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Item Antimicrobial wound healing properties of indigenous medicinal plants of Lesotho and the pharmacist's role in minor wound care(Department of Pharmacy, National University of Lesotho, Lesotho, 2021) Hlokoane, OK; Sello, MLesotho has a rich supply of indigenous medicinal plant resources. More than a dozen Lesotho medicinal plants have been used to treat minor wound infections among Basotho for over 100 years. The aim is to provide scientific validation of their antimicrobial activities against microorganisms relevant to the skin. The anti-infective activities of plants are thought to be due to the presence of active phytochemicals in parts of the plants, especially phenolic compounds, anthraquinones, glycosides, and alkaloids. Although there is limited research that establishes the structure-activity relationship of those phytochemicals, there are reports that attributed the phytochemical constituents with the antimicrobial effects through a variety of mechanisms ranging from inhibition of cytoplasmic membrane function, inhibition of energy metabolism to inhibition of bacterial nucleic acid synthesis. The role of the pharmacist is to provide medical information on these compounds to promote the safe use of herbal products and in combination with conventional medicines.Item Opportunities for University-community engagement in Roma Valley, Lesotho(Merit Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Soil Sciences, 2019-01-07)The study explored the opportunities for university-community engagement in Roma Valley, Lesotho. The specific objectives were to: describe the outreach needs of Roma Valley community that could be addressed by the Faculty of Agriculture, assess the capacity of the Faculty of Agriculture to provide outreach services to Roma Valley and the willingness of Roma Valley community to engage with the Faculty of Agriculture. The study surveyed 30 experts from four departments of the Faculty of Agriculture and 46household heads from five villages of Roma Valley. An interview schedule was used for collect data which were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer programme version 20.0. The findings revealed that respondents recognized the outreach role of the Faculty of Agriculture in providing training to Roma Community members on a wide range of topics and subject areas and that the F culty of Agriculture has enormous capacity to provide outreach services. Community members require extension support on a wide range of issues and have great desire to engage with the Faculty of Agriculture in outreach activities. It is concluded that opportunities exist for university-c Roma Valley. mmunity engagement inItem Nutritional Zinc Status of Free-Living Elderly Farmers in Abanla Village, Oyo State, Nigeria(International Journal of Science and Research, 2019-01-07) Abiola Akintunde1, Ganiyat AkintundeOne hundred and twenty elderly farmers aged 60-100 years living in Abanla village of Idi-Ayunre Local Government area of Oyo State, Nigeria, were assessed for dietary and urinary Zinc excretion. Dietary zinc intakes were measured from meals consumed over a two day period. The dietary zinc intake of the elderly male and female farmers was similar(P>0.05).The mean daily zinc intake of 12.46+/-1.45mg for males and 11.82+/-2.61mg for females appeared marginally adequate compared to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). The respondents may be deficient in zinc because there was lack of or low intake of rich sources of zinc such as beef, egg, and oyster. The diet of the elderly people were also predominantly of plant origin. However, the urinary zinc excretion was within acceptable ranges. The males excreted significantly more (P<0.05) urinary zinc than the females (3.01+/-2.21g/8 hours and 2.00 +/-1.40 g/8 hours respectively). No correlation existed between age and urinary zinc excretion (r=0.029, n=90). Nutrition education should be promoted throughout life especially during adolescent period when food habits are being formed. Regular medical check-up should also be encouraged so that early detection and correction of infirmities would reduce age onset or pathological conditions.Item Growth Patterns and Condition Factors of Some Freshwater Fish Species in Lake Erelu, Southwestern Nigeria(2015-07-01) Kareem, O.K. 1, Olanrewaju, A.N.2, Jenyo-Oni A.1, Osho E.F. 1 and Akintunde M.AStudies on length-weight relationship of fish provide valuable information on standing stock biomass for comparative growth studies. Information on growth patterns also remains an important tool for proper exploitation and management of population of fish species. The length-weight relationship (LWR) and condition factors of four dominant fish species in Erelu Lake, Oyo, Nigeria were therefore investigated. A total of 2663 specimens were caught between July, 2013 and March, 2015 using various mesh sizes of gillnets. Weights were taken to the nearest gram and length measured to the nearest centimeter using tabletop weighing balance and wooden measuring board, respectively. The sampled population was male dominated except for Raimas senegalensis. Total length was least in R. senegalensis (14.27±1.92) and highest in Sarotherodon galilaeus (18.30±1.92), while the least weight (51.26±29.53g) and the highest weight (85.60±42.99g) were obtained in R. Senegalensis and Oreochromis niloticus, respectively. The lowest growth coefficient (b) value (1.024) was obtained for O. niloticus while the highest (2.697) was recorded for