Agro-waste: a potential fermentation substrate for Penicillium chrysogenum

Common agro-wastes found in Lagos, Nigeria (cassava shavings, corncob, sawdust, and sugarcane pulp) were compared with glucose and lactose as fermentation substrates for Penicillium chrysogenum PCL501. Cassava shavings significantly (P<0.001) produced the highest amount of mycelia weight (0.43 ± 0.02 mg/ml) than all the other substrates. This was followed by corncob with peak mycelia weight of 0.33 ± 0.02 mg/ml. Peak mycelia weight of 0.27 ± 0.01 mg/ml was equally obtained with glucose and sugarcane pulp whereas lactose gave a slightly lower peak of 0.25 ± 0.01 mg/ml. Sawdust gave the least mycelia weight of 0.13 ± 0.01 mg/ml. Total sugar content of all the culture media steadily decreased as fungal growth progressed indicating that the organism utilized carbohydrates for growth and mycelia formation. Cultures containing cassava shavings and sawdust gave high protein peaks of 0.84 ± 0.05 and 0.65 ± 0.03 mg/ml respectively. Cultures containing corncob, glucose, lactose and sugarcane pulp yielded lower protein peaks of 0.37 ± 0.02, 0.30 ± 0.02, 0.24 ± 0.02 and 0.18 ± 0.01 mg/ml respectively. The results suggest that cassava shavings, corncob and sugarcane pulp could serve as cheap fermentation substrates for the growth of the fungus. Of all the substrates investigated, cassava shavings have the best potential to serve as substrate for fermentation by Penicillium chrysogenum PCL501. © 2009 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved

Sulphuric Acid Corrosion of Mild Steel in Leave Extracts of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius Plant

Alkaloid and nonalkaloids extracts of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaves is reported as corrosion inhibitor of mild steel in HCl. Conventional weight loss measurements and Tafel polarization techniques are employed to study the effect on mild steel corrosion in H2SO4 solutions. The weight loss result revealed that both plant extracts are excellent corrosion inhibitors. Electrochemical polarization data revealed that mixed mode of inhibition. The increase in %IE with change in concentration of the extracts suggests the strong adsorption of active molecules leading to the formation of a protective layer on the mild steel surface.  It was found that adsorption of both leaf extracts followed Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. Keywords: Weight loss, Langmuir isotherm, activation energy, corrosion current density, inhibition efficiency, Cnidoscolus aconitifolius

Potentiality of Diethylamine as Agent of Deproteination and Deacetylation in the Extraction of Chitosan from Scylla serrata Shell

The potentiality of diethylamine as deproteination and deacetylation agent in the extraction of chitosan from Scylla serrata (giant mud crab) shell was investigated. The aim was to find an alternative agent to inorganic alkalis as possible replacement for use in the production of high quality chitosan with the right stability. Pretreatment of the shell was carried out and followed by demineralization using hydrochloric acid. Diethylamine was used for deproteination and deacetylation by modifying some published protocols. Moisture, ash, fat and protein contents of the extracts were determined using their respective standard methods. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) technique was used for spectroscopic analysis. Scylla serrata shell was composed of 14.25% protein, 32.84% mineral (CaCO3), 31.52% chitin and 21.39% chitosan. Moisture, ash, fat and protein contents of chitin extracted from Scylla serrata shell were 2.35%, 3.03%, 1.79% and 3.85% respectively while those of chitosan were 1.65%, 3.84%, 0.53% and 2.80% respectively. Degree of deacetylation (DDA) and carbon to nitrogen ratio were 69.24% and 5.67 respectively. FTIR spectra of the extracted chitin and chitosan from Scylla serrata showed the presence of some active compounds of carbonyl, amide, amine and hydroxyl groups. However, CH3 waging along chain (952 cm-1), CO stretching at 1026 cm-1 and 1073 cm-1, and amide II band (1563 cm-1) were not found in the extracted chitin while HPO42- and amide III were also not found in the extracted chitosan. These moieties were present in the standard chitin and chitosan respectively. This study has shown that diethylamine (organic base) has great potential as agent of deproteination and deacetylation in the extraction of chitosan from Scylla serrata. Consequently, academic activity in the area of investigation of the stability of the extracted chitosan from Scylla serrata using diethylamine as deproteination and deacetylation agent is strongly recommended. Keywords: Diethylamine, deproteination, deacetylation, chitin and chitosan, Scylla serrata shell. DOI: 10.7176/CMR/12-7-07 Publication date:October 31st  2020

The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma renal injury grading scale: Implications of the 2018 revisions for injury reclassification and predicting bleeding interventions.

BackgroundIn 2018, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) published revisions to the renal injury grading system to reflect the increased reliance on computed tomography scans and non-operative management of high-grade renal trauma (HGRT). We aimed to evaluate how these revisions will change the grading of HGRT and if it outperforms the original 1989 grading in predicting bleeding control interventions.MethodsData on HGRT were collected from 14 Level-1 trauma centers from 2014 to 2017. Patients with initial computed tomography scans were included. Two radiologists reviewed the scans to regrade the injuries according to the 1989 and 2018 AAST grading systems. Descriptive statistics were used to assess grade reclassifications. Mixed-effect multivariable logistic regression was used to measure the predictive ability of each grading system. The areas under the curves were compared.ResultsOf the 322 injuries included, 27.0% were upgraded, 3.4% were downgraded, and 69.5% remained unchanged. Of the injuries graded as III or lower using the 1989 AAST, 33.5% were upgraded to grade IV using the 2018 AAST. Of the grade V injuries, 58.8% were downgraded using the 2018 AAST. There was no statistically significant difference in the overall areas under the curves between the 2018 and 1989 AAST grading system for predicting bleeding interventions (0.72 vs. 0.68, p = 0.34).ConclusionAbout one third of the injuries previously classified as grade III will be upgraded to grade IV using the 2018 AAST, which adds to the heterogeneity of grade IV injuries. Although the 2018 AAST grading provides more anatomic details on injury patterns and includes important radiologic findings, it did not outperform the 1989 AAST grading in predicting bleeding interventions.Level of evidencePrognostic and Epidemiological Study, level III

Pattern of Blood Pressure Indices among the Residents of a Rural Community in South East Nigeria

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the main causes of death in industrialized countries, and are significant causes of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease in Nigerians, and the risk of CVD associated with hypertension is independent of other risk factors. Despite the high level of awareness of its presence in the developed countries, the level of control is still poor. CVDs tend to be commoner in urban settlements, and it has been hypothesized that rural sub-Saharan Africa is at an early stage of epidemiological transition from communicable to non-communicable diseases (NCD) because of the gradual adoption of unhealthy lifestyles. This study aimed at describing the pattern of blood pressure indices among the hypertensive residents of a rural community in South East Nigeria. A total of 858 individuals comprising 247 males and 611 females took part in the study. 46.4% of the subjects had hypertension. Hypertension was commoner in the males (50.2% vs. 44.8%) (χ2(1) = 1.484; P = 0.223). The males were significantly older and heavier than the females while the females had higher mean values of BMI and WC. The prevalence of hypertension is becoming alarmingly high in the rural communities of sub-Saharan Africa