African locust bean () is a multipurpose leguminous tree species of nutritional and pharmacological value. The plant is widely distributed in Africa and across Nigeria's major agroecological areas (AEAs). Amidst declining cultivation and production, is genetically threatened in its natural habitats due to overexploitation, deforestation, wildfires and lack of improved tree management practices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlobally, legumes are vital constituents of diet and perform critical roles in maintaining well-being owing to the dense nutritional contents and functional properties of their seeds. While much emphasis has been placed on the major grain legumes over the years, the neglected and underutilized legumes (NULs) are gaining significant recognition as probable crops to alleviate malnutrition and give a boost to food security in Africa. Consumption of these underutilized legumes has been associated with several health-promoting benefits and can be utilized as functional foods due to their rich dietary fibers, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), proteins/essential amino acids, micro-nutrients, and bioactive compounds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPoverty, food, and nutrition insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have become major concerns in recent times. The effects of climate change, drought, and unpredictable rainfall patterns threaten food production and sustainable agriculture. More so, insurgency, youth restiveness, and politico-economic instability amidst a burgeoning population requiring a sufficient and healthy diet remain front-burner issues in the region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlobally, climate change is a major factor that contributes significantly to food and nutrition insecurity, limiting crop yield and availability. Although efforts are being made to curb food insecurity, millions of people still suffer from malnutrition. For the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal of Food Security to be achieved, diverse cropping systems must be developed instead of relying mainly on a few staple crops.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was introduced into Africa on 14th February 2020 and has rapidly spread across the continent causing a severe public health crisis and mortality. We investigated the genetic diversity and evolution of this virus during the early outbreak months, between 14th February to 24th April 2020, using whole genome sequences.
Methods: We performed recombination analysis against closely related CoV strains, Bayesian time scaled phylogeny, and investigation of spike protein amino acid mutations.