R. senegalensis. This result indicates that all the investigated fish exhibited negative allometric growth. The mean condition factors (K) of the fish species ranged between 1.241±0.43 in S. galilaeus to 1.709±0.39 in O. niloticus. The condition factors fell within the range recommended for fresh water fish species in the tropics hence, Erelu Lake is suitable for the sustainable production of all the four fish species investigated. Therefore, the environmental condition of the lake should be maintained.Item Growth Patterns and Condition Factor of Hepsetus odoe (Bloch, 1794) Captured in Eleyele Lake, Southwest Nigeria(Fisheries and Aquaculture journal, 2016-07-20) Kareem OK1*, Olanrewaju AN2, Osho EF1, Orisasona O3 and Akintunde MA4Hepsetus odoe is a commercially valuable fish and is considered as endemic to Nigeria. The growth patterns and condition factor of Hepsetus odoe from Lake Eleyele, Oyo State were investigated as an aspect of its biology essential for bringing it to culture. A Total of 205 specimens (55 and 150, males and females, respectively) were collected between June, 2012 and August, 2012. The morphometric indices such as Total Length (TL), Standard Length (SL), Body Weight (BW) and Stomach Weight (SW) were assessed using standard methods. Also, the length-weight relationship (W=aLb) and Condition factor (100W/L3) were calculated. Sex ratio of 1:3 (Males and Females) was obtained which shows a female dominated population. The Standard length (SL) and body weight (BW) ranged from 16.60-30.50 cm and 51.0-250.0 g respectively. Length-weight relationship equations were calculated as: Log BW=2.051+3.105log SL (r=0.93) This analysis showed significant relationship between the standard length, body weight and stomach weight. The relative condition factor (Kn) calculated ranged from 0.99-2.14 while the mean K value was 1.24. The condition factor fall within the range recommended for freshwater fish species in the tropics. The growth pattern indicates that the fish follows cube law and exhibited positiveItem Farmers’ perception of alley cropping: a case study of IITA alley cropping programme participants(Asian Journal of Science and Technology, 2016-08-01) Akintunde, M. A. O. and Rantlo, A.MAlley cropping or hedgerow intercropping is one of the many sub-systems of agroforestry technology. It has been introduced to farmers in many countries of West Africa including Nigeria by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan. IITA established these alley farms and supervised its maintenance in order to achieve results. The farmers were also given incentives like tree seedlings, palm trees, cutlasses, to encourage them. This study is narrowed down to two villages- Alabata in Akinyele local government area of Oyo state and Ayepe in Ishokan local government area of Oshun state. All the fifty-five male farmers who are participating in the programme are purposively selected. They recognized that alley cropping helped to increase soil fertility, improved weed control and reduced pests. They also recognized certain constraints such as increased labour demand, competition among crops and weeding.Item Effect of stocking density and age at stocking on growth and survival of Heterobranchus bidorsalis larvae(Trop. Anim. Prod. Invest, 2016-01-01) *Osho, E. F1., Ajani E. K1., Omitoyin B.O, Oyebola O. O1., Setufe S. B1., Kareem O. K1. and M. A. Akintunde2Survival and growth performance of Heterobranchus bidorsalis larvae reared for 28 days at different stocking densities and ages were monitored to determine the optimum stocking density and age at stocking. Nine hundred fry were stocked at densities 100fry/m3 (SD1), 200fry/m3 (SD2), 300fry/m3 (SD3) and 400fry/m3 (SD4). Fry were stocked at day 3, day 6 and day 9 after hatching (A, B, and C respectively). They were fed with same commercial fry wean diet ad libitum. Growth indices (mean weight gain, mean total length, average daily growth rate, specific growth rate, performance index, condition factor) and survival rate were measured. The result showed that mean weight gain, mean total length, average daily growth and specific growth rate were stocking density dependent. Mean weight gain ranged from 0.09±0.03 in SD2A to 0.41±0.15g in SD1A. The least stocking density (100fry/m3) stocked at day three (SD1A) had the highest values of mean weight gain and mean length gain, while the highest survival was also recorded in the fish stocked at 100fry/m3 in day three (SD1A) and day nine (SD1C). The fish stocked in day three at 100fry/m3 had the highest performance index but the most consistent performance index was observed in fish stocked in day nine. It was concluded that H. bidorsalis fry should be stocked at 100fry/m3 at day three after hatching as this will enhance optimum survival and best yield.Item Effect of Information Communication Technologies on Information Access in Lesotho Extension System(Merit Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Soil Sciences, 2019-01-01) Akintunde* M.A.O. and Oladele O.I.The study assessed the effect of Information Communication Technologies on information access among public and private agricultural extension officers in Lesotho. ICT infrastructure in Lesotho is currently low, with accessibility to telecommunication services of about 3% of the entire population for land telephone lines and just about 20% for mobile phone. Lesotho ICT policy has provided guidance by allocating various responsibilities to role players: this involves the Ministry of Communications to formulate policies and the Lesotho Telecommunication Authority (LTA) to regulate operations in communication infrastructure. However, the effect of ICT on information access among extension officers is still not known. