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Purification of Cellulase obtained from Tomato fruits (Lycopersicon lycopersicum (L.) Karst) deteriorated by Aspergillus Flavus Lin
Full text linkTomato fruits infected by Aspergillus flavus Linn
produced proteins with cellulolytic activity. The enzyme was
partially purified by Ammonium Sulphate Precipitation, Gel
filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. Three peaks of
absorption A, B and C were obtained. Peak B had Cellulase
activity with molecular weight of approximately 30,200 Daltons
while Peaks A and C lacked Cellulase activity. Elution of
components of Peak B on CM Sephadex C-25 produced four
peaks of absorption designated Ba, Bb, Bc and Bd. Only
components of Peaks Bb and Bc possessed Cellulase activity.
Purification folds of approximately 80 and 81 were obtained for
components of Peaks Bb and Bc respectively for Cellulase of A.
flavus. The apparent Km values for the hydrolysis of
carboxymethylcellulose by A.flavus Cellulase fractions, Bb and
Bc were approximately 16.7 and 15.4mg/ml respectively. The
partially purified enzyme preparations obtained from A.flavus
during the deterioration of tomato fruits caused tissue
maceration and cellular death. This result can be very useful in
splitting and solubilization of pectic substances and
pathogenicity
Teachers' time utilisation and students' enrolment in school certificate examination: implication for school leadership
Full text linkThis study investigated the extent to which teachers' time utilisation influences students' enrolment in certificate
examination and compared the realized teaching time by teachers in public and private secondary schools in
Benin, Nigeria to draw the attention of school leadership to the importance of teachers' time utilisation to the
attainment of educational goals. The survey design was employed to elicit data from three hundred and sixty
randomly selected senior secondary school students from five public and five private senior schools. Questionnaire
served as the data collection instrument and the data were subsequently analysed using Kolmogorov
Smirnov test, Mann Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis test. Results indicate that realised teaching time and time
utilisation by the teachers in public secondary schools is significantly lower than what obtains in private secondary
schools and significantly lower than the expected teaching time. The realised teaching time and time
utilisation also varied significantly within the public and private secondary schools and between classes in public
and private secondary schools. Lastly, class sizes were significantly large in uencthe public schools but generally
small in the certificate classes, thus implying that teachers' time utilization has a significant impact on students'
enrolment. The need for school leaders and administrators to ensure increased teachers' time utilisation for
enhanced enrolment in certificate examinations was suggested, among other
Relationship between water physico-chemical parameters and growth of Brycinus macrolepidotus (Valenciennes, 1850) in Akomoje water reservoir, Ogun State, Nigeria
Full text linkWater pollution is a major topic in many fisheries and aquaculture conferences, seminars and workshops as the performance and survival of any fish species depends on its environment. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between physico-chemical parameters of water and growth of Brycinus macrolepidotus in Akomoje water reservoir, South-West, Nigeria. Water parameters were measured using standard methods. Length and weight of sampled fish were also determined to the nearest 0.1 cm/g using standard equipment. Relationship between water features and length, weight was determined by correlation. All data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences software. No significant difference (p>0.05) was observed in temperature and dissolved oxygen (28.3 - 28.5 oC and 7.6–8.2 mg/l) during the study while pH, transparency, nitrate and phosphate varied significantly. Levels of pH dropped at the peak of the dry months (January) to the onset of the rains (April). Spatial variation in all parameters was not significant (p>0.05). Length and weight were higher during the wet months (29.24–31.16 cm and 625.22-756.18 g) than in the dry months (24.45–28.81 cm and 385.71-639.20 g) with maximum recorded in June. Positive relationship was observed between length, weight and temperature. Conclusively, dissolved oxygen and temperature were within optimum range for fish growth during the study. Transparency, pH, nitrate, and phosphate were influenced by the seasons. Correlation was established between growth and water parameters
Effect of anthropogenic activities on the water quality parameters of federal university of agriculture Abeokuta reservoir
Full text linkThe study aimed to investigate the impacts of land use types on surface water quality and to determine
the various anthropogenic activities of the surface water flowing into the reservoir. Four sampling
stations were selected around the study location and water samples collected biweekly from February to
June 2013. The result showed that the water quality parameter varied during the study with temperature
ranged between 26.88-31.440C, pH (6.82-7.98), alkalinity (6.66-14.5mg/l) and dissolved oxygen (DO)
(3.94-6.82mg/l). Highest DO was observed at the reservoir. No significant difference (p<0.05) was
observed in the values of alkalinity among the water bodies. Temperature was statistically similar
(p>0.05) at three of the stations but significantly different (p<0.05) at the reservoir. The study concluded
that water quality of the reservoir was adversely affected by human activities such as domestic runoff,
agricultural runoff, and refuse dump as well as seasonality in the streams flowing into the FUNAAB
reservoir
Effect of processing conditions on some quality attributes of fried cassava-defatted peanut crackers.
