Acacia Nilotica Pods Research Articles

Efficient removal of E. coli from wastewater by novel phytofabricated nano-zinc using antibacterial potential, kinetic studies, and response surface methodology

The present investigation explores the antibacterial potential of novel ZnO-NPs synthesized from Acacia nilotica pods extract and immobilized onto sodium alginate beads to control bacterial pollution in wastewater. Phenolics and flavonoids were major phytoconstituents acting as capping, reducing, and stabilizing agents. UV–Vis analysis showed strong absorption band at 340 nm. XRD and TEM revealed hexagonal crystalline structure for zincite of average particles diameter 33.87 and 32.74 nm, respectively. FTIR demonstrated several bands with functional groups (O–H, C-H, C = O, C = C, and C–O–C) involved in ZnO-NPs synthesis. SEM images showed NPs surface completely colonized by E.coli, while EDX spectrum showed signals for zinc (52.94%) and oxygen (26.58%) confirming NPs purity. Adhesion capacity studies revealed ZnO-NPs potential (0.5 g) to remove E.coli after 120 min. Kinetic and isotherm studies indicated that pseudo-second-order model and Freundlich isotherm were best fit describing adhesion mechanism. Electrostatic attraction between negatively charged E.coli and positively charged ZnO-NPs was followed by generation of H2O2 leading to cell apoptosis. Adhesion optimization using Box–Behnken design under response surface methodology was 99.8% at disinfectant dose 30 g/L, contact time 6 h, and E.coli concentration 150 × 107 cfu/mL. For application, real wastewater was treated with removal 98.2%, 97.2%, and 96.5% for total coliform, fecal coliform, and E.coli, respectively, after 6 h. ZnO-NPs showed sustainable efficiency during four consecutive cycles of treatment. The study concluded the efficiency, eco-friendly and cost-effectiveness of phytofabricated ZnO-NPs as disinfectants for wastewater and recommended future studies on large scale for possible wastewater reuse in safe unrestricted irrigation.

Antimicrobial, Antioxidant Activities, and Phytochemical Characterization of Acacia nilotica and Hibiscus sabdariffa

Antibiotic abuse has caused the emergence of an alarming number of resistant pathogens. Hence, there is an urgent need for novel agents. Most of the Sudanese people in rural areas rely on traditional medicine for the treatment of many infectious diseases. This study was carried out to investigate the antimicrobial antioxidant activities and phytochemical contents of Hibiscus sabdariffa fruits and Acacia nilotica pods. Antimicrobial assays of the ethanolic extracts of both plants showed that they exhibit diverse inhibitory activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, and three Gram-negative bacteria Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella and Escherichia coli, and one fungi Candida albicans, with the zone of inhibition ranging from 16 to 20 mm in length. The antioxidant activity of A. nilotica was about 91 %; it was highly significant compared with the standard (Propyl gallate) which gave (94%). While the extract of H. sabdariffa showed weak antioxidant activity. Phytochemical screening of A. nilotica indicates the presence of phenols, tannins, flavonoids, triterpenes, and saponins, while alkaloids were absent. The extract H. sabdariffa was rich in phenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids, but no tannins, triterpenes, or saponins were detected. These findings provide scientific evidence to support the traditional medicinal uses of these extracts and indicate the promising potential of these plants for medicinal purposes.

Validating the Antimicrobial Potentiality of Peptides from Pods of <i>Acacia nilotica</i> Willd.ex Delile: A Spotlight on Bacterial Fauna

Contagious infections cause over 17 million human deaths in a year among which diseases caused by bacteria are the most prominent ones. Additionally, in the last few years, the haphazard usage of antibiotics has provoked the condition of multifarious defiance in the bacterial strains against these chemical drugs thus contributing to an upsurge towards severe economic and communal welfare-related uncertainties. Thus, to annihilate such situations there is a compelling demand to explore novel substitutes to overcome these concerns. Hence, such problematic situations bring up the limelight towards plant-derived proteins/peptides possessing antimicrobial activity which prove to be excellent alternatives against bacterial pathogens causing serious maladies in humans. Therefore, in this context the current study investigated the antibacterial potential of the Ethanol, Methanol and Chloroform peptides/protein isolate obtained from pods of Acacia nilotica by Disc-Diffusion Assay and MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) against E. coli and B. subtilis bacterial strains. The antibacterial activity of all three solvent peptide isolates was found to be exhibiting antimicrobial activity at a concentration of 100μg/ml against B. subtilis with Disc-Diffusion as well as MIC with Chloroform isolate displaying the highest activity against gram-positive Bacillus species. Therefore, such plant-derived antibacterial proteins/peptides in the future can be used as a therapeutic drug to combat various severe bacterial maladies thus providing a better alternative than antibiotics both in terms of safety against unwanted secondary effects as well as will also help in bringing down the graphs of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) posing a serious threat to the human health. As a result, the study concludes that peptide isolates obtained from Acacia nilotica pods are effective against gram-positive Bacillus species, making them an important antibacterial compound.

