Concentrations Of Plant Extracts Research Articles

Effect of Plant Extracts of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. on Some Biological Performance of Cotton Leaf Worm (Spodoptera littoralis Boisd.)

Al-Jorany, R.S. and H.I. Al-Khazraji. 2021. Effect of Plant Extracts of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. on Some Biological Performance of Cotton Leaf Worm (Spodoptera littoralis Boisd.). Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 39(1): 22-28. This study was conducted to determine the effect of ethanol and hexane extracts of withania somnifera on the larvae of the cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littoralis when the 2nd and 4th larvae instars were fed on food treated with plant extract concentrations of 1.25, 2.5 and 5%. The results showed that the 2 nd instar larvae were the most susceptible than the late ones. The highest mortality rate reached 58.52% for the 2 nd instar larvae and 20.74% for the 4 th ones when 5% ethanol extract concentration was used. The results pointed to prolonged durations of the larval and pupal stages depending on the extract concentration used. The longest period of growth stage was found for the treatment with 5% hexane extract concentration. The fertility rate of adults emerged from treated larvae was decreased. The numbers of eggs laid was 670 eggs/female and the egg hatching rate reached 71% when 5% extract concentration was used to treat 2 nd larvae instars. Keywords: Extracts, Withania somnifera, cotton leaf worm, mortality rate, biological effects.

Antibacterial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Syzygium aromaticum, Cinnamonum tamala, Cinnamonum cassia Plant Extract

Syzygium aromaticum (Clove), Cinnamonum tamala (Bay leaf), Cinnamonum cassia (Cinnamon bark) are well known plants in India. All three plants are a rich source of secondary metabolites that find use as antimicrobial agent, in pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics, food and agriculture industry. In regards of antimicrobial activity, green silver nanoparticles were synthesised by using these plants aqueous extract (25%w/v). For silver nanoparticle synthesis different concentration of plant extract were mixed with AgNO3 solution and exposed to sunlight and estimated by the UV-Visible spectrophotometer. Powdered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were dissolved in autoclaved distilled water at different concentration (20mg/ml, 10mg/ml, 5mg/ml, and 2.5mg/ml) and performed antimicrobial activity through agar well diffusion method. Silver nanoparticles of all three plants were showed antimicrobial activity against human bacterial pathogen Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The inhibition zone increased with increasing concentration of all three plants (S. aromaticum, C. tamala and C. cassia) AgNPs, so maximum inhibition zone was observed at 20mg/ml for both pathogens. At higher concentration, the inhibition zone of E. coli were 2.25 ±0.05, 1.7 ±0.1 and 1.85 ±0.05 cm in presence of S. aromaticum, C. tamala and C. cassia AgNPs respectively. Although, The presence of phytochemical terpenoids, tannin and glycosides are was confirmed by the chemical reagent test. In modern era, the nanoparticle based medicine is explored in pharmaceutical and medical science. Therefore this green synthesis of silver nanoparticle can be explored in pharmaceutical science.

Evaluation of α-amylase Inhibition and Cytotoxic Activities of the Arachis hypogaea and Cinnamomum tamala

Background: Diabetes mellitus is the most occurring non-communicable disease resulting in a high blood glucose level. There has been an immense interest in the development of alternative medicines for diabetes treatment, specifically screening functional foods for phytochemicals with the capability of delaying or preventing glucose absorption through digestive enzymes (e.g. α-amylase) inhibition. So, the development of α-amylase inhibitors derived from natural food products is an alternative way to prevent diabetes mellitus. Objective: In this study, organic solvent extracts of the Arachis hypogaea (Peanut) and Cinnamomum tamala (Indian bay leaf/Tejpata) were used to investigate their potential α-amylase inhibition and cytotoxic activities through α-amylase inhibition assay and brine shrimp lethality bioassay respectively. Methods: The α-amylase inhibition assay was performed using the 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid method for different concentrations of plant extracts. The optical density (OD) of the solutions were measured to determine the inhibition activity at 540 nm using a spectrophotometer. The cytotoxicity of the plant extracts was measured using brine shrimp (Artemia salina) lethality bioassay. Results: Among the different organic solvent extracts, peanut seed ethanol extract showed the highest α-amylase inhibition activity (67.68±8.67%) at 1.25 μg/mL concentration with an IC50 value of 0.61 μg/mL which is very close to standard α-amylase inhibitor Acarbose (72.34±4.23%) with an IC50 value of 0.32 μg/mL while acetone extract of Indian bay leaf exhibited the lowest inhibition activity (47.75±1.63%) with an IC50 value of 1.42 μg/mL at the same concentration. Besides, the maximum cytotoxic activity was found in acetone extract of peanut shell with an LC50 value of 57.87 μg/mL, whereas ethanol extract of peanut seed showed the lowest cytotoxicity with an LC50 value of 413.90 μg/mL. Conclusion: The result of the present work clearly indicates the potentiality of peanut seed ethanol extract to be used in the management of hyperglycemia as it significantly inhibits α-amylase activity while showing less cytotoxic activities.

