Browsing by Author "Oparaigbo, M. I."

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    Analysis of heavy metals concentration in prawn (Macrobrachium Sp) harveted from Gberikoko River, in Sapele Delta State, Nigeria
    (U. P., 2015-08) Obasi, kalu O.; Enemchukwu, S.; Okereke, J. N.; Ezeji, E. U.; Oparaigbo, M. I.
    The concentrations of selected heavy metals: cadmium, arsenic, lead and mercury in prawn (Macrobrachium sp) were analyzed. The morphometric records of the prawn samples were taken. The specimens were subsequently weighed and individually pulverised to a uniform particle size. Ten(10)grams of each pulverised sample were put in a 200ml digestion conical flask, 30ml of aqua regia, which constitutes of hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and hydroflouric acid in the ratio 1:3:1 was added and placed uprightly for 10-15 minutes. The mixture was heated in a water bath until the whole sample dissolved and a yellow tint of the solution appeared. The solution was filtered using a filter paper into centrifuge tubes and made up to 50ml mark with deionized water. It was transferred into sample vials for analysis. The heavy metal analysis was done according to the standard methods for heavy metal determination using the FS 240 Varian Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Lead had the highest concentration in sample F and the lowest in sample H, with concentrations of 1.75ppm and 1.54ppm respectively. Also, the prawn samples exhibited the highest record of Mercury and lowest mean value of Arsenic with values of 6.9±3.95and0.00±0.00 respectively. For Mercury, the highest concentrations occurred in sample G and lowest in F, with concentrations of 12.6ppm and 4.1ppm respectively. Arsenic showed its highest concentration in sample F and lowest in sample H with concentrations of 0.65ppm and 0.64ppm, respectively, whereas Cadmium wasn’t detected in any of the samples. From the analysis of data, since F > Fcrit and p < 0.05, there is a significant difference in the mean concentrations of the prawn samples from Gberikoko river in Sapele, Delta State Nigeria.
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    The antimicrobial effects of local spices
    (UP, 2016-02) Obasi, Kalu. O.; Emeahara, U. V.; Okereke, J. N.; Udebuani, A. C.; Oparaigbo, M. I.
    The toxicity of garlic, ginger, pepper, and onion was studied on some clinical isolates. The isolates include: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus species, and Candida albicans. The crude extracts of the spices were obtained using 99% ethanol, 99% methanol, and hot water (100oc).Different graded concentrations of the extracts (aqueous and alcoholic) were prepared by pipetting one mill of the extract which yielded 100%, one mill of the extract plus one mill of water which yielded 50%, one mill of the extract plus 2 mills of distilled water which yielded 33.3%.The growth inhibitory effects of the aqueous and alcoholic extracts were examined using agar well diffusion method. The extracts were found to possess antimicrobial effects on the isolates by inhibiting their growths on the agar plates used. Hot water extracts of onion exhibited growth inhibitions on Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus species and Candida albicans with a mean of 11mm, 9.67mm, 4.67mm, 7.67mm, and 7mm respectively. Ethanol extracts of garlic exhibited growth inhibitions on Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus species and Candida albicans with a mean of 9.33mm, 7mm, 9.67mm, 9mm, and 11.33mm respectively etc. Organic extracts of methanol exhibited a higher growth inhibition when compared to organic extracts of ethanol, and aqueous extracts. The growth inhibitory effects of the crude extracts were compared with some third generation antibiotics: Ampicillin and Griseofulvin. The conventional antibiotics exhibited greater zones of inhibition compared to the crude extracts. Generally, garlic exhibited a higher growth inhibition when compared to other extracts.