Phytochemical Composition of Extracts from Acacia nilotica Pods and Albizia lebbeck Stem Bark and Their Effect on Morphologies of Rat Spermatozoa

The study evaluated the phytochemical constituents of crude extracts from Acacia nilotica pods and Albizia lebbeck stem bark and tested the potential effects of their extracts on M. natalensis spermatozoa morphologies. A portion of the grounded materials from each plant was extracted in distilled water and 70% methanol. The aqueous and methanolic plant extracts were assessed for the phytochemicals with antifertility potentials. Also, a total of 90 male rats were randomized into 9 groups (n = 10) and treated with either A. lebbeck or A. nilotica methanolic extracts for 15, 30, or 60 days. Results indicated that in both plants flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, terpenoids and phenols were present in the aqueous and methanolic extracts. Judged by the intensity of colour change after a chemical reaction, saponin was more intensely present in both the aqueous and methanolic extracts of the A. lebbeck stem barks while flavonoids and tannins were relatively more present in the A. nilotica sourced corresponding extracts. Spermatozoa with normal head-abnormal tail, normal head-tailless, abnormal head-normal tail, and both head and tail distortion were more revealed in rats treated with either A. nilotica or A. lebbeck extracts relative to the control. In conclusion, the studied A. nilotica and A. lebbeck extracts are rich in flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, terpenoids and phenols that possess some antifertility properties as reflected on the observed adverse effects on rat spermatozoa morphologies.

Anticancer and Antimicrobial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Pods of Acacia nilotica

Green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been used against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and chemo-resistant cancer cells. We synthesized AgNPs from Acacia nilotica pods, evaluating their antibacterial activity against eight bacterial strains and anticancer efficiency against two colon cancer cell lines, SW620 and SW480. Expression levels of eight genes (β-catenin, APC, TP53, Beclin1, DKK3, Axin, Cyclin D1, and C-myc) were checked by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in cancer cells before and after treatment with A. nilotica extract and A. nilotica-AgNPs. Prepared nanoparticles were characterized through ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), Zetasizer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to identify the functional group in extracts. At first, AgNPs were confirmed by a sharp peak of surface plasmon resonance at 375 nm. The Z-average size was 105.4 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.297. TEM showed particle size of 11–30 nm. The prepared AgNPs showed promising antibacterial activity against bacterial strains and cytotoxic activity against the cancer cell lines. Expression levels of all the genes were affected by extract and AgNPs treatment. Overall, this study recommended both A. nilotica pods and A. nilotica-AgNPs as attractive candidates for antibacterial and anticancer applications.

Evaluation of Urea Treated Acacia nilotica Pods as a Feed for Grower Lambs

Background: Acacia pods are non-conventional protein rich feed resources that could be harnessed as a feed ingredient in sheep production. Though many workers have observed the utility of raw Acacia nilotica pods as a noteworthy feed for small ruminants, the information on nutritive value of urea treated pods is lacking. Hence the present study was undertaken to evaluate the nutritional potential of urea treated Acacia nilotica pods at different dietary levels for supporting growth and nutrient utilisation in lambs. Methods: Acacia nilotica pods were collected, sun dried and ground in a hammer mill. The ground pods and seeds were treated in bulk with urea. Then the urea treated pods (UTP) was incorporated in three experimental concentrate mixtures @ 0, 15 or 30 per cent (R1, R2, R3) replacing deoiled rice bran. The concentrate mixtures were made isoproteinic and isocaloric. Napier Bajra hybrid grass (CNCO4) was provided as the basal roughage component in the rations. The ingredient and proximate composition of concentrate mixtures. Fifteen ram lambs of native Kilakarsal breed of about six months of age and with an average initial body weight of 9.39 kg were divided on the basis of body weight into three groups with five lambs per dietary group in a completely randomized design. Daily record of feed consumption was maintained. The lambs were weighed at fortnightly intervals. At the end of the feeding experiment, digestion trial was conducted using the same ram lambs. The samples were analysed for proximate composition and the digestibility of nutrients in the three experimental rations were determined. Result: Based on the data analyzed the DMI worked out to be 64.90, 65.84 and 65.43 g/kg W0.75 in lambs fed with rations containing 0, 15 and 30% UTP in the concentrate mixture respectively. The corresponding values for ADG in the present study were 48.14, 47.43 and 48.57 g. The feed efficiency in terms of DMI required to gain one kg body weight were 8.28, 8.58 and 8.35 kg which did not vary between the treatment groups. DCP of experimental rations increased significantly (P≤0.05) as the level of UTP in the concentrate mixture increased which could be attributed to the increased crude protein digestibility. The TDN decreased significantly (P≤0.05) at 15% and level and was unaffected thereafter. Hence, it was concluded that Acacia nilotica pods treated with 5% urea at 40% moisture and stored for 14 days could safely be included up to 30 per cent level in the concentrate mixture of growing lamb ration.