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 86 public and 19 private extension officers. Data collected were analysed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), using frequencies, percentages, mean, standard deviation and multiple regressions. Both categories of extension officers (public and private) had very high perceptions of the positive effects of information and communications technology on access to information. They scored high in most of the twenty-nine statements measuring these effects. The multiple regression model revealed a strong relationship between independent variables and public and private extension officers’ information access. Collaborations between public and private extension should be be strengthened, since private extension service is more organized than the public, this will help the use of ICT in the development programmes in the country.Item Assessment of Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Roma Valley, Lesotho(International Journal of Science and Research, 2019-01-01) P.D. Sesoai, M.A.O Akintunde and K.J.B. KeregeroThe study assessed adoption of CA in Roma Valley. The specific objectives were to: assess whether farmers possess knowledge of CA, assess the attitudes of farmers towards CA and find out the extent to which farmers have implemented CA. The study involved 47 farmers based in Roma Valley. An interview schedule was used for collecting data which were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer programme version 20. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents possessed knowledge of CA and positive attitudes towards it. They also revealed that none of the farmers practiced CA in Roma Valley. The study concluded that while respondents in Roma Valley are generally aware of CA as a farming practice and have positive attitude towards it, implying potential inclination towards adopting it, they have generally not practiced itItem Characterization of fatty acid profile by FFFS(Springer Science+Business Media, 2014-01-25) Ntakatsane, M. P.; Zhou, P.; Mothibe, K. J.; Adegoke, G. O.; Odenya, W. O.; Liu, X. M.The purpose of the study was to assess potential application of front face fluorescence spectroscopy as a rapid and non-destructive technique to discriminate between fats of animal and plant origin based on their fatty acid profiles, and to predict concentration of fatty acids from fluorescence spectra. Vitamin E emission spectra (300–500 nm) of butterfat and vegetable oil samples were recorded with excitation wavelength set at 295 nm. Fatty acid composition of the samples was determined by gas chromatography. Principal component analysis and partial least squares regression analysis were applied to the gas chromatography and fluorescence spectroscopy data. The butter-fats and vegetable oils were discriminated based on the total saturated and unsaturated fatty acids respectively. Tocopherols and tocotrienols accounted for the variability among various oils. A good prediction model was established with R2 = 0.745–0.992 for saturated fatty acids. The unsaturated fatty acids were characterized by low coefficients of determination (R2\0.339). The fatty acid profiles predicted from fluorescence spectra did not show significant difference to those determined by gas chromatography used as references. A good association was established between the two data tables. The study demonstrated great potential of front face fluorescence spectroscopy to rapidly discriminate between fats of animal and plant origin, and predict their saturated fatty acids composition, which could in turn be used for detection of milk fat adulteration with vegetable oil.Item The effect of trade liberalization on wheat-flour-bread value chain in Lesotho(International Journal of Current Research, 2014) Rantlo, A. M.Item The effects of access to electricity on biomass use for energy purposes in Ha Lebenkele area.(Lesotho Journal of Agricultural Science, 2014) Rantlo, A. M.Item The role of property rights to water resources on smallholder development in Kat River Valley(Time Journals of Agricultural and Veterinary Science, 2014) Fraser, G. G. C.; Rantlo, A. M.Item Bowen Ratio Energy Balance Measurement of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Fluxes of No-till and Conventional Tillage Agriculture in Lesotho.(Open Journal of Soil Science, 2014) O'Dell, D.; Sauer, T. J.; Hicks, B. B.; Lambert, D. M.; Smith, D. R.; Bruns, W.; Marake, M. V.; Walker, F. W.; Wilcox Jr., M. D.; Eash, N. S.; Basson, A.Global food demand requires that soils be used intensively for agriculture, but how these soils are managed greatly impacts soil fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2). Soil management practices can cause carbon to be either sequestered or emitted, with corresponding uncertain influence on atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The situation is further complicated by the lack of CO2 flux measurements for African subsistence farms. For widespread application in remote areas, a simple experimental methodology is desired. As a first step, the present study investigated the use of Bowen Ratio Energy Balance (BREB) instrumentation to measure the energy balance and CO2 fluxes of two contrasting crop management systems, till and no-till, in the lowlands within the mountains of Lesotho. Two BREB micrometeorological systems were established on 100-m by 100-m sites, both planted with maize (Zea mays) but under either conventional (plow, disk-disk) or no-till soil management systems. The results demonstrate that with careful maintenance of the instruments by appropriately trained local personnel, the BREB approach offers substantial benefits in measuring real time changes in agroecosystem CO2 flux. The periods where the two treatments could be compared indicated greater CO2 sequestration over the no-till treatments during both the growingItem Short communication: Rapid detection of milk fat adulteration with vegetable oil by fluorescence spectroscopy.