges are used for oral hygiene in Ghana and other African countries. In addition to their affordability, they have additional advantages of anti-microbial and anti-plague properties. They are usually sold on the open market under low hygienic conditions, exposing them to environmental pathogens. Since they are mostly not sterilized before use, it is important to screen for the presence of pathogens of public health importance on randomly selected samples. This preliminary study used molecular assays to screen for Rotavirus A, Salmonella typhi, Vibrio cholera and Escherichia coli on 10 chewing stick and sponge samples purchased randomly from the Agbogbloshie market in Accra. The samples were incubated in sterile distilled water overnight at room temperature to dislodge pathogens. Dislodged pathogens were captured using the Nanotrap Microbiome A kit. Total nucleic acids were extracted from concentrates using the RADI prep DNA/RNA kit. All PCR assays were performed using 2X SYBR Green Mix and pathogen specific primers. Out of the four pathogens screened, only E. coli was detected (40% and 60% of chewing sponge and stick samples respectively). Despite the advantages of chewing sticks and sponges, the detection of E. coli on samples is a cause for concern since they indicate faecal contamination and can cause diarrhoeal diseases. It is recommended that chewing sticks and sponges should be washed clean before used for oral health. An alternative is to train local producers and retailers on improved hygienic packaging and handling of these essential cleaning agents.

Diospyros crassiflora (HIERN) surface and subsoil leaf litter decomposition pattern along a time gradient in a humid rainforest

2024-02-18T23:03:01+00:00

Litter decomposition is a crucial bedrock of nutrient recycling, organic matter accumulation, soil physicochemical properties, biodiversity and life support of forest and agroforestry systems. We therefore investigated Diospyros crassiflora surface and subsoil leaf litter decomposition pattern along a duration gradient in a humid rainforest. The study was conducted in the nursery of the humid forest research station of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) in Umuahia, Abia State. One gram (1g) of D. crassiflora fresh leaf litter was placed on the surface and subsoil of 4kg of topsoil contained in 32cm x 20cm polyethene bags; there were a total of 108 bags in a completely randomized experimental design layout and the treatments were the duration gradient of litter decomposition which were: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 weeks; on each of the duration, litter was collected from nine of the polyethene bags for laboratory analysis and estimate of decomposition rate. The results showed a significantly high initial decomposition rate (3.19±0.13 %day-1; 4.28±0.03 %day-1) in the 2 week duration followed by significant continuous decline until the lowest (0.04±0.00%day-1; 0.28±0.02%day-1) in the 14 week in the surface and subsoil respectively. There was a positive correlation (r=0.80) in decomposition rate between the surface and subsoil leaf litter, which yielded a model with a significant R2 (0.64), for site-specific estimates of decomposition rate D. crassiflora leaf litter. A steeper and smoother subsoil cumulative percentage decomposition curve showed that leaf litter decomposition was significantly faster in the subsoil than surface soil.

Willingness of Ibadan residents to plant trees to commemorate social events

2024-02-18T23:20:39+00:00

Trees in cities contribute significantly to human health and environmental quality, thus, planting trees to Commemorate Social Events (CSEs) can be a unique green gift that celebrate people while also restoring urban environmental quality. This research examined respondents’ willingness to plant trees to CSEs in order to promote sustainable greening of Ibadan. A multistage random sampling procedure was used to obtain primary data from 450 respondents from five purposively selected local government areas. Data were subjected to descriptive statistics and logit regression analysis. Results showed that 57.8% respondents were male, 56.2% were married and 95.3% had formal education. Furthermore, 62.1% stated that trees were present in their environment; 78.4% agreed that trees are valuable and useful resources, and thus they are willing to plant trees to CSEs. The following factors were mentioned by respondents as motivating factors for tree planting: guaranteed investment after retirement (60.5%), knowledge of global environmental issues (67.9%), guaranteed alternative source of income (73.5%), and securing of land from land grabbers (63.5%). Age (-0.030) had a significant influence on willingness to plant trees to CSEs. Residents believe that tree planting is a good initiative; however, incentives should be provided to increase individual participation.

Variation in the intestinal morphology and biometric characteristics of Sardinella aurita and Sardinella maderensis at James Town in Ghana

2024-02-18T23:34:08+00:00

This study investigated the biology of Sardinella aurita (flat Sardinella) and S. maderensis (round Sardinella) at James Town in Ghana. A total of 40 round and flat Sardinella samples each were evaluated each month. The results showed significant difference between round and flat Sardinella with respect to intestinal weight (p=0.020), liver weight (p=0.002) and body weight (p=0.005). Intestinal weight of the round and flat Sardinella ranged from 86.5-113 g and 79-92 g respectively. Intestinal weight of round Sardinella was significantly higher than the flat Sardinella. Liver weight of flat Sardinella was significantly lower than the liver weight of round Sardinella. Mean intestinal content of round and flat Sardinella were 46.1±16.30 and 9.65±0.33 respectively. Relative gut mass for round Sardinella ranged between 0.022 and 0.120 whilst that of flat Sardinella ranged between 0.020 and 0.933. Relative gut length was similar for flat and round Sardinella. Mean Zhilers Index for flat and round Sardinella were 0.0752±0.004 and 0.091±0.005 respectively. Mean gonadosomatic index, Hepatosomatic index and Relative content mass recorded for flat Sardinella were 5.735±0.495, 0.346±0.034 and 0.006±0.000 respectively. This work recommend further study comparing catches from artisanal and semi-industrial vessels to obtain a broader knowledge of the growth and maturation of the species.

Key words: relative gut length, zhilers index, intestinal content, body weight, liver weight