High morbidity and mortality rate associated with pneumococcal infection globally is of major concern most especially among infant. This burden is equally worsened by multidrug resistance strains due to indiscriminate consumption of antibiotics. Hence, need for constant search for cheap and effective bioactive compounds as alternative antimicrobials for the treatment of pneumococcal infection. Bioactive compound profiling and in-vitro antibacterial activity of ginger methanol extract against two predominant pneumococcal agents; Streptococcus pneumonia and Haemophilus influenza were investigated. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) was used for the identification and quantification of bioactive compounds in the ginger methanol extract. The antibacterial activity and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the extract was determined using Agar well diffusion. Twenty-seven (27) matched bioactive compounds were detected in the sample. Zingerone (17.70%), α-zingiberene (13.30%), (6)-shogaol (10.84%), α-Farnesene (6.26%), β-Funebrene (5.61%), 6-gingerol (5.18%), α-curcumene (4.15%) were the major compounds present. All other identified compounds had less than 4% composition by peak area each. The antibacterial activity of the ginger crude methanol extract against S. pneumonia and H. influenza were 2.33 mm and 9.33 mm. MIC of the extract against the isolates was 10%. In conclusion ginger crude methanol extract contain an array of bioactive compounds and the extract exhibited antibacterial activity against predominant pneumococcal agents. Ginger extract can be harnessed for the production of new antimicrobials to combat pneumococcal infection.

African eggplants are highly valued constituents of the Nigerian food. However, their nutritional potentials have not been fully tapped due to inadequate information on their nutritional and anti-nutritional qualities. This present study investigated the proximate, minerals, anti-nutrient contents as well as the estimation of mineral ratios and Mineral Safety Index of four selected edible solanum species namely, Solanum anguivi, S. gilo, S. menalogena and S. aethiopicum. The proximate contents (%) ranged from 4.19-5.46 (moisture content), 1.71-2.49 (crude fat), 4.57-5.45 (crude ash), 3.76-4.93 (crude protein), 5.20-6.30 (crude fiber) and 77.14-78.58 (carbohydrate). The solanum species were good sources of energy with total metabolizable energy of 1.458MJ-1.484MJ. The four solanum species contained high K, Ca, Mg, low Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu, while amount of Cd, Ni and Pb were very low. The mineral ratios of K/Na, Ca/Mg, Ca/K, Zn/Cu and [K/(Ca+Mg)] were below the minimum good ratios levels of 1.0, 4.17, 4.0, 8.0 and 2.2 respectively which are good for man. The anti-nutrient contents revealed low phytate, oxalate and cyanide levels. The calculated Phytate/Zn, Phytate/Ca and Oxalate/Ca were lower than the threshold levels and would support absorption and bioavailability of Zn and Ca in the samples while that of Phytate/Fe was above the critical value and this indicates unavailability of iron in these eggplant fruits. The mineral differences observed showed that S. menalogena and S. aethiopicum had greater minerals while the Mineral Safety Index results revealed that the body could not be overloaded with any of the minerals investigated. The eggplants are rich in fiber, ash, carbohydrate and minerals with moderate protein. The low level of the anti-nutrient is good and poses no deleterious effect when consumed. The eggplants have nutritional health benefits; hence, their consumption should be encouraged to address food insecurity in Nigeria

Animal and vegetable wastes are mostly utilized by burning or as fertilizer on agricultural lands. Burning these wastes does not produce a desired level of heat, and the remaining material after heat production cannot be used as fertilizer, either. For this reason, plant and animal wastes are converted into energy by obtaining biogas from biomass, which is one of the most environmentally acceptable methods of solution. This system makes it possible to both produce energy and evaluate the end product as fertilizer. In this study, the efficiency of biogas and methane production from kitchen waste and ovine manure via anaerobic fermentation was evaluated. First of all, the C/N ratio of randomly selected kitchen wastes was determined, and it was found as 34.30. The mixing ratios with ovine manure were determined by considering the C/N ratio that was found. The mixing ratios of kitchen waste and ovine manure by mass were determined as 1:0, 0:1, 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1, respectively, and the C/N values providing optimum biogas production in the mixtures were found. At the end of the 48-day-long anaerobic fermentation process, the highest biogas and methane production was achieved as 525 ml and 332 ml, respectively, in reactor 5 with a mixing ratio of 2:1. This reactor was followed by reactor 2 with 450 ml of biogas and 271 ml of methane production. Accordingly, it was concluded that kitchen waste could be a good mixture with ovine manure in anaerobic fermentation.

Agroforestry (AF) is widely considered the most important tool to mitigate climate change-related issues by removing Carbon (C) Dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and storing C. Therefore, this study aims to broaden current knowledge on the impact of sustainable Agroforestry (AF) on the C sequestration rate and C stock in the surroundings of Cyamudongo isolated rain forest and Ruhande Arboretum. To understand this, the permanent sample plots (PSPs) were established mainly in the four designed transects of four km long originating on the Cyamudongo isolated rain forest boundary following the slope gradient ranging from 1286 to 2015 m asl. A total number of 73 PSPs were established in the Cyamudongo study area while 3 PSPs were established in the Ruhande AF plot. The Arc Map GIS 10.4 was used to design and map the sampling areas while GPS was used for the localization of the plots. Statistical significance was analyzed through R-software. The estimated quantity of sequestrated C for 2 years and 34 years of AF species was 13.11 t C ha -1 yr-1 (equivalent to 48 t CO2 ha -1 yr-1) and 6.85 t ha-1 yr-1 (equivalent to 25.1 t CO2 ha -1 yr-1) in Cyamudongo and Ruhande respectively. The estimated quantity of C stored by the Ruhande AF plot is 232.94 t ha-1. In Cyamudongo, the overall C stored by the AF systems was 823 t ha-1 by both young tree species established by the Cyamudongo Project (35.84 t ha-1) and C stored by existing AF species before the existence of the Project (787.12 t ha-1). In all study areas, the Grevillea robusta contributed more to overall stored C. The correlation coefficients between tree diameter and living biomass ranged from moderate to very strong due to differences in terms of age, stage of growth, and tree species.