No full textA 23 full factorial design was used to investigate the effect of steaming time,
dough slice thickness and frying time on some quality attributes of fried
cassava-defatted peanut crackers. The sample mixture (cassava starch-75%
and defatted peanut flour-25%) was worked up to a moisture content of
40.85%, formed into a sausage-like shape, steamed (40 and 80 min) and then
refrigerated at 5 °C for 18 h. Refrigerated dough were sliced into different
thicknesses (1 and 2 mm), dried at 60 °C for 4 h and then fried at 170 °C for
between 10-20 s. Fried samples were analyzed for moisture and oil contents,
expansion, texture, and colour. The effect of the variables was analyzed using
ANOVA of Design expert version 12 after which regression models and
response surface plots were generated. Optimized samples were obtained and
sensory analyses of the sample were conducted. The regression equations were
evaluated and verified to be accurate with high determination of coefficient of
between 0.87 and 0.99. Linear model terms of steaming time, slice thickness
and frying time significantly (p<0.05) affect oil content and texture while
interaction of steaming time and slice thickness significantly (p<0.05) affect oil
content. The optimized process conditions to obtain high nutritious and
healthier fried cassava – defatted peanut crackers were 80 min, 1.00 mm and
10.02 s for steaming time, dough slice thickness and frying time, respectively
Improvement in Physicochemical, Nutritional, and Microbial Stability of Tomatoes Using Gum Arabic-Based Composite Coating Functionalized with Keratin and Cinnamon Oil
No full textIn this study, we investigated the development of gum Arabic (GA)-based composite coatings functionalized with keratin
(K) and cinnamon oil (CO) to enhance the physicochemical, nutritional, and microbial stability of tomatoes. Coating
formulations containing GA-K-CO0.1 (27:3:0.1, v/v/v) and GA-K-CO0.5 (27:3:0.5, v/v/v) were developed and applied as
coatings. Mature green tomatoes were treated with GA-K-CO0.1 and GA-K-CO0.5 and stored at 27.5 °C and 80.7% relative
humidity (RH) for 20 days, with quality assessments at 5-day intervals. Formulations with a GA-K-CO0.1 concentration
extended the shelf life of tomatoes by up to 5 days under ambient conditions. This was achieved by signifcantly reducing weight loss by 31.9%, decay incidence by 33.3%, and exhibiting signifcant antifungal activity (p<0.05) compared
with the uncoated control, which was coated with distilled water. The tomatoes coated with GA-K-CO0.5 showed about
a 6.21% retention in moisture content, total soluble solids, and a rise of roughly 60% in antioxidant capacity compared
with control group. The formulation with a lower level of cinnamon oil in GA-K-CO0.1 showed a signifcant (p <0.05)
retention in β-carotene and lycopene levels, and further enhanced nutritional and visual quality, as well as its potential to
inhibit bacterial and fungal growth. The gum Arabic-based coating functionalized with keratin and cinnamon oil presents
a novel and sustainable method for postharvest tomato preservation, holding considerable promise to lower losses and
improve food quality in supply chains
