Animal Research International

835 – 837

Authors: NNAMANI, Catherine Vera, OSELEBE, Happiness Ogba and OGBONNA, Anthony

The leaf extracts of Draceana aborea and Vitex doniana of Agavaceae and Verbenaceae families respectively, were tested on the larvae of anopheles mosquito for their botanical insecticidal effects. The results of the investigation showed that the minimum percentage mortality concentration (MPMC) of these leaf extracts on the test organisms were at 7.5ml/20ml and 10ml/20ml as the starting points for D. aborea and V. doniana, respectively. Findings equally revealed that the combination of D. aborea and V. doniana leaf extracts exerted synergistic effects on these organisms at 5.0ml/20ml, whereas the use of the D. aborea and V. doniana extracts separately resulted in reduced efficacy. Analysis of variance showed that, there was no significant difference (P = 0.01) between the synergy and the individual treatments of the leaf extracts on these organisms. Preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoids, free phenolics, condensed tannins, pseudotanins, triterpenes, glycosides and saponins which have some insecticidal effects on their targeted organisms. These findings represent one of the steps in identifying plants, with insecticidal properties from the rich Bioresources in the Mosaic of the Low-Land Rainforest vegetation zone of Southeastern Nigeria.

840 – 842

Authors: MOMOH, Mumuni Audu and ADIKWU, Micheal Umale

The Hydrophile-Lipophile balance (HLB) of bovine mucin was evaluated. Mucin was processed from the small intestine of freshly slaughtered cow via precipitation with chilled acetone, air-drying and pulverization. Series of emulsion were formed with bovine mucin and paraffin oil, in varying ratios, the most stable emulsion with the least creaming level was found to be mucin-oil ratio of 1:9, after a period of 7 days and the HLB value of mucin calculated according to standard methods. The HLB value of mucin was 8.4. These HLB value fell within the range of 8 – 18, that is characteristics of oil-in-water (o/w) emulgents.

846 – 847

Authors: OKOYE, Ikem Chris and OBIEZUE, Rose Nduka Nwanyo

A survey of gut parasites of rodents was undertaken in Nsukka ecological zone. Out of the 87 rodents caught and examined, 47 (54.0%) were positive for helminth parasites. The prevalence rates for the various rodents examined were 60.0% for Xerus erythropus (squirrels); 59.3% for Cricetomy sp. (giant rats) and 48.9% for Rattus rattus (house rats). The difference in prevalence rates amongst the rodents was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). The parasites isolated were 2 Cestode species- Hymenolepis sp (17.2%) and Raillietina sp; 3 nematode species- Trichuris muris (9.2%),, Ascaris sp (2.3%), Cyathostomum sp (4.6%) and one Acanthocephalan- Moniliformis morniliformis.(6.9%).

852 – 858

Authors: ONYIDO, Angus Ejidike., OZUMBA, Nwora Abiodun., EZIKE, Venantius Izuka., CHUKWUEKEZIE, Okechukwu Chimaeze., NWOSU, Emmanuel Okechukwu., NWAORGU, Obioma Comfort and IKPEZE Obiora Osegboka

The mosquito fauna of Museum and Zoological Garden Complex (JZC), a major tourist attraction in Jos Metropolis of Nigeria, was studied. The choice of the complex was out of public health curiosity. A total of 627 mosquitoes comprising 4 genera, Aedes, Culex, Coquilletidia and Eretmapodites, and 9 species were caught in two different study trips. Five species, namely, Aedes aegypti, A. africanus, A. vittatus, Culex quinquefasciatus and Eretmapodites chrysogaster, caught by human bait method are known variously to be involved in the transmission of yellow fever and other viral diseases. Culex quinquefasciatus had the highest frequency followed by Aedes aegypti. Simpson’s dominance and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices of 0.4942 and 0.4550 were respectively recorded for the whole mosquitoes sampled by the human bait method. C. quinqefasciatus was the most frequent species with diversity values of 0.4444 (Simpson’s) and 0.1174 (Shannon-Wiener), followed by A. aegypti with 0.0455 (Simpson’s) and 0.1431 (Shannon-Wiener). Ecological statistics demonstrated a highly significant difference in diversity between samples in March, during the dry season, and June in the rainy season (P < 0.001). The presence of man-biting mosquitoes in JZC constitutes apparent public health danger and calls for regular surveillance and control operations on such disease vectors in the complex.

