Abstract/Overview Contamination of aquatic reservoirs with metal ions is a slow gradual process that is not easy to detect. Consequences of the metal ions, especially the ones with high atomic numbers (heavy metals) at high concentrations, are severe and irreversible in aquatic reservoirs. As such, early detection mechanisms, especially at trace concentration, are essential for mitigation measures. In this work, a new, robust, and effective tool for trace metal detection and monitoring in...
Abstract We illustrate the mechanism for the C–O, C–H and O–H bond activation in the coupling of ethanol to butanol over small coinage clusters (copper, silver and gold). It is found that charge transfer interactions between the clusters and the alcohol initiate their reactions allowing a chemisorption step. The binding energy is calculated, whereby ethanol adsorbs very strongly on Au in comparison to Ag and Cu. The nature of bonding is investigated using natural bond orbital (NBO) ana...
Wood charcoal is the most important means of human exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) were observed in soil sample and charcoal is the major source of human exposure to PAHs. In the present study, the PAHs concentrations were determined using gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS), and the results showed that all the PAHs analyzed were below and above detection limits of the equipment; and these were considered to present l...
Abstract: This study evaluated the antimicrobial activities and the physicochemical characteristics of five honey samples (White, Red, Yellow, Black, and Mixed) from Wollayta, Ethiopia. The agar dilution method was used to assess the antibacterial activities of honey against S.Typhimurium and E.coli strains. Microbial growth inhibition was determined by measuring the diameter of clear zone of microbial growth around the well in the agar. The mean inhibition zone diameters (mm) for White, Red...
Abstract: In this thesis, the synthesis, optimization and application of a simple aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) specific extraction polymer sorbent based on molecular imprinting technology (MIT), for the selective pre-concentration of the potent AFB1 toxin from child weaning food, Tsabana manufactured in Serowe, Botswana is presented. As a food safety regulatory measure, the Tsabana must be cleared of the hazardous aflatoxins especially AFB1 before consumption as it is the most potent amongst those co...
Abstract: A novel, selective, sensitive, cheap and robust hemoglobin imprinted polymer (Hb-MIP) in the form of a powder, was synthesised through bulk, free-radical polymerization employing molecular imprinting technology (MIT), for the selective removal of interfering hemoglobin from whole blood samples prior to instrumental analysis in molecular diagnostics and toxicological assays. Following solid phase extraction clean-up through batch rebinding experiments, the Hb-MIP powder effectively ...
Abstract: A technique for estimation of measurement uncertainty of routine pH measurement using pH meters; Thermo scientific Orion Star and Basic 20 is presented. There are issues associated with pH measurements, what we actually measure is not usually what we would expect or even intend, and it is common practice that analysts just take the immediate reading without doing repetitions. The pH measurements made from one chemical laboratory are not consistent with those made in a differen...
Abstract: This thesis presents a novel sample preparation strategy that employed a custom-synthesized glucose – fructose (G-F) specific molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) powder as an adsorbent for the simultaneous, selective extraction, isolation, pre-concentration of total glucose and fructose from the complex and `dirty` sample matrix of ‘100%’ fruit juices in order to improve their accurate analysis. The ‘100%’ fruit juice samples were purchased from retail shops in Palapye, B...
Abstract: A novel multi-templated Cu-Fe-Ni ion imprinted powder was synthesized to demonstrate the selective and simultaneous removal of targeted ions; Cu(II), Fe(II) and Ni(II), employing molecular imprinting technology (MIT) via template (print ions) guided by bulk polymerization method reacting methacrylic acid (MAA) as the functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate (EGDMA) as cross linking agent in the presence of the initiator azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN); Cu(II), Fe(II) a...
Abstract: Kleinia longiflora belongs to the family Asteraceae and genus Kleinia (synonym Senecio) which comprises of about 40 species. Preliminary phytochemical investigation done on this plant showed the presence of terpenoids, tannins, alkaloids and flavonoids. The phytochemical investigation on the non-volatile compounds from the plant led to the isolation of a triterpenoid lupeol 1 (0.403 g), a flavonoid named isorhamnetin-5-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl (1'''-6'')-β-glucopyranose 11 (0.658 ...
The pharmaceutical develops, produces, and markets drug licensed for use as medications. They are subjected to variety of laws and regulations of the government regarding the patenting, testing, pricing and ensuring safety and efficacy and marketing of drugs. The study of sorption of rifampicin in the leaching to contaminate the under-ground water has been the concerns of researchers in the world and many results and finding has been put in place. The environment is increasingly being recogni...
Abstract: Control of disease vectors by use of synthetic chemical pesticides has been associated with a series of problems, including resistance development, environmental pollution, and safety risks for humans and domestic animals. Plant-based products have been used for generations in traditional practices to control different arthropods. These have been used in space or personal protection either to repel the arthropods from distance or to deter them from blood-feeding on contact. In the ...
Abstract: The contamination of food is increasingly becoming a concern in developing countries due to the mounting amounts of heavy metals in urban environments. Juices are common beverages in the usual diet and contribute significantly to the nutritional intake of essential and harmful trace elements. Currently, there is inadequate information regarding the amounts of heavy metals in juice from sugarcane produced along rivers in Nairobi city. In the present study, the levels of heavy metals...
Abstract: Ruminants such as cattle, goats, sheep, and camels host highly diverse microbial communities in their rumens that ferment fibrous plant materials to produce energy. However, this fermentation process also generates significant amounts of volatile organic compounds and greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, which are released into the environment through various excretion routes. The accumulation of these gases in the atmosphere contributes to global warming and clima...
Green leaves and stems have a quite high quantity of water and it’s difficult to obtained an accurate solvent to extract the constituents from the aqueous cells. So the choices of solvent to be used may determine the success of the extraction. In this research work two different solvents were used to extract photochemical parameters in Momordica charantia leaves and stems. The phyto constituents extracted by the solvents from the leaves and stems of M.charantia was compared. In a nutshe...