Nigerian Journal of Biotechnology and Life Sciences

Epidemiology and Molecular Characterisation of Blastocystis sp. in Nigeria

2026-05-10T09:25:21+00:00

Blastocystis sp. is a common intestinal protist with global distribution, yet data on its prevalence and genetic diversity in Northern Nigerian communities remain limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and identify the subtypes (STs) of Blastocystis sp. circulating in this region. In this cross-sectional community-based study, 551 stool samples were collected from asymptomatic residents of five villages in Kano State, Nigeria. Samples were analysed by direct smear microscopy. Microscopy-positive samples were then cultured in Jones’ medium, and subsequent molecular analysis was performed on positive cultures. This involved DNA extraction, PCR amplification of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) gene, cloning, and sequencing to determine the subtypes. Microscopy revealed a Blastocystis prevalence of 29.2% (161/551), with higher infection rates in males and participants aged ≤15 years. Of the 161 microscopy-positive samples, 54 (32.3%) were successfully cultured and subtyped. Four subtypes were identified: ST1 (42.6%), ST3 (31.5%), ST4 (13%), and ST2 (7.4%). Three samples indicated mixed infections. ST1, ST3, and ST4 were more prevalent in male respondents, while all mixed infections were observed in males. The frequencies of all subtypes were generally higher in adults. Sequence analysis of cloned PCR products showed high homology with reference sequences in GenBank. This study confirms a high prevalence and genetic diversity of Blastocystis sp. in Northern Nigeria, with ST1 being the most dominant subtype. The occurrence of mixed infections highlights the complex epidemiology of this protist in the study population.

Isolation, Identification, and Management of Microorganisms Associated with the Spoilage of Ripe Mango Fruit in Dutse, Nigeria

2026-05-10T10:03:52+00:00

This study examined the microbial spoilage of ripe mango fruit (Mangifera indica L.) harvested from Dutse of Jigawa State, Nigeria and the effectiveness of physical, chemical and biological post-harvest management practices. Samples of mango were taken from the local market and farms and analyzed in the lab. The results showed that higher incidence of fungal pathogens, Aspergillus niger (35%) and Penicillium species (30%), were observed followed by yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 24%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11%). For all the microorganisms isolated, pathogenicity tests showed that the microorganisms had different virulence levels; the most virulent microorganism was A. niger. The use of refrigeration at 10°C was found to be most effective among the management practices tested, resulting in 90% reduction in microbial growth and 10 days shelf life of the fruit. The chemical treatment using 0.1% w/v sodium benzoate also proved to be very effective with a microbial reduction of 85% for a shelf-life extension of 7 days. After 5 days, Modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP) decreased microbial growth by 80% with an extension of 8 days whereas a dip in 1% (w/v) calcium chloride decreased microbial growth by 75% with an extension of 5 days. Biological agent Bacillus subtilis was effective in suppressing microbial growth by 70% and prolonging shelf life by 6 days, which was considered as a bio-control agent. A significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed between the different management strategies in terms of microbial growth reduction. The results of this study reveal that microbial spoilage is a major problem in mango production in the Dutse region and the series of effective and practical post harvest interventions recommended here can help reduce these losses and enhance food security and livelihood outcomes for farmers in the region.

Canine babesiosis: A Hospital-Based Study Revealing Higher Prevalence in Puppies and a Significant Link to Tick Infestation

2026-05-10T10:18:58+00:00

Canine babesiosis, caused by the Babesia parasite and transmitted by ticks, results in significant illness and mortality in dogs worldwide. Its prevalence depends on tick distribution, which is high in Nigeria's tropical climate. Therefore, there's a need to monitor the disease's prevalence periodically. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Canine babesiosis and assess its clinical signs in dogs at a Veterinary Hospital in Kano, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 254 dogs presented for veterinary care. Blood samples were collected and screened for the presence of Babesia species using microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained thin blood smears. Data on age, gender, and clinical signs, including tick infestation, were recorded for each subject. A chi-square test was used to determine the association between categorical variables at a 5% significance level. The overall prevalence of babesiosis was 20.9%. A statistically significant association (P = 0.010) was found between age and infection rate, with puppies showing a higher prevalence (13.8%) than adult dogs (7.1%). A higher proportion of male dogs (13.5%) were infected than females (7.5%), although this difference was not statistically significant. Among the 168 dogs (66.1%) found to have tick infestations, 25.6% were infected, and this was the only clinical sign significantly associated with the disease. Haemoglobinuria was observed in 40 dogs, but it was a poor predictor of disease, as only 10% cases were confirmed positive for babesiosis. This study confirms a high prevalence of Canine babesiosis in Kano, Nigeria, and identifies puppies as a demographically high-risk group. The strong link with tick infestation underscores the importance of vector control, while the poor correlation of haemoglobinuria with infection highlights the necessity for laboratory confirmation of diagnosis. These findings are crucial for veterinarians in improving diagnosis, implementing effective prevention strategies, and enhancing client education in the region.