A Study of Corrosion Combating Efficacy of Leaves and Stem Extract of Naturally Occurring Plants Solanum xanthocarpum and Salvodera persica on Aluminium in 2N HCl Solution

Weight loss and gasometric methods have been used to study the inhibiting effect of extract of leaves and stem of Solanum xanthocarpum and Salvodera persica on the corrosion of aluminium in 2N HCl solution was evaluated. The results indicated that the corrosion inhibition efficiency increased on increasing plant extract concentration. Percentage inhibition efficiencies obtained from weight loss were reasonably in good agreement with those obtained from gasometric method. The analysis of data shows that combating efficacy of Salvodera persica is more than that of solanum xanthocarpum. However leaves extract of Salvodera persica show more combating power than stem extract of salvodera persica.

Effect of plant extracts and citric acid on phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soil

Application of activating agents can significantly improve efficiency of plants for remediation of soils contaminated by heavy metals, however, damage to soil and plants limits application of traditional activating agents. The aim of our experiments is to select an efficient,green and low-cost activating agent to improve efficiency of plant extraction technology. In this study, contaminated soil was remediated by Sedum alfredii. The effects of two plant extracts (i.e., Oxalis corniculata,OX and Medicago sativaextract, ME) in addition to citric acid (CA) were studied in oscillatory activation experiment and pot experiment. The oscillation activation experiment revealed that extraction quantity of heavy metals in the soil was enhanced significantly with concentration of plant extract. The extraction quantity of Zn from 100% OX extract and ME extract were significantly higher than 10 mmol/L CA (54.04% and 33.09%, respectively). The 10 mmol/L CA has best extraction efficiency for Cd, up to 41.36 µg/kg, which is significantly higher than CK (control) (p < 0.05). The pot experiment exhibited that application of CA has significantly reduced soil pH and organic matter content by 8.63% and 28.21%, respectively, however the two extracts have no significant effect on soil properties. The study indicated that application of CA has negative effects on root morphological parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of Sedum alfredii.The addition of extracts of two plants have not caused any harm to Sedum alfredii. The application of three activating agents was beneficial for purification of Cd and Zn in soils, and its repairing efficiency was improved by 3.92, 3.37, 3.33 times and 0.44, 0.20, 0.86 times, respectively. The combination of plant extracts and hyperaccumulators can effectively remove heavy metals from contaminated soils, which provided a theoretical basis for mitigation of pollution in soils.

Investigation of poly(lactic acid) nanocapsules containing the plant extract via coaxial electrospraying method for functional nonwoven applications

This study focuses on the development of functional nanocapsules via the coaxial electrohydrodynamic atomization (electrospraying) method. These nanocapsules can manipulate nonwoven surface functionality in terms of antibacterial characteristics for medical textile purposes. Electrosprayed nanocapsules were produced from Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) polymer and Plumbago europaea plant extract. Here, we employ optimized solution and process parameters (needle to collector distance, electrical field, application time, and needle dimension) for the coaxial electrospraying process. Different Plumbago europaea extract concentrations and co-fluids’ flow rates were investigated as part of the study. Also, the effect of these parameters on capsule morphology and dimension were investigated. After the formation of PLA nanocapsules, morphological and dimensional characteristics were analyzed through SEM, FESEM, TEM images in addition to FTIR and nanosize measurements. According to our findings, a lower co-fluids’ flow rate gives the smaller nanocapsules with narrow-sized distribution and desired spherical morphology. Antibacterial efficiency doesn’t show any significant difference except the lowest plant extract concentrations. After characterizing the nanocapsules’ structures, the core-sheath structure can be clearly identified. Consequently, the desired capsule morphology and size for nanocapsules were accomplished. The antibacterial efficiency of covered surfaces with nanocapsules is up to 80% for Staphylococcus aureus and about 31% for Escherichia coli, even with low pick-up ratios. Even for a very low amount of extract usage, good antibacterial efficiency can be achieved. The application has endless potential in terms of higher concentration and a wide range of chemical usage.