Acacia nilotica Pods' Extract Assisted-Hydrothermal Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO-CuO Nanocomposites.

This work represents a novel combination between Acacia nilotica pods’ extract and the hydrothermal method to prepare nanoparticles of pure zinc oxide and pure copper oxide and nanocomposites of both oxides in different ratios. Five samples were prepared with different ratios of zinc oxide and copper oxide; 100% ZnO (ZC0), 75% ZnO: 25% CuO (ZC25), 50% ZnO: 50% CuO (ZC50), 25% ZnO: 75% CuO (ZC75), and 100% CuO (ZC100). Several techniques have been applied to characterize the prepared powders as FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TEM. The XRD results confirm the formation of the hexagonal wurtzite phase of zinc oxide and the monoclinic tenorite phase of copper oxide. The microscopy results show the formation of a heterostructure of nanocomposites with an average particle size of 13–27 nm.

Antimicrobial Activity of Acacia Nilotica Pods Against Carbapenem Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated from Different Hospitals in Khartoum State

This study was aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of Acacia nilotica against carbapenem resistant bacteria during the period from February 2018 to December 2018. Agar disc diffusion method was used to determine the antimicrobial activity of Acacia nilotica and the ethanolic extract was examined against carbapenem resistant Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii isolated from different hospital in Khartoum state and the sample include (urine, wound swab, sputum, blood and body fluid) for 91 clinical isolates. The extract show activity against all tested microorganism and the inhibition zone were17±3 mm for E. coli, 18.3±4mm for Klebsiella pneumoniae, 16.9±4mm for Proteus mirabilis, 17±3 mm for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 18.3±0.5mm for Enterobacter cloacae and 16±5mm for Citrobacter freundii and the activity of the extract at 100 mg/ml concentration show sensitive (82.4%), (72.6%) for 50mg/ml and (51.6%) for 25 mg/ml for all tested bacteria. Ethanol extract of Acacia nilotica was found to be effective as antibacterial against different bacterial pathogens, providing the scientific basis for its traditional application in Sudanese folk medicine against many bacterial diseases, extract had an in vitro antibacterial activity against carbapenem resistant bacteria, further studies are required to confirm this result to identify active ingredient and toxicity

English

The study's main objective was to assess any pathophysiological significance of Acacia nilotica pods aqueous extract and Albizia lebbeck stem bark methanolic extract on the reproductive system of female multimammate rats (Mastomys natalensis). A total of 60 sexually mature female rats were randomized into a 2 × 3 factorial experimental design for treatments (Control, A. nilotica, and A. lebbeck) and treatment duration (7 or 14 days). Control rats consumed basal feed only, whereas extract-treated rats consumed the basal feed containing 2% w/w of either of the two plant extracts. At the end of treatment duration, treated female rats were cohabited with males for 16 days and sacrificed 20 days after the first day of cohabitation. Parameters including pregnancy rates, number of fetal implantations, possible resorption sites and fetal litter size were assessed at necropsy. Further post-necropsy parameters were evaluated in ovaries including the ovarian weights, follicular and corpora lutea numbers and general histopathology. Results showed that pregnancy percentages, the number of fetal implantations and fetal litter size were significantly reduced (P < 0.01) in rats under the A. nilotica and A. lebbeck extract treatments relative to the control rats. The ovarian weights of rats receiving the extracts did not differ significantly from their control counterparts (P > 0.05). However, the number of corpora lutea of pregnancy was significantly reduced (P < 0.001) in ovaries of rats under extract treatments than in their control counterparts. Instead, ovaries of rats receiving the two extracts contained a larger number of degenerating follicles, signifying halted ovulatory and conception activities. The current study has demonstrated that dietary inclusion of crude extracts from A. nilotica pods and A. lebbeck stem bark can lead to decreased fertility success rates in M. natalensis female rats through suppression of ovulatory activities and induction of follicular atresia. Key words: Rodent pests, medicinal plants, fertility success, reproductive system.