866 – 871

Authors: OGUOMA, Victor Maduabuchi and IKPEZE, Obiora Osegboka

Exophagic-anthropophilic mosquitoes were collected during the April 2007-January 2008 planting season in four designated millet and guinea-corn irrigation fields sampled in Gezawa Agro-ecological Zone of North-central Nigeria. Gezawa-1, Gezawa-2, Ketawa and Jogana irrigation fields contributed about 31.2 %, 24.8 %, 22.8 % and 21.2% respectively, to the number of mosquito species collected in the zone. There was preponderance of Anopheles gambiae complex (20.7 %) over Culex quinquefasciatus (11.8 %), C. pipiens fatigans (9.0%), A. funestus complex (7.0 %), Aedes aegypti (6.9%), A. albopictus (6.6 %), C. pipiens pipiens (5.7 %). C. tigripes (5.0%), A. pharoensis (3.7 %), A. africanus (3.6%), A. taylori (3.4%), A. coustani (3.3 %), A. luteocephalus (2.9 %), A. vittatus (2.8 %), A. rhodesiensis (2.1 %), Mansonia (2.0 %), A. simpsoni (1.9 %) and Psorophora species (1.6 %). A Shannon-Wiener and Simpson’s diversity values of 1.1431 and 0.0925 were recorded for the mosquito species in Gezawa Agricultural Zone. A. gambiae had the highest Shannon-wiener diversity and Simpson’s dominance indices of 0.1415 and 0.0427 respectively. There was no significant difference between species diversity for the four irrigation fields (P>0.001). Vector control must be carried out in the irrigation fields to reduce the number of these out-door biting mosquitoes, since total reliance on ACTs and ITNs could not offer full protection against malaria to farmers in Gezawa irrigation fields.

876 – 879

Authors: ANI, Ogonna Christiana and MGBECHI, Edna Kelechukwu

A research to investigate the prevalence of urinary tract infections in sexually active women (18 – 41 years) from selected health care centres in Abakaliki was carried out. Attempt was made to fined out the number of treated cases, aetiologic agents and age range with highest incidence of urinary tract infections over the study period (2004 – 2005). Medical records of urinary tract infected women from the selected health care centres were reviewed. The prevalence of urinary tract infections was high (1232) among the study group and Escherichia coli was implicated as the principal causative agent of these infections. The high prevalence recorded in this study makes it necessary for women to be adequately educated on matters affecting their reproductive health. There is also the need for government of the state to provide improved, adequate and affordable health care services in the communities.

883 – 887

Authors: SAGANUWAN, Alhaji Saganuwan

Antagonistic effects of ceftriaxone and sulphadimidine on ketamine and thiopentone anaesthetics were studied in Nigerian local dogs. Twenty – four Nigerian local dogs were used for the study. The dogs were divided into six groups: A, B, C, D, E, and F, with four dogs per group. Groups A and B were intravenously administered 17 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg body weight f thiopentone and ketamine respectively. But groups C and D were administered 23 mg/kg and 100mg/kg body weight of ceftriaxone and sulphadimidine respectively in addition to 20 mg/kg body weight of ketamine. However, groups E and F were administered intravenous dose of 23 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg of ceftriaxone and sulphadimidine respectively in addition to 17 mg/kg weight body of thiopentone. Vital parameters such as determination of anesthesia; onset and duration, temperature, respiratory and heart rates were recorded. The results of onset of duration of anesthesia revealed significant difference (P< 0.05) among group E, F and A animals. Although the result of onset anesthesia revealed significant difference between group A and B animals (P < 0.05). The values of respiratory rate revealed significant difference between the animals in groups D and B as well as groups F and A (P < 0.05). The values of heart rate showed significant difference between group C and D animals as well as between E and A animals (P < 0.05). Conclusively, sulphadimidine and cerftriaxone caused decreased duration of both anesthesia and onset of anesthesia when either was co-administered with ketamine or thiopentone in Nigerian local dogs. Sulphadimidine also caused increased respiratory rate, but cerftriaxone caused decreased and increased heart rate if co-administered with ketamine and thiopentone respectively. More so, thiopentone had higher durations of both anesthesia and onset of anesthesia in comparison with ketamine. So thiopentone is more potent than ketamine.