University of Agriculture

This study presents the first integrative assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments from the Nembe mangrove ecosystem (Niger Delta, Nigeria), evaluating contamination levels, probable sources, and associated ecological and human health risks. Sediment samples collected from three stations were analysed for the 16 priority PAHs using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Fourteen PAH compounds were detected, with a mean concentration of 4728±2745mg/kg, far exceeding both the Nigerian intervention limit (4mg/kg) and international guideline values. Multivariate statistical methods were employed for source apportionment, and the 5th and 95th percentile health risks were estimated using Monte Carlo simulation. Diagnostic ratios, and correlation analysis indicated mixed petrogenic (oil-derived) and pyrogenic (combustion-related) inputs, consistent with oil spillage events and biomass burning activities. Ecological risk assessment showed that several PAHs exceeded the effect range-median (ER-M) thresholds, suggesting a high probability of adverse biological effects. The total 5th and 95th Percentile carcinogenic risk were 2.20×10-3 and 3.73×10-3 for children, and 1.60×10-3 and 2.77×10-3 for adults, respectively, all exceeding the United States Environmental Protection Agency maximum acceptable risk threshold (>1×10-4). Dermal contact and ingestion were identified as the dominant exposure pathways. Overall, the findings reveal severe PAH contamination in Nembe mangrove sediments, with substantial ecological and public health implications. Targeted public health interventions, stricter regulation of PAH sources, and sustained seasonal monitoring are urgently needed to mitigate oil spills, reduce human exposure, and guide remediation and policy development.

We investigate the influence of Zinc (Zn) proportion on the structural, morphological and optical properties of Zinc doped Lead iodide (Zn–PbI 2 ). The doped precursors were synthesed by adding varying amount of Zinc acetate to Lead iodide from 2 % to 6 %. The X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the peaks positions slightly shifted towards high 2theta for Zn–PbI 2 . The film surfaces were improved with Zn incorporation and the thickness slight increases from 472.440 nm for PbI 2 –474.445 nm for 4 % Zn–PbI 2 . A noticeable decrease in the ratio of Pb–Zn from 2.7:1 for PbI 2 to 2.2:1 for the 4 % doped sample was observed. The lowest value (22.494 nm) of the root mean square roughness was observed in the 4 % doped sample. It was observed that the doped samples exhibit a blue shift in the major peaks of the photoluminescence intensity from 524 nm for PbI 2 to 519 nm. The energy gap was observed to decrease from 2.63 eV for 0 % Zn–PbI 2 –2.42 eV 4 % Zn–PbI 2 sample. The absorbance, reflectance, extinction coefficient and imaginary part of dielectric constant were found to have their peak intensities when 4 % Zn was added to PbI 2 .While transmittance, refractive index and real part of dielectric constant were found to have their least intensities when 4 % Zn was added. The 4 % doped sample was observed to be the most suitable material for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications due to its outstanding properties.

This study evaluated the proximate, vitamin, and mineral composition of alternative feeds formulated from fermented maize cob and black soldier fly (BSF) larvae composite for fish and poultry. Four feed formulations were developed using varying proportions of fermented maize cob powder and BSF larvae flour: 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, and 90/10, with commercial feed as a control. The raw materials and composite feeds were analysed using standard AOAC methods. Results showed that BSF larvae contained significantly higher protein (29.30%), fat (8.97%), ash (12.18%), and fiber (8.50%) compared to maize cob. The composite feeds exhibited protein content ranging from 13.48-27.00%, with the 60/40 formulation achieving the highest protein level. Moisture content ranged from 21.42-27.53%, indicating the need for additional drying to enhance storage stability. Vitamin analysis revealed that BSF larvae were rich in vitamin B2 (11.93 mg/100g) and B6 (0.91 mg/100g), while vitamins A and E were absent in all samples. The vitamin C content was extremely low across all samples, ranging from (0.01-0.34)mg/100g. Mineral composition showed BSF as an excellent source of iron (7.75 mg/100g), zinc (1.87 mg/100g), Sodium (128.62 mg/100g), and Potassium (464.92 mg/100g), lead content ranged from 0.05mg/100g in sample 80/20 to 0.2mg/100g in maize cob powder (MCP). The 60/40 formulation demonstrated an optimal nutritional profile for high-protein-requiring species, suggesting that fermented maize cob-BSF composites represent viable, sustainable alternatives to conventional feeds. This analysis was subjected to a one-way analysis of variance and Turkish test was used to compare the means.