Photocatalytic and biomedical investigation of green synthesized NiONPs: Toxicities and degradation pathways of Congo red dye

In this study the biomedical and catalytic ability of green synthesized nickel Oxide nanoparticles (NiONPs) was investigated. The extract of medicinal plant Tribulus terrestris were used to synthesized NiONPs. The as-synthesized NiONPs were in nano scale and were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The synthesis of NiONPs was ensured with surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) at 425 nm and the strong EDX. The effect of different concentrations of plant extract on the size of NiONPs was evaluated. The HRTEM results showed particle size between 60 - 90 nm. The study showed that lesser the extract concentration, more spherical and small sized particles were obtained without aggregation. The biological applications of NiONPs were evaluated against different fungal species like Asper gillusflavus, Asper gillusfumigatus, Asper gillusniger and standard medicine Terbinafine. A. niger, A. flavus and A. fumigatus exhibited 57, 63 and 52 % inhibition compared with inhibition of the reference medicine which is 98, 100 and 100%. NiONPs have been shown to be more effective against gram-positive bacteria than gram-negative bacteria like E. Coli 9(±0.7) and S. aureus13 (±0.8). Moreover, antioxidant properties of the as-synthesized NiONPs were evaluated with 2, 2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) (DPPH). The catalytic ability of green synthesized of NiONP was investigated for the degradation of Congo red dye (CR) as a hazardous environmentally contaminations in water. The biosynthesized NiONPs were found to be active catalytic for the degradation toxic dyes like CR. the catalytic activity of NiONPs can be explained by its small size compared with balk material. Mechanisms for CR degradation have been proposed. The Ecotoxicity of CR and components derived from dye was investigated with Ecological Structure Activity Relationship (ECOSAR) program.

Anti-Corrosive Behavior of the Seed Extract of Amomum sabulatum

An aqueous extract of Amomum sabulatum seeds was evaluated for anticorrosive effects on mild steel in the presence of HCl. Weight loss measurements were taken to determine the corrosion rate and inhibition efficiency at various concentrations. With the increasing concentrations of plant extract, the results showed an improvement in inhibition efficiency and a decrease in corrosion rate. In the presence of 1500 ppm concentration of plant extract, it has an inhibition efficiency of 82.08 % at 303 K. The scanning electron microscope was used to examine the surface, which proves that while the extract was there, a protective layer formed on the metal surface.

Investigation of in vitro Anthelmintic activity of Ocimum basilicum Linn. (Lamiaceae)

Virudhunagar region of Tamil Nadu is inhabited by common people who are using several plants or plant-based preparations for the treatment of various ailments in their traditional system of medicine. During our course of study on ethnomedicine in this region, it was found that the plant being used as anthelmintic is seed of Ocimum basilicum Linn., (Lamiaceae). This plant has a wide reputation among natives of being curative for intestinalworm infection in the form of alcoholic extract. Based on this an attempt has been made to evaluate the anthelmintic potential of this plant. The Chloroform and Ethanolic extracts of Ocimum basilicum Linn, (Lamiaceae) seeds were investigated for anthelmintic activity using earthworms (Pheretima posthuma). Various concentrations (25mg/ml, 50mg/ml and 75mg/ml) of plant extract were tested. Albendazole (25mg/ml, 50mg/ml and 75mg/ml) was used as reference standard drug whereas distilled water was used as control. Determination of paralysis and death time of the worms were recorded. The extract exhibited significant anthelmintic activity at a concentration of 50mg/ml. The results show that the ethanolic extract possesses vermicidal activity and found to be effective as an anthelmintic.

Antifungal Activities of Selected Plant Extracts in In-Vitro Control of Anthracnose and Root Rot Diseases on Cucumber (Cucumis sativus B.)