Anti-Quorum Sensing and Biofilm Inhibitory Effect of Some Medicinal Plants Against Gram Negative Bacterial Pathogens: In Vitro and in Silico Investigations

Multidrug resistance is prevalent among Gram-negative pathogens, researchers have focused on developing new and alternative strategies for inhibiting bacterial virulence and pathogenicity via attenuation of quorum sensing (QS). Use of traditional medicinal plants to inhibit bacterial virulence and pathogenicity via quorum sensing (QS) and biofilm inhibition is an attractive prospect. In this work, methanolic extracts of 18 Indian medicinal plants were screened for their anti-QS activity against C. violaceum 12472. A less explored most active plant A. nilotica was selected and fractionated in solvents of increasing polarity. The ethyl acetate i.e. active fraction of A. nilotica (ANEa) inhibited the violacein production by >94% in C. violaceum 12472. In P. aeruginosa PAO1, virulence factors such as pyocyanin, pyoverdine, total protease, and swarming motility were significantly reduced at sub-MICs of ANEa fraction. Production of pigment, prodigiosin and swarming in S. marcescens MTCC 97 were also decreased by ANEa fraction in a dose dependant manner. ANEa fraction showed broad-spectrum biofilm reduction activity more than 50% in tested pathogens. The major bioactive compounds benzoic acid, 3,4,5-trihydroxy-, methyl ester (61.24%) was detected in ANEa through GC/MS analysis. The LC-MS investigation indicated the presence of Retronecine (pyrrolidine alkaloid) first time in the Acacia nilotica pods. In silico study revealed that dehydroabietic acid was observed to be docked in the CviR ligand binding domain and occupied the same cavity as its antagonist. Moreover, interaction of betulin and epicatechin gallate with biofilm proteins viz. PilY1 and PilT respectively, may be interfering with pilus assembly and preventing biofilm formation. Funding Information: There is no specific funding to carry out this research work. Declaration of Interests: All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest associated with this publication.

Cleaner dyeing and antibacterial activity of wool fabric using Henna dye modified with Acacia nilotica pods

Natural dyes have promising features; however, there are some drawbacks limiting their application in textile dyeing, for example, low dyeing, and fastness properties due to the weak interaction with textiles. Many attempts have been made to improve these shortcomings by using additional chemicals such as metallic mordants which are classified as hazardous chemicals that cause some serious environmental problems. Therefore, we have designed a facile green method for the extraction of natural dye from Henna leaves using Acacia nilotica pods to improve the color intensity and enhance fibers/dye affinity. In this study, wool fabrics were dyed with Henna and Henna/Acacia dye at different dyeing conditions. FTIR and UV–vis spectrums showed peaks corresponding to tannin and its derivatives in the aqueous extract of modified Henna. Modified Henna dyed samples exhibited noticeable improvement in the color strength (K/S value), washing, rubbing, and lightfastness with excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus.

Pods of Acacia nilotica mediated synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles and it’s in vitro biological applications

In the present study, pods of Acacia nilotica mediated copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) were synthesized and confirmed by spectroscopic, microscopic, and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. EDX analysis confirmed the presence of elements in the synthesized nanoparticles. FTIR analysis of synthesized nanoparticles revealed the presence of -C = C- the stretch of alkenes, primary and secondary alcohols (C-O stretch), and surface capping of phenolic groups. Results showed that biosynthesized nanoparticles exhibit significant antioxidant activity using DPPH assay and phosphomolybdate assay. Biofunctionalized nanoparticles possess a significant anticancer effect on HepG2 cancer cell line in a dose-dependent manner. CuONPs also showed thrombolytic activity, as they can dissolve the clot formed from the fresh blood. To the best of our knowledge, we report for the first time that Acacia nilotica pods mediated copper oxide nanoparticles exhibited various in vitro biological applications.