This study evaluated the functional properties of fiber-enriched breakfast cereals formulated from millet, malted mungbean and tigernut flours using quadratic response surface models. The data obtained were subjected to regression/statistical analysis as prescribed by the RSM. The regression coefficients were used to test the models. The linear, binary and ternary blends were generated and further highlighted by the response surface plot. The blend ratio ‘31.16g millet, 21.72g mungbean, 47.11g tigernut’ with high desirability of 0.951 was selected after optimization and were validated. The blend will be suitable for production of high gluten-free fiber breakfast cereal and other food products such as bread, cake, sausage and biscuit. The developed regression models will enable food industries maximized/optimized the blending of these flours in production of aforementioned food products so as to increase the product quality. The results showed that blend composition significantly influenced bulk density (BD), water absorption capacity (WAC), oil absorption capacity (OAC), solubility (S), emulsification capacity (EC), and foam stability (FS) (p<0.05), while wettability, viscosity, swelling index, gelatinization temperature, and foam capacity were not significantly affected. Malted mungbean flour played a key role in reducing BD and improving WAC and OAC, indicating its suitability for producing lighter cereals with improved hydration and flavor retention. Significant (p<0.05) interaction effects among the flours, particularly for WAC and EC, highlighted the importance of optimized blend combinations. Foam stability exhibited the highest model predictability (Adj. R² = 0.8596), mainly enhanced by millet inclusion. However, these findings support the development of nutritionally enhanced, consumer-acceptable breakfast cereals with improved reconstitution, texture, and stability, suitable for children, adults, and the elderly, and valuable for commercial cereal formulation and product optimization.

This study evaluated the quality of oatmeal cookies fortified with banana pulp and honey. The proximate composition, physical properties, mineral composition and sensory properties were determined using standard analytical methods. The proximate composition revealed that moisture, fat and crude protein values decreased significantly (p<0.05) from samples A to E. Moisture content decreased from 9.18 to 7.18%, fat decreased from 3.26 to 2.45% while crude protein decreased from 19.47 to 17.44%. However, ash, crude fibre and carbohydrate increased from 0.26 to 1.18%; 5.54 to 6.72 % and 62.30 to 65.0% respectively. Results of physical properties of oatmeal cookies showed that cookies diameter ranged from 5.25 to 5.48cm, thickness ranged from 0.48 to 0.53cm, spread ratio ranged from 10.17 to 11.50 and weight increased non significantly (p>0.05) from 9.33 to 11.30g. Results of mineral composition revealed that all the minerals evaluated (calcium, iron, potassium and sodium) increased progressively from sample A to E with sample E having the highest values of 3.87mg/100g for calcium, 310mg/100g for potassium and 113.6mg/100g for sodium, while iron peaked in sample D (0.480mg/100g). Sensory properties revealed that all the oatmeal cookies samples were generally well accepted with mean scores above 7.5 on a 9-point hedonic scale across all attributes.

The development of low-cost insecticidal formulations using readily available household materials presents a potential alternative to synthetic pesticides, particularly in resource-limited settings. In this study, a kerosene-salt-detergent emulsion was formulated and optimised using a Box-Behnken experimental design to evaluate its insecticidal performance against field-collected adult cockroaches and its effect on neem seed germination. Percentage insect mortality (PIM) and neem seed germination percentage (GP) were modelled as response variables using response surface methodology. The optimised mix ratio consisting of 8.29ml of kerosene, 7.41g of salt, and 10.56g of detergent produced a balanced formulation that the model estimated would achieve near-complete insect mortality while maintaining acceptable seed germination. Experimental validation of the optimised mixture produced a mean observed PIM and GP of 90% each, indicating modest deviations from the model predictions. Probit analysis of knockdown data yielded an estimated LT50 of 12.0min with a wide 95% confidence interval of 2.9-50.3min, reflecting limited temporal resolution. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis identified broad functional groups consistent with the chemical composition of the formulation components. A preliminary material-cost assessment suggested that the formulation could be produced at low cost relative to some commercial insecticides. Overall, the results demonstrate a laboratory-scale proof-of-concept for a low-cost insecticidal formulation with strong knockdown potential, while highlighting the need for further species-specific efficacy testing, safety evaluation, and field validation before practical application.