(Journal of Dairy Science, 2013) Liu, X. M.; Ntakatsane, M. P.; Zhou, P.This study assessed the potential application of fluorescence spectroscopy in detecting adulteration of milk fat with vegetable oil and characterizing the samples according to the source of the fat. Pure butterfat was adulterated with different vegetable oils at various concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40%). Nonfat and reduced-fat milk were also adulterated with vegetable oils to simulate full-fat milk (3.2%). The 2- and 3-dimensional front-face fluorescence spectroscopy and gas chromatography were used to obtain the fluorescence spectra and fatty acid profile, respectively. Principal component analysis and 3-way partial least squares regression analysis were applied to analyze the data. The pure and adulterated samples were discriminated based on the total concentration of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids, and also on the 3 major fluorophores: tryptophan, tocopherols, and riboflavin. Fluorescence spectroscopy was able to detect up to 5% of adulteration of vegetable oil into the butterfat. The saturated fatty acids showed higher predictability than the unsaturated fatty acids (R2 = 0.73�0.92 vs. 0.20�0.65, respectively). The study demonstrated the high potential of fluorescence spectroscopy to rapidly detect adulteration of milk fat with vegetable oil, and discriminate commercial butter and milk according to the source of the fat. Key words: detection , milk fat adulteration , vegetable oil , fluorescence spectroscopyItem Characterization of fatty acid profiles of fats and oils by fluorescence spectroscopy.(Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, 2014) Liu, X. M.; Nkheloane, T.; Ntakatsane, M. P.; Zhou, P.; Mothibe, K. J.; Adegoke, G. O.; Odenya, W. O.Item Wetlands in Khalong-la-Lithunya catchment in Lesotho: Soil organic carbon contents, vegetation isotopic signatures and hydrochemistry(Catena, 2014) Nkheloane, T.; Olaleye, Adesola O.; Mating, R.; Mahlako, K.; Rathebe, K.; Letsika, F.; Rasekoele, M. G.There is sparse information on the characteristics of the wetlands in the Khalong-la-Lithunya catchment (KLC), Lesotho in terms of physico-chemical properties, soil organic pools and vegetation isotopic signatures and hydrochemistry of surface waters after five years of rehabilitation. At the KLC two transects of length 250 m� 700 m were chosen and soil observations made at intervals of 50 m and at these points, piezometers were installed in duplicates and water samples were collected from Jan to Dec for four years (2009�2012). Soil samples were collected in duplicate from excavated mini-pits (0.50 m). Vegetation samples were collected monthly (Jan, Apr and Aug) of 2010 from these transects (upper slope, middle and toe-slopes) on which ?15N isotope was applied. Samples (soil, water and plant) collected were properly labelled and transported to the laboratory. Samples were analysed after standard method. Results showed that soil organic carbon varied significantly across mini-pits, and transects. These ranged from 15.50 g kg?1 with a mean of 28.61 g kg?1 (Transect-1) to between 34.60 and 53.50 g kg?1 with a mean of 43.24 g kg?1 (Transect-2). Majority (or 78%) of the pedons in Transect-1 are strongly weathered, while in Transect-2, majority of the pedons (i.e. 73%) were classified as non- or weakly weathered using soil organic matter: silt + clay ratio. Results of the cluster analysis showed that clusters 1, 2, 3 and 4 were related to the water holding capacity, the soil weatherability, the soil ability to store carbon (carbon mitigation) and the soil's acidity. Results of the ?13C data for both transects varied slightly with slope positions though not significantly different (p b 0.05) but higher negative values of the vegetation ?28.13 to ?28.90� were observed. The results of the ?15N ranged from ?2.52� to ?2.93� with a mean of ?2.81�. Results of the hydrochemistry from the installed piezometers showed that across years and months the following variables (pH, EC, Ca, Mg, Na, K & NO3-N) were within the normal range stipulated by the WHO (2004), while the phosphate concentrations were beyond the limits of the USEPA/NOAA (1988). It was concluded that more research is needed to identify sources and forms of phosphates in this wetland. �Item Rainfall variability at decadal time scale and temperature trend in two distinct agro-ecological zones of Lesotho(Lesotho Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2013) Nkheloane, T.; Olaleye, Adesola O.Item Effects of effective microorganisms (EM) on garlic (Allium Sativum L) Production in Roma Valley in Lesotho(Lesotho Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2014) Mofokeng, M.; Mohammed, J.Item Status of EM use and its economic implications in Africa with emphasis to Lesotho(Lesotho Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2014) Mohammed, J.