Evaluation of catalytic and adsorption activity of iron nanoparticles greenly prepared under different conditions: Box–Behnken design

ABSTRACT Box–Behnken design methodology was used to study the effect of iron nanoparticles (FeNP) synthesis conditions on its oxidative catalytic degradation and adsorption of methyl orange (MO). The FeNP was synthesised using Acacia nilotica pods extract under different conditions. Models were built at the 95% confidence level using Minitab-18 software based on five responses, namely: production yield (Y), adsorption capacity (q), pH of zero charge (pHzc), gap energy (E gap), and degradation percentage after 60 min (R60). Results showed 100% degradation by 14/15 samples after 3 h, while more than 90% degradation was achieved after 1 h by 10/15 samples. On the other hand, more than 50% adsorption removal of MO was achieved by 8/15 samples. The minimum yield achieved was 13.09% and the maximum was 99.20%. More than 90% yield was achieved in 4/15 samples.

Production of tannins from Acacia nilotica pods for the leather manufacturing industry – extractions, characterization, and optimization using design of experiment

The pods of Acacia nilotica were successfully utilized for the extraction of tannins using a methanol/water extraction medium. The experimental design employed for the extraction was a central composite design that enabled the evaluation of the effects of time, temperature, and methanol concentration on the dependent variables of extraction yield, total phenolic contents (TPC, as gallic acid equivalents (GAE)), and antioxidant activity (AA, as millimoles of ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE)). Response surface models were developed for the three responses, and statistical analysis of variance was performed to determine the optimum values of the independent variables and the coefficients of determination. The maximum extraction yield of 46.2 wt% (pod extract) was achieved at 200 min, 85 °C, and 40% methanol concentration. Similar conditions also led to the attainment of 50.7 wt% TPC and 51.3 mmol AAE/100 g pod. The coefficients of determinations were 0.9750 for extraction yield, 0.9626 for TPC, and 0.9774 for AA, which indicated that the model equations obtained fitted the experimental data. The result of the retanning of the leather using the extracted A. nilotica tannins also showed that the tear and tensile strength, as well as the elongation at break, of the leather samples were within the range obtained when chestnut extract and chrome tannin were used.

Methanogenic potential of tropical feeds rich in hydrolyzable tannins1,2.

The present study was carried out to determine the effect of Acacia nilotica, a tropical plant rich in hydrolyzable tannins (HT), on rumen fermentation and methane (CH4) production in vitro. We used leaves and pods from A. nilotica alone and combined. The combination of HT from A. nilotica leaves and pods and condensed tannins (CT) from Calliandra calothyrsus and Leucaena leucocephala were also evaluated to assess potential differences in biological activity between HT and CT. Four series of 24-h incubations were performed using rumen contents of 4 sheep fed a tropical grass (natural grassland based on Dichanthium spp.). A first experiment tested different levels of replacement of this tropical forage (control [CTL] without tannins) by A. nilotica leaves or pods: 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25 and 100:0. A second experiment tested the mixture of A. nilotica leaves and pods in different proportions: 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100. A third experiment tested the 50:50 combination of A. nilotica leaves or pods with C. calothyrsus and L. leucocephala. Acacia nilotica pods and leaves had a high content of HT (350 and 178 g/kg DM, respectively), whereas C. calothyrsus and L. leucocephala had a high content of CT (361 and 180 g/kg DM, respectively). The inclusion of HT from A. nilotica leaves and pods decreased CH4 production dose-dependently (P < 0.01). Total replacement of the CTL by A. nilotica decreased CH4 production by 64 and 55% with leaves and pods, respectively. Pods were richer in HT than leaves, but their antimethanogenic effect did not differ (P > 0.05). Although A. nilotica leaves and pods inhibited fermentation, as indicated by the lower gas production and VFA production (P < 0.01), this effect was less pronounced than for CH4. Volatile fatty acid production decreased by 12% in leaves and by 30% in pods when compared with the CTL alone. Positive associative effect was reported for VFA, when HT-rich sources and CT-rich sources were mixed. Combining the 2 sources of HT did not show associative effects on fermentation or CH4 production (P > 0.05). Hydrolyzable tannin-rich sources were more effective in suppressing methanogenesis than CT-rich sources. Our results show that HT-rich A. nilotica leaves and pods have the potential to reduce ruminal CH4 production.

Green Synthesis of Iron Nanoparticles by Acacia nilotica Pods Extract and Its Catalytic, Adsorption, and Antibacterial Activities

Iron nanoparticles (FeNP) were synthesized using Acacia nilotica seedless pods extract. The synthesized FeNP were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV/Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD pattern confirmed the synthesis of crystalline phase of α-Fe2O3. EDS spectroscopy showed the presence of elemental iron and oxygen, indicating that the nanoparticles are essentially present in oxide form. UV absorption in the range of 450–550 nm confirmed the formation of FeNP. DLS indicated an average FeNP particle size of 229 nm. The synthesized FeNP was tested for adsorption and oxidation degradation of methyl orange (MO) under different conditions and found to be effective in both degradation and adsorption processes. Furthermore, the synthesized FeNP has the potential to terminate the pathogenicity of several human opportunistic pathogens; belongs to gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and one species of Candida as well.