Salinity often increases osmotic stress, reducing plant water uptake and inhibiting the absorption of nutrients and minerals. This imbalance situation causes physiological, biochemical disorders, and nutrient deficiencies in plants. In this study, the effects of biochar application on the physiological properties, nutrient contents and antioxidant enzyme activities of lettuce were investigated under saline irrigation water conditions. For this purpose, four different biochar doses and different irrigation water salinity levels were applied to the lettuce plant. In the study, biochar application under salt stress conditions decreased the Na, Fe, Zn content and antioxidant enzyme activity of the plant. Leaf relative water content, chlorophyll content (SPAD) and some nutrients (Ca, K, Mg, P, Cu and Mn) also increased. Therefore, biochar applied under salt irrigated water conditions offers good potential to reduce the severity of plant exposure to salinity stress. In addition, the biochar amendment helped the plant uptake of nutrients.

The new coronavirus, emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019, turned into a major global pandemic and has caused many deaths around the world. Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected every aspect from economy, education to health system. During Covid-19 pandemic, access to foodstuffs has become even more important, and some countries have imposed restrictions on exports of basic food items for fear of food shortages. These restrictions and quotas are feared to disrupt the flows of trade for staple foods such as wheat, corn and rice, which has deepened the concerns for food security. This study was conducted to examine the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on wheat price, production and trade and to review the policies of wheat exporter countries. According to the results of the study, Covid-19 did not cause fear in wheat markets, and no shortages of wheat are expected in the short term. Although countries have reduced the measures they have taken as of May, uncertainties regarding food safety still persist for the coming years. World economies have shrunk significantly as a result of the drastic measures they have taken against covid-19, which could worsen the situation for low income households.

The effect of cricket addition on the proximate composition, mineral compositions, functional and sensory properties of complementary food formulated from millet was studied. The result of the chemical composition showed significantly increase in the protein and fat level of the formulated complementary food (9.28±0.16 - 20.20±0.07) % and (3.65±002 - 8.12±0.08) %, respectively. However, a significant decrease in the carbohydrate level (75.61±0.03 - 60.44±0.31) g/100g was observed. Evaluation of functional properties showed that cricket addition did not affect the bulk density but increased the water absorption (2.46±0.05), Emulsion (38.02±0.40%), foam (6.00±0.00), gelation (20.00±0.00%) capacities and pH (6.20±0.02). The mineral contents including Fe, Ca, Na, and K of the food ranged from 7.54±0.10 - 10.25±0.05 mL/100g, 30.35±0.15 - 34.98±0.10 mL/100g, 9.35±0.29 - 14.47±0.06 mL/100g and 30.92±0.03 - 56.40±010 mL/100g respectively increasing with increased addition of cricket flour The formulated samples were rated higher for taste, colour, flavour, texture and the overall acceptability than the control. In general sample 513 containing 75:25 cricket: millet flour showed more improvement than other formulated samples and most acceptable in terms of taste, flavour mouth feel and overall acceptability. Adding cricket flour to millet flour as complementary food would help in addressing protein energy malnutrition in children.

Samsun is the most important province of the Black Sea Region by the socio-economic structure. In this study, how animal production changed between 2010 and 2020 in the province and the needed suggestions for the later period were revealed. In the assesment period of the study, an important increment occurred in the number of large and small animals except for equidae including horse, donkey and mule. Similarly, a high elevation of milk production in bovine, ovine, and goat has been observed in the province. While the floating structure in the number of poultry and honey production of the province has been noticed within the last decade, it may be declared that the animal production level of Samsun is generally better than the neighboring provinces. In conclusion, applying the revealed suggestions on improving the current situation will provide to gain for elevating the production of the province and region to the higher level.

This study was conducted to assess variability among linear body measurements (LBMs), deduce components that describe these traits, and investigate the inter-relationship among them. For this purpose, seventeen LBM traits namely heart girth, body-length, wither-height, ear-length, forelimb-length, hindlimb-length, barrel-girth, face-length, hip-width, chest-width, chest-depth, tail-length, neck-length, hump-length, hump-circumference, forehoof-circumference and hindhoof-circumference were measured on 300 (51 males and 249 females) camels. PC factor analysis was used to describe the variation in LBM traits where extracted factors were varimax rotated to enhance interpretability. Pearson’s correlation coefficients among the traits were positive and very highly significant. From the factor analysis, two principal components (PCs) were extracted, which accounted for 63.2% of the total variance. PC1 accounted for 57.0% of the total observed variance and was loaded by EL, BL, FL, HL, FLL, WH, CD, NL, and HC; while PC2 contributed 6.1% of the total observed variance and had its loading on HG, BG, and HW. The results obtained from this study could be useful in designing appropriate husbandry, selection, and breeding programs for utilization of camel genetic resources.

Lemna minor L. is an aquatic plant that is resistant to hard conditions, is a fast growing, rapidly multiplying vascular floating macrophyte, and is widely distributed in wetlands in our country and around the world. Lemna minor L., also known as duckweed, contains essential nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates and fats, as well as various secondary metabolites that are beneficial for humans. Therefore, it is a remarkable source of alternative food. In addition to its traditional medical use, it is thought that taking into account in the development of herbal medicines and cosmetics today in the light of scientific studies will be beneficial in terms of developing value-added products and bringing them into the economy. In this review, studies and articles on the usability of Lemna minor L. in the field of health and nutrition are reviewed and presented with an overview.