ABSTRACT The discharge of coloured wastewaters into water-bodies has serious implications for the environmental and public health. Furthermore, the usual colour removal methods often result in aromatic amines which are toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic. Developing a method that can both decolourise azo dyes and degrade the corresponding aromatic amines formed is expedient. In this study, the ability of newly isolated indigenous bacteria to decolourise textile/non-textile azo dyes and degrade ...
ABSTRACT The need for utilizing renewable resources to meet the future demand for fuel and other value added products has increased the attention on lignocellulose, the most abundant and renewable resource in the world. Lignocellulose is degraded by lignocellulolytic enzymes produced by fungi and bacteria. Mutagenic agents can be used to achieve improvement of these strains. However, there has been a challenge in improving and optimizing fermentation process which in most cases has been carr...
ABSTRACT The protective and antioxidant properties of Aqueous Anti-ulcer Drug (AQAUD) against Aspirin-induced gastric ulcers in albino rats were investigated. In this study, thirty male albino rats were divided into five groups. Rats in group I served as normal control and received food and water. Animals in group II received food and water in addition to aspirin 400mg/kg.b.wt orally on the 14th day. Rats in groups III, IV and V received “AQAUD” 250mg/kg.b.wt, 500mg/kg.b.wt and Omeprazo...
Background of study Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Abstract This study was carried out to determine the serum auto-antibody levels as primary markers and immunological correlates
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical, nutrients, predominant microflora mainly looking at lactic acid bacteria and spoilage bacteria in Oshikundu samples collected from Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions. Oshikundu is brewed from pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L. R.Br.,) meal locally known as Mahangu, malted sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), bran and water. Oshikundu pH ranged between 3.33 ± 0.127 in Oshana region and 3.60 ± 0.014 in Oshikot...
ABSTRACT Drug treatment of malaria is being hampered by the emergence of drug resistant strains of malaria parasites. Rapid methods for monitoring patients' response to treatment, applicable to field conditions, would aid management and control of drug resistant P. falciparum infect ions. In this study, mutation specific polymerase chain reaction assays using 3'-mismatched oligonucleotide primers which annealed to the wild or mutated parasites gene encoding dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylat...
Abstract Oshikundu/Ontaku is a nonalcoholic, acidic, opaque fermented beverage. It is comprised of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br) meal/flour, commonly known as mahangu, malts of pearl millet or sorghum (Sorghum bicolour (L.) Moench) and/or brans (pearl millet). Brewing of oshikundu remains an art in households with no empirical improvement of a controlled fermentation flow process to give a consistent product. Some of the major limitations to the formal commercialisation of thi...
ABSTRACT Medicinal plants are a rich source of phytochemicals, and are used traditionally for treatment of many ailments, and thus are of great ethnomedicinal importance. This study presents work on phytochemical analysis, in vitro antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity evaluation of medicinal plant Hydnora abyssinica. H. abyssinica is a medicinal plant indigenous to Namibia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa and Sudan. Preliminary phytochemical screening was done by co...
ABSTRACT A central pathogenic feature in Plasmodium falciparum cerebral malaria (CM) is the sequestration of infected erythrocytes (IEs) which results in the obstruction of blood flow, inflammation and damage to the endothelial cell barrier integrity. Adhesion is mediated by a family of approximately 60 highly variant parasite proteins called P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), which are displayed on the surface of infected cells. All PfEMP1 contain multiple extracellular ...
ABSTRACT Few reports could be found on screening, isolation and characterisation of enzymes in local Fauna and Flora and little is known about laccase enzymes from Namibia origin hence there is a niche for enzyme studies in this area. This research has qualitatively screened Termitomyces schimperi and Kalaharituber pfeilii fruiting bodies for laccase enzymatic activity using α-naphtnol and 2, 2-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS). A clone of T. schimperi was also grown in...
Abstract Gomphocarpus fruticosus is a wild plant that belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family and has many traditional uses. The plant has demonstrated by this study a significant level of microbial and phytochemical activity; the drug-resistant strains of microbes which have emerged in the last decade will be eradicated by the compounds this indigenous plant carries. This particular study aimed to scientifically validate the traditional uses of the plant G. fruticosus. The objectives of this st...