Physiological Regulation of Plants for Enhanced Bioactivity

2026-05-10T10:37:30+00:00

Plant secondary metabolites, such as terpenoids, phenolics and alkaloids, play a significant role in plant defence and have a wide range of pharmacological and industrial applications. However, the utility of their use is limited by the complex environmental and physiological dependencies which lead to different and low yields. This systematic review offers a thorough review of strategies used to manipulate plant physiology with the ultimate effort of reducing the fundamental yield-quality paradox and improving the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. The review first outlines how a plant's innate stress response is creatively tapped. Physiological elicitors, such as natural stressors (water deficit, light quality and temperature extremes), act as natural stressors, causing oxidative stress, and diverting carbon flux towards defense pathways. On this, specific abiotic and biotic elicitors (e.g., Jasmonates, Chitosan) and fine tuning of the nutrition modulation are studied and their efficacy in achieving hyper-accumulation of controlled secondary metabolites is examined. Two important transitions are underscored: an approach to genome editing for proactive metabolic pathway manipulation using CRISPR/Cas9, and the incorporation of multi-omics data to understand the complex regulatory networks. Though there are some issues of economic scalability and complicated ethical / regulatory issues to overcome, the future of the field is a closed loop system that combines these cutting edge technologies. This will likely lead to the development of predictive models for designing biofortified crops, global health advances and establishing the future supply of high-value compounds.

Comparative Efficacy of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on the Morphological Characteristics of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)

2026-05-10T10:49:44+00:00

The effects of different rates of application of organic (cow dung, poultry manure) and inorganic (NPK, Urea) fertilizers were examined on the morphological traits of Spinacia oleracea L. on a field experiment at Federal University Dutse field, Nigeria. The experiment aimed to investigate the effect of various nutrient sources on the most important growth parameters and to identify the best application rates for each fertilizer source. The different treatments were 5g, 3g, 2g and 0g (control) rate of each fertilizer, and morphological parameters like days to germination, no of leaves, plant height, no of branches, area of leaves, fresh shoot weight and dry shoot weight were measured. The outcomes showed that inorganic fertilizers had the highest effect at the dose of 3g while the organic fertilizers had the best effect at the higher dose 5g. In particular, the plants irrigated with 3g of NPK, 3g of Urea, 5g of cow dung and 5g of poultry manure had the highest values of number of leaves, leaf area, number of branches, plant height, fresh shoot weight and dry shoot weight. The results generated indicate a significant difference between the two fertilizers in the rate of nutrient release and the nutrient levels. The study also points to the potentials of using both organic and inorganic fertilizers in order to improve spinach productivity in the semi-arid northern Nigerian environment and the importance of location-specific nutrient management strategies to achieve a balance between yield, cost and longer term soil health.

A Comparative Study on the Phytochemical Constituents of Selected Plant Species in Relation to Their Leaf Maturity Stages

2026-05-10T11:26:30+00:00

Secondary metabolites are essential in the therapeutic value of medicinal plants and their amounts significantly vary depending on the environment and their developmental stage. This comparative study aimed at understanding how the maturity of the leaves affects the quantitative phytochemical profile of eight medicinal plant species namely Syzygium cumini, Calotropis procera, Tamarindus indicus, Parkia biglobosa, Mangifera indica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Azadirachta indica and Psidium guajava. The phytochemicals analysed were Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Total Flavonoid Content (TFC), saponins, and alkaloids, in three different stages of leaf maturity (young, matured and senescent). Standardised extraction procedures were used and colourimetric and gravimetric assays were used to quantify. The analysis showed that the content of TPC and TFC had the same ontogenetic pattern across all eight species (matured leaves > young leaves > senescent leaves), and that the content in matured leaves was always the highest and significantly different (P < 0.05) from the other leaves. Nitrogenous compound and total alkaloid content showed high level of species-specific variation. The matured leaves contained maximum amount of alkaloids in six species (T. indicus, P. biglobosa, M. indica, E. camaldulensis, S. cumini, A. indica) while the senescent leaves contained maximum amount of alkaloids in C. procera and P. guajava, which corresponds to specialized nitrogen remobilization strategies. The saponin content was generally highest in young leaves (P < 0.05), as it is in the initial tissue defense, except in A. indica which reached its peak at maturity. It was observed that these results highlight the importance of maturity level of leaves as an important criterion to consider when harvesting medicinal plants for phytochemical production, therefore the need to establish uniform and standardized harvesting procedure based on the morphology of the plants to ensure phytochemical consistency and efficacy.