Evaluating the Insecticidal and Fungicidal Efficiency of Acacia nilotica Pods Extract

The study aimed to identify the potential of phytochemical constituent’s occurrence in the extract of Acacia nilotica pods and assessment of its bioactivity. Chemical and GC-MS analyses of the ethanolic extract and its fractions of pods identified active compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids and tannins. Toxicity of extract proved variable toxicity effects for stages of Ceratitis capitata and Bactrocera zonata. The extract constituents have demonstrated that the Ceratitis capitata egg was more susceptible against hatchability than for Bactrocera zonata, and generally, there was ovicidal efficacy noticed for both insects. Also, the essential oil of A. nilotica pods was exhibited larvicidal activity for both insects larva at various high concentrations of the tested plant extract. Concerning the adult stage, ethanolic extract of the tested tree pods proved repellent effects and insecticidal toxicity properties causing knockdown against the adults of Ceratitis capitata and Bactrocera zonata. The ethanol extract of A. nilotica shows antifungal activity against plant fungal pathogens; Aspergillus flavus and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, where the rate of mycelial growth inhibition was increased by increasing the extract concentration. The extract of A. nilotica was found to have promising effects in controlling the investigated pests.

Effect of feeding Acacia nilotica pods to sheep on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, ruminal protozoa and rumen enzymes activity.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplying two levels of Acacia nilotica (A.nilotica) pods to rations of sheep on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance and rumen liquor parameters (pH, total protozoa count, protein concentration and enzymes activity). Twelve mature rams (50±1.25kg B.W.) were distributed into three groups, each with four rams. Animals in group one were considered as a control which fed a basal diet, consisting of concentrate mixture and Egyptian clover. The second group and the third one received the same basal diet with supplying the concentrate mixture by 1.5% and 3.0% of A.nilotica pods meal respectively. The experiment lasted for 3weeks. It was found that supplementation of A.nilotica pods to the concentrate mixture at a rate of 1.5% and 3.0% significantly improved the total feed intake compared to the control. The digestibility of dry matter and crude fibre was significantly reduced with A.nilotica supplements, whereas the digestibility of crude protein was significantly improved. All of nitrogen intake and N-retained were significantly increased in rams fed on concentrates with 1.5% and 3.0% A. nilotica pods when compared to the control. The pH of ruminal fluid was not affected by the dietary treatments. Nevertheless, the total rumen protozoa count was significantly decreased in A.nilotica pods supplemented groups. Also, the rumen protein concentration and the ruminal enzymes activity, especially α-amylase, cellulase and protease, were lower in A.nilotica pods supplemented treatments. In conclusions, inclusion of low levels of A.nilotica pods (1.5% and 3.0%) in the concentrates can be used as a natural protein protectant in ruminants by forming tannin protein complexes in the rumen to maximize the amino acids available in the lower digestive tract. Also, these levels can increase the protein digestibility as well as the N-retained in the body .

Antibacterial Efficacy of Acacia nilotica (L.) Pods Growing in Sudan against Some Bacterial Pathogens

Acacia nilotica is a plant native to the Nile basin region, widely spread in central and northern parts of Sudan. It has been mentioned in Sudanese folk medicine to be effective against a variety of diseases. The methanol extract of the pods of Acacia nilotica was tested against four human bacterial pathogens using disc diffusion method, MIC and MBC tests. The results revealed that the extract exhibited a broader spectrum of antibacterial activity and revealed potent bactericidal effect at high concentrations (up to 100 mg/ml) and bacteriostatic at lower concentrations (as low as 12.5 mg/ml). In general, all tested bacteria were susceptible, however the tested gram positives (Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778 and Staphylococcus aureus) were much more susceptible than the gram negatives (Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter baumannii), supporting the traditional medical application and suggest it as a source for new antibacterial drugs.

Anaerobic degradation of tannins in Acacia nilotica pods by Enterococcus faecalis in co-culture with ruminal microbiota.

Anaerobic degradation of tannins in Acacia nilotica pods by Enterococcus faecalis in co-culture with ruminal microbiota.