An in-vitro experiment was conducted at National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, Moor plantation, Ibadan. The experiment was carried out to test the antifungal efficacy of some plant extracts (Ageratum conyzoides, Azadirachta indica, Morinda lucida, and Chromolaena odorata) and a chemical fungicide (mancozeb). The mycelial growth inhibition potentials of five concentrations of aqueous plant extracts were assayed at different incubation periods on the growth of Colletotrichum orbiculare and Lasiodiplodia theobromae. The experiment was carried out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five replications. A 3 mm mycelial disc of each test fungus was placed at the center of a 9 cm Petri dish containing 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 g of the plant extracts or 0.25g/100mL of mancozeb (synthetic fungicide) in Potato Dextrose Agar. The results obtained revealed that all the plant extracts, at all concentrations, significantly inhibited the growth of these mycopathogens, with 25g C. odorata having the highest percentage inhibition of 70.78% and 73.68% at 48 and 96 hours of incubation on C. orbiculare and L. theobromae respectively. All the selected aqueous extracts inhibited more than 50% C. orbiculare mycelial growth. Antifungal extracts recovered from the selected plants could be further purified to improve and characterize their fungicidal activities in controlling plant diseases. Extracts of plant materials, which are readily available to the farmers, are better alternatives to the commonly used hazardous, synthetic fungicides.

Biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L.: A green approach to evaluate antimicrobial activities

Abstract Nanotechnology has a great importance in various industries including pharma, food, textile, and cosmetics etc. To minimize the level of hazardous waste production by chemical and physical synthesis modes, there is a need to develop an eco-friendly method which is efficient, cost effective, non-toxic and industrious. Therefore, green synthesis method involving plants and plant metabolites becomes advantageous in many aspects over other methods of synthesis. During the study, green method was used to synthesise the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by using aqueous leaf extract of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis. Further, the resultant AgNPs were confirmed and characterized using different analytical techniques comprising UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential, particle size analyzer and scanning electron microscopy. UV–visible spectroscopic analysis for various plant extract and silver nitrate concentrations revealed formation of spectral peaks at 450–480 nm range, confirming successful fabrication of AgNPs and the FTIR spectra ensured the involvement of plant metabolites in biological reduction of silver nitrate as well as stabilization of synthesized AgNPs. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed the synthesis of spherical AgNPs ranges between 40 and 60 nm. Stability of these AgNPs was ensured by negative values of zeta potential ranges (−19.7 to −19.2). Furthermore, synthesized AgNPs showed effective antimicrobial efficiencies against Escherichia coli (E. coli.), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Shewanella putrification (S. putrification).

In vitro evaluation of plant extracts and biocontrol agents against Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. Causing wilt of betelvine

Betelvine (Piper betle Linn.) is most prone to infestation by several soil borne pathogens, among them wilt disease caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. is one of the most destructive one. The present study was carried out to evaluate aqueous extract of eight different plant species and four antagonistic biocontrol agents under in vitro condition for their inhibitory effect on mycelial growth of S. rolfsii. Among the plant extracts tested at three different concentrations, 15 per cent concentration of all plant extracts were significantly found superior to 5 and 10 per cent. At 15 per cent concentration of plant extracts, maximum 62.19 per cent inhibition of mycelial growth was recorded in tulsi leaf extract followed by marigold leaf extract (57.11%). Among the biocontrol agents tested Trichoderma harzianum I showed maximum antagonistic effect and found to be significantly superior in inhibiting the mycelial growth of S. rolfsii (62.64%).

Mentha Arvensis mediated synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles for energy applications

Eco-friendly, cost effective and bio template route was used to synthesize Zinc Oxide nanoparticles using Mentha Arvensis plant extract. Prepared samples were characterized by advanced characterization techniques. Powder X-Ray diffraction pattern confirmed the hexagonal Wurtzite structure of the product. The scanning electron microscopic image shows non-uniformity and agglomeration and Energy Dispersive spectrum confirm the perfect purity of the ZnO nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy confirms the hexagonal shape of the crystallites with average crystallite size was around 20 nm and inter-planar spacing of 0.275 nm. The estimated energy gap using UV–Visible spectroscopic data was about 3.34 eV which correlates with the reported literature. Photoluminescence studies shows that the prepared Zpu2 emission peak showed broader peak centred in green region when excited with 376 nm excitation. ZnO NPs changed from n-type to p-type semiconducting materials with increased concentration of plant extract. Prepared samples may be considered as a potential candidate for optoelectronic applications based on the broader emission peak of PL with green colour centred and because of holes excess semiconductor.

