Journal of Scientific Research and Development

Assessing the cause of increasing iron concentration in the eutrophication of Lagos coastal water

2024-12-30T22:13:40+00:00

Iron (Fe) has been found to play a significant role in the surface waters biogeochemical cycles of some macronutrients responsible for eutrophication. Thus, the need to assess the cause of increasing concentration of Fe in the eutrophication of the economically important Lagos coastal waters. Top and bottom water samples were obtained from ten (10) study stations along the Lagos coastal water system, spanning Lagos Central to Lagos East, between November 2019 and March 2020. Physicochemical parameters including pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Turbidity and Salinity were measured in-situ while iron concentrations were determined by spectrophotometric method. The data showed average pH, DO, ORP, TDS, turbidity and salinity of 7.56 ± 0.24; 11.99 ± 2.58 mg L^-1; 52.25 ± 42.01 mV; 9.45 ± 2.92 g L^-1; 54.92 ± 21.91 NTU and 10.13 ± 2.76 ppt respectively while average Fe concentration was 0.67 ± 0.32 mg L^-1 for both top and bottom water layer. The locations with elevated concentrations of Fe, mainly driven by anthropogenic inputs from the catchments of the study locations, showed negative ORP values which was indicative of high microbial activities. Increasing Fe concentration and presence of other micronutrients suggest that inputs of minerogenic matter will continue to be a major composite in the sustenance of eutrophication in the waters.

Intraocular pressure reducing effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa leaf aqueous extract in normotensive subjects

2024-12-30T22:30:21+00:00

This study is aimed to investigate the effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa leaf aqueous extract on intraocular pressure (IOP) in normotensive subjects. A total of fifty-two (52) individuals participated in this study with a mean age of 22.79 ± 2.645 years, with equal gender distribution of male and female. The study population was subdivided into two groups: an experimental group A and Control group B. Each group consisted of 26 normotensives (as study design) comprising of 13 males and 13 females who were age-matched. All the participants abstained from medication for one week and no breakfast on the day of the experiment. The baseline IOP value of all subjects in both groups were measured with Perkins non-contact tonometer thereafter, those in the experimental group were administered with aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa. The IOP was then measured at intervals of 30, 60, 90 and 120 mins after ingestion of the extract. The findings of this study showed that in group A, there was significant reduction in IOP in both the right and left eyes over time intervals (p < 0.001) post – ingestion of Hibiscus sabdariffa leaf aqueous extract. The peak of reduction in IOP occurred at 120 minutes on the right eye (10.15 ± 1.190 mmHg) and left eye (10.31 ± 1.192) compared to the baseline findings of 13.23 ± 1.996 mmHg and 13.04 ± 2.490 mmHg, respectively. Notably, group B did not exhibit any significant changes in IOP. Across the time intervals examined, it was observed that there was no significant relationship between the age and gender of the participants and the fluctuations in their IOP subsequent to ingesting Hibiscus sabdariffa leaf aqueous extract (p > 0.05). Conversely, there were significant relationships identified between the participants’ baseline IOP levels and the alterations in their IOP after ingesting Hibiscus sabdariffa leaf aqueous extract (p < 0.05). This study suggests that eye care professionals could consider the integration of Hibiscus sabdariffa leaf aqueous extract as a complementary therapy in the management of IOP in some ocular conditions like glaucoma.

Green Innovation: Transforming Carob Pod Shell into Bioplastics with Enhanced Mechanical Strength for Eco-Friendly Application

2024-12-30T23:52:46+00:00

Plastic's inability to decompose has posed a significant threat to both humans and the environment, necessitating the development of biodegradable polymers. Among these difficulties are greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous chemical leaching, microplastic contamination, and environmental damage. In order to address some of the issues mentioned, this work focuses on the extraction of cellulose from carob pod shells and its subsequent conversion into cellulose acetate and nanocrystals (CNC) for the manufacture of bioplastics. The materials and methods include the isolation of cellulose from biomass through chemical treatments, CNC production through maleic acid hydrolysis, cellulose acetate preparation, and bioplastic synthesis. Evaluations of functional properties, proximate analysis, hemicellulose and lignin content, and % yield were all covered by experimental studies. X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopywere used in the characterization process. The bioplastic synthesized demonstrated significant degradation of an average mass of 72.13% over a 28 days period, indicating its environmental friendliness. Mechanical properties such as hardness shows that the higher the content of glycerol, the less the hardness; tensile strengthincreased as the amount of glycerol was increased showing a remarkable strength of 8.00 MPa as the minimum(without glycerol) exceeding the minimum value of 1.343 MPa according to the Biodegradable plastic standard SNI 7818:2014; and elongation were also evaluated, showing a positive correlation with the addition of glycerol. XRD and SEM analyses revealed changes in crystallinity and morphology respectively during the bioplastic synthesis process. FT-IR spectra confirmed the chemical modifications, and the degree of substitution for cellulose acetate was determined. The study provides valuable insights into the sustainable utilization of carob pod shell for eco-friendly bioplastic production with desirable mechanical and degradation properties.

Chemical profiling and in-silico study of Phragmanthera incana (Schum.) Balle species Growing on Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth in the management of type 2 diabetes

2024-12-31T10:05:07+00:00

Synthetic drugs have relatively attained its optimal significant potency to manage various diseases but with series of side effects that emanates from its administration. Hence, the need to exploit safer alternative therapies, like the use of medicinal plants, for newer compounds with therapeutic potential to manage type 2 diabetes. Ethnobotanical study has claimed that Phragmanthera incana leaves have antidiabetic potential. Thus, this study focuses on investigating P. incana for its phytochemicals as well as isolating bioactive compounds for docking studies. Extraction using a cold maceration method with solvents of varying polarities, including hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and a butanol/water mixture was done to afford PH, PC, PE, PM, and PB as the respective extracts. The study found that these leaves contain a diverse range of compounds, including alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phenols, and others. The hexane extract was partitioned by column chromatography to isolate bioactive compounds, which were subsequently characterised using FTIR, NMR, and MS spectroscopic techniques. This led to the identification of Friedelin and 1-octadecene. The in silico studies showed Friedelin as the most promising compound with a binding energy of -10.2 kcal/mol. It was revealed to be a potential antidiabetic agent but immune-toxic. The study also designed derivatives of Friedelin to mitigate this immunotoxicity, particularly two compounds coded BAM2 and BAM4 were derived and found to be less toxic. In summary, the study highlights the potentials of Friedelin isolated from Phragmanthera incana leaves for the management of diabetes and the development of its safer derivatives of as potential drug candidates.