Journal of the Ghana Science Association

BIOCHEMICAL AND HISTOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF THE NEPHROPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF WATERMELON (Citrullus Lanatus) SEED EXTRACT

2023-02-16T01:01:16-05:00

Drug-induced toxicity is one of the most common causes of kidney disorders, while most conventional drugs are inadequate
for treatment. This study was aimed at evaluating the phytochemical constituents and acute nephroprotective potential
of aqueous extract of watermelon seed (WMSE) in gentamicin (GM)- and cisplatin (Cisp)-induced nephrotoxicity in rats
as an alternative for the management of the condition. Aqueous seed extract (WMSE) was screened for phytochemical
constituents and DPPH scavenging activity. Nephrotoxicity was induced with GM (120 mg/kg b.wt) and Cisp (100 mg/kg
b.wt.). WMSE (at 100 and 250 mg/kg b.wt.) and Silymarin (120 mg/kg b.wt.) were co-administered orally during the
9-day study period. Nephroprotection was studied by assaying the activity of kidney function parameters, haematological
parameters, kidney oxidative stress status and histology of the kidney. The aqueous seed extract contained alkaloids,
glycosides, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds with 69% DPPH scavenging activity. Gentamicin and
cisplatin-treated groups recorded increased serum creatinine and urea, decreased kidney antioxidant (SOD, GPx and GSH),
increased relative kidney weight, and histological modification of the kidney tissues were observed. Treatment with WMSE
restored these parameters to near-normal levels with improved SOD activity, increased GSH levels in Cisp treated group
and improved haematological parameters of the GM model and ameliorated renal pathology. WMSE ameliorated acute
nephrotoxicity activity by modulation of antioxidant levels and could be explored as an alternative therapy for acute kidney
disease.

Assessment of intermediate Maturing Maize Inbred Lines under Low Soil Nitrogen for Hybrid Production

2023-05-17T02:56:43-04:00

Evaluation of maize inbred lines bred for low soil Nitrogen (low N) environments underlay identification and selection of parental lines for developing hybrids that would combine stability with high yield potential across stress and non-stress conditions. The main objective of this study was to identify high yielding intermediate maturing inbred lines based on multiple traits under optimal and Low-N and for hybrid development and population improvement. 36 inbred lines were evaluated under low (30 kg/ha) and optimum (90 kg/ha) N environments at three locations for 2 years in Ghana. The inbred lines exhibited high levels of genetic variability for grain yield (GY) and other agronomic traits desirable for Low - N tolerance. The results revealed that plant height (PHT), ear height (EHT), ears per plant (EPP) and chlorophyll content(CC) had direct effect on GY whiles days to anthesis (DA), days to silking (DS), anthesis silking interval (ASI) had negative direct effect on GY under low N. Traits with high direct effect could be used as indirect selection for improved grain yield under low N. The most promising inbreds identified were TZL Comp 3, Zm523B-29-2-1-1B*6, CZL 068, CLWN 247 and CML 4444. These are likely to contribute favorable alleles for grain yield to their progenies could be the best choice of parental lines for developing hybrids with maximum expression of tolerance to Low-N

Fuel properties and emission characteristics of biodiesel fuel produced from waste cooking oil using CaO/CaFe2O4 catalyst

2023-06-13T10:53:27-04:00

The key challenges to be overcome while selecting the most suitable potential substitutes for petro-diesel are the high cost of various biodiesel and the demand for their feedstock as food materials. In addition, certain properties of biodiesel, such as high viscosity and density limit their usage in compression ignition (CI) engines since they can severely damage the components of the engine and shorten their useful lives. To address these problems, biodiesel was produced from waste cooking oil via a transesterification process using CaO/CaFe₂O₄ composite nanocatalyst. The characteristics of the exhaust emissions of the various biodiesel blend with petro-diesel (B20, B50, and B80) as well as the produced biodiesel (B100) and diesel (D100) were tested in a four-stroke, horizontal, single-cylinder, water-cooled diesel engine at a constant speed of 1500 rpm. The produced WCO biodiesel properties were within the range of ASTM biodiesel standards. Emission study results indicate that utilizing B20, B50, and B80 blends resulted in reduced CO, HC, and CO₂ emissions than using petro-diesel fuel. In comparison to diesel fuel, the different blends emit more NO_x. The reduction in CO, HC, and CO₂ emissions for B20 and B50 is (7.88, 25.29, and 31.26 %) and (9.24, 5.54, and 27.85 %) respectively. The reductions are (10.4, 6.02, and 21.96%) for B80. These biodiesel blends produced higher NOx emissions than diesel fuel, with B20, B50, and B80, respectively, producing 1.2%, 1.79%, and 2.96% increases in NO_x emissions.