Development and optimization of antioxidant polyherbal cream using artificial neural network aided response surface methodology

Artificial Neural Networks, has become phenomenal in drug modeling, in predicting experimental outcomes and in optimization studies during product development. This research seeks to use artificial neural networks (ANN) to optimize a novel formulation of Polyherbal face cream composed of Cymbopogon citratus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, and Ocimum gratissimum extracts. Central composite design was used to develop a framework for the products to be studied delineating the independent variables to be concentration of oil phase, and that of the emulsifying agents used in formulation. The dependent variables/responses are viscosity, spreadability index, and particle size of the cream. The responses gotten were then optimized using ANN models. The validity of the statistical models used for predicting the observed responses were confirmed by carrying out three confirmation experimental runs at the identified optimum conditions. The viscosity of the formulated cream decreased with increase in the amount of oil phase. However, there was a stronger correlation with amount of emulsifying phase and viscosity of the cream as increased in emulsifier product. The particle sizes did not vary greatly among the various formulations irrespective of the concentration of plant extract. Formulation of Polyherbal face cream composed of Cymbopogon citratus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, and Ocimum gratissimum extracts were shown to have significant antioxidant activity. Using ANN modeling, a prediction of an optimized formulation was made and was shown to have comparable results with the predicted values.

A review of the green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using plant extracts and their prospects for application in antibacterial textiles

In an era of environmentally friendly development, methods of the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) from plant extracts have become a focus of research attention because of the benefits of environmental sustainability, simplicity, and low price. The present review introduces a green mechanism for the synthesis of ZnO NPs using the extracts of plants, exploring factors that influence the morphology of ZnO NPs and their antibacterial properties, and the mechanisms of antibacterial action. The results indicate that the factors that influence morphology include the intrinsic crystallographic morphological properties and conditions of the preparation of ZnO NPs. In terms of preparation conditions, the influence of plant extract concentration, precursor concentration, reaction time, and calcination temperature on NP morphology is related to the species of plants used, with precursor concentration the most significant factor affecting the morphology of ZnO NPs. A pH of 12 appears be the most appropriate alkalinity for the synthesis of ZnO NPs from plant extracts. In addition, the synthesized ZnO NPs display excellent antibacterial properties, the mechanism of which involves photocatalysis, reactive oxygen species, and interactions between ZnO NPs and bacterial surfaces. Factors influencing the antibacterial properties are the type of bacteria and the concentration and morphology of ZnO NPs. Finally, the methods of preparation of antibacterial textiles using synthetic ZnO NPs are discussed in relation to the preparation of antibacterial fibers, fabric, and composite textiles. Here, the future trend of such antibacterial textiles is considered, providing the direction for further research of antibacterial textiles.

Antifungal resistance modulation of Aspergillus fumigatus isolates from brooder pneumonia affected birds by Eucalyptus globulus extracts

Brooder pneumonia is a common respiratory problem during brooding period of poultry. It is most frequently caused by Aspergillus fumigatus. Use of azole drugs for treatment and prophylaxis results in resistance. The aim of this study was to determine whether the phytochemicals of Eucalyptus globulus are modulating resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus. Lung samples n = 50 of dead broiler chicks were collected from different farms of Lahore. Out of 50 lung samples 28 % (14) were considered positive for Aspergillus fumigatus after observing their macroscopic, microscopic characteristics and by performing PCR by amplifying ITS1-ITS4 gene (597 base pairs) and RodA gene (313 base pairs). Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion test was performed 14 isolates (100 %) were resistant towards both Fluconazole and Ketoconazole whereas 11 (78.57 %) were resistant towards Itraconazole. Eucalyptus globulus leaves were collected, and these were identified. Three solvent extracts were prepared. Maximum yield was of ethanolic extract. Antifungal activity was evaluated by agar well diffusion method. Highest antifungal activity was shown by Eucalyptus globulus Ethanol followed by chloroform and hexane extract showed no activity against any isolate then minimum inhibitory concentration of plant extracts that previously showed antifungal activity against isolates were evaluated by broth microdilution method. Modulation effect was checked by combining antifungal drug one by one with subinhibitory concentration of plant extract evaluated previously by broth microdilution method. 5 isolates were subjected into this experiment which are all sensitive towards Eucalyptus globulus ethanol and chloroform extracts tested previously in agar well diffusion test and MIC values were also evaluated. It was concluded that when Itraconazole was combined with E. globulus Ethanol extract then resistance was modified. Data of modulation was analyzed by One-way ANOVA and it reported P value of &lt;0.05. It was synergistic inhibitory effect when Itraconazole was combined with Eucalyptus globulus Ethanol extract.

THYMUS SERPYLLUM – A NOVEL BIOCONTROL AGENT AGAINST LEAF SPOT PATHOGENS OF SOLANUM MELONGENA

Solanum melongena L. production is facing a lot of threats in Pakistan which are responsible for its low productivity. Like many other diseases; leaf spot is very important due to its significant yield losses. Therefore, control of this disease is obligatory to reduce the causal agent lower than commercial thresh hold level. Biological mean provides safe fungal management program. Presently, the research was under taken to ascertain the antitoxic effect of Thymus serpyllum against eggplant leaf spot pathogens i.e., Exserohilum rostratum, Cladosporium cladosporioides and Curvularia clavata. For this, 10 concentrations of methanolic plant extract (0.5% to 5%) were employed against the pathogens. Data analysis depicted that development of all the pathogens was greatly inhibited by all the concentrations while 5% concentration found to be the utmost operative in subduing the growth of all the pathogens. C. clavata was found to be the most susceptible among all the pathogens. In pot trials, protective assays proved more pronounced in controlling the disease. The work concludes that organic extract of T. serpyllum has stable compounds having ability to inhibit the damaging properties of pathogens. This fact guides towards biocontrol using such plants against the phytopathogens in a vast range. The study can be extended to isolate and purify the compounds and its production on commercial scale to manage these pathogens in vast fields.

Insecticidal Efficacy of Syzygium aromaticum, Tephrosia vogelii and Croton dichogamus Extracts against Plutella xylostella and Trichoplusia ni on Brassica oleracea crop in Northern Tanzania.

The insecticidal efficacy of 10%, 5% and 1% w/v of Tephrosia vogelii, Croton dichogamus and Syzygium aromaticum aqueous plant extracts were assessed against larvae of Plutella xylostella and Trichoplusia ni on Brassica oleracea var. capitata crop field. Synthetic organophosphate pesticide (Chlorpyrifos) was used as a positive control and the negative controls were water and water plus soap. It was revealed that, aqueous plant extracts significantly (P ≤ 0.05) controlled the number of P. xylostella and T. ni larvae compared to negative controls. The 10% concentration of aqueous plant extracts showed significant higher efficacy in terms of reducing the insect population and their damage than 1% and 5 % concentration. The population of P. xylostella larvae per B. oleracea in five weeks of treatment applications at 10% w/v of T. vogelii, C. dichogamus and S. aromaticum aqueous plant extracts were 0.08, 0.15, 0.13, 0.05 and 0.08; 0.08, 0.20, 0.15, 0.13 and 0.18; 0.03, 0.05, 0.15, 0.18 and 0.13, respectively which was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower than in water (1.13, 1.68, 2.28, 2.20 and 3.28) and water plus soap (0.75, 1.60, 2.58, 1.83 and 3.30) negative controls respectively. The number of T. ni larvae per B. oleracea in five weeks of treatment applications at 10% w/v of T. vogelii, C. dichogamus and S. aromaticum of aqueous plant extracts were 0.00, 0.03, 0.05, 0.03 and 0.00; 0.03, 0.08, 0.05, 0.08 and 0.08; 0.05, 0.03, 0.00, 0.05 and 0.03, respectively which was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower than in water (0.50, 0.63, 0.60, 0.48 and 0.78) and water plus soap (0.30, 0.48, 68, 0.65 and 0.80) negative controls. The percentage damage of B. oleracea in five weeks of treatment applications at 10% w/v of T. vogelii, C. dichogamus and S. aromaticum aqueous plant extracts were 10.0, 6.3, 7.5, 7.5 and 5.6; 11.3, 11.3, 11.3, 11.3 and 12.5; 8.8, 8.1, 6.9, 8.1 and 9.4, respectively compared with water (33.8, 33.1, 38.8, 45.0 and 70.6) and water plus soap (30.0, 31.9, 41.3, 41.3 and 56.3). These pesticidal plants can be recommended for smallholder farmers to significantly control P. xylostella and T. ni larvae in B. oleracea crop.

Anti-microbial Effect of Cocoa Leaf Extracts on Botryodiplodia theobromae; Leading Causative Organism of Crown Rot Disease of Banana (Musa acuminata)

An investigation was carried to assess in-vitro management of crown rot disease on Banana using extracts of cocoa leaves. The causative organism (Botryodiplodia theobromae) was sub cultured and the concentration determined through microbial count. Different cocoa leaves extracts were prepared using two different solvents. A conventional fungicide known as Mancozeb was used as a positive control and the nutrient broth only served as negative controls to help in assessment of the antimicrobial effect of the cocoa leave extracts. Phenolic Methanol Extracts (PME), Crude Cocoa Leaves Aqueous Extracts (CCAE) and Mancozeb were employed to prepare aqueous solutions through serial dilution with varied concentration. The nutrient broth (100 µL of double strength), 100 µL each of the plant extract concentrations, and 20 µL of inoculums were dispensed in a sterile micro-titre plate containing 96 wells. Incubation of the micro-titre plate was carried out at a temperature of 37°C for 1 day (24 hours). Susceptibility or otherwise of the microorganism (B. theobromae) from four sample stations was analyzed with 20 µL of a 5% solution of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide MTT. The presence of blue-black wells indicated the growth of B. theobromae. The experiment was conducted in triplicates for PME (refined), CCAE and Mancozeb. The minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) of PME (refined) that inhibited the growth of B. theobromae collected from four different locations were 5mg/ml, 2.5 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml and 2.5 mg/ml respectively for B. theobromae (B1)(Offinso), B. theobromae (B2)(Effiduase), B. theobromae (B4)(Kejetia) and B. theobromae (B5)(Ejisu) which was lower compared to the MICs of CCAE which was 30 mg/ml for the four sample stations. Comparatively, the MIC of the PME (5 mg/ml, 2.5 m g/ml, 10 mg/ml and 2.5mg/ml) was almost equivalent to the MIC of the conventional fungicide (Mancozeb) (2.5 mg/ml) for all the four sample stations of B. theobromae.

Antischistosomal and antioxidant protective role of Carica papaya fruit extracts against Schistosoma mansoni

Schistosomiasis is a major disease of public health in human. Patterns on immune response, worm recovery, in vitro antischistosomal bioassay screening (cercaricidal killing in vitro of Schistosoma mansoni was observed). In vivo Mice were infected by injection of 100 S. mansoni cercariae/mouse and treated by oral administration with crude extract, MeOH, ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and butanol (BuOH) Carica papaya fruits (4g/kg) start from 7th day p.i. to the end of experiment and a treatment control of 500 mg/kg of Praziquantel. Various concentrations of plant extracts were used in cercaricidal assay. Both crude extract and EtOAc showed significant dose-dependent percentage worm load reduction (P<0.001). Carica papaya, showed highly reduction in worm counts (60.3% and 68.2%) while Praziquantel (92.8%), elevated immune responses and least time in destroying cercariae. The highest significant reduction in dead ova (P<0.001) was observed in group treated with EtOAc extract. The level of IgG1 and IgG2 was significantly reduced (P<0.001) than in groups treated with C. papaya crude extract, EtOAc extract or PZQ as compared to levels in untreated infected mice. While the level of IgG1 and IgG2 was insignificantly reduced in groups treated with MeOH extract or BuOH extract as compared to levels in untreated infected mice. It was concluded from the results that the antischistosomal efficacy of the extracts was dependent being more potent in reducing both the worm burden and tissue egg load. The antishistosomal effect of C. papaya extracts was significantly higher in group treated with EtOAc extract. These findings supporting the potential use of C. papaya extracts in the management of schistosomiasis.