Comparative impacts of myco-synthesized nanoparticles against strains of Aspergillus spp. causing biodeterioration of stored cocoa beans in Nigeria.

Silver nanoparticle solutions (AgNPs) of some mushrooms: Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus bisporus and Agaricus campestris were prepared and characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Each of the myco-sythesized AgNPs was plated against strains of Aspergillus flavus and A. ochraceous, at 5, 10 and 15% concentrations.

Assessment of pesticide knowledge, Safety Practices and postharvest handling among cocoa farmers in South Western Nigeria.

Cocoa beans are susceptible to fungal contamination during processing and storage. The knowledge of the use of pesticides and post-harvest handling of cocoa beans among farmers is of great importance for safe consumption. The study evaluated common cocoa production and post-harvest practices of farmers in selected study locations in South Western Nigeria.

Lipidomic and metabolomic profiles of Coffea canephora L. beans cultivated in Southwestern Nigeria.

Coffee (Coffea spp.) is one of the most popular refreshing beverages globally. Coffee lipid diversity has untapped potential for improving coffee marketability because lipids contribute significantly to both the health benefits and cup quality of coffee.

ETAPOD: A forecast model for prediction of black pod disease outbreak in Nigeria.

Food poisoning and environmental pollution are products of excessive chemical usage in Agriculture. In Nigeria, cocoa farmers apply fungicides frequently to control black pod disease (BPD), this practice is life threatening and lethal to the environment. The development of a warning system to detect BPD outbreak can help minimize excessive usage of fungicide by farmers.

Moulds and their secondary metabolites associated with the fermentation and storage of two cocoa bean hybrids in Nigeria.

Fungi and mycotoxin contamination of cocoa beans during fermentation and storage may constitute a hazard in the cocoa value chain and risk to consumers of its products. In this study, fungal profile and secondary metabolite patterns in two cocoa bean hybrids, F and T series, during fermentation and storage were determined. Additionally, secondary metabolite production by the recovered fungi in the beans was examined in culture media.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism-Genotype-By-Sequencing Analyses Reveal the Bean Chemical Profiles and Relatedness of Genotypes in Nigeria.

The flavor and health benefits of coffee ( spp.) are derived from the metabolites that accumulate in the mature bean. However, the chemical profiles of many genotypes remain unknown, even as the production of these coffee types increases globally.

Fungal metabolite and mycotoxins profile of cashew nut from selected locations in two African countries.

Infestation of food crops by fungi has led to serious economic losses in the international market. There is a paucity of information on the multi-mycotoxin profile of cashew nuts from different geographical locations in Nigeria and South Africa. This work aims at comparing the fungal metabolite profile of cashew nut from two African countries using HPLC-FLD and LC-MS/MS.

The Previously Unidentified, Divergent Badnavirus Species Cacao red vein-banding virus is Associated with Cacao Swollen Shoot Disease in Nigeria.

Cacao swollen shoot disease (CSSD) of was reported in Nigeria in 1944; however, no badnaviral genome sequences have been found associated with the symptomatic trees. In 2017, leaf samples ( = 18) were collected from cacao trees from Osun and Oyo, Nigeria showing foliar symptoms that included red vein-banding and shoot swelling, and variable secondary mosaic, mottling, and fern-like pattern symptoms. Abutting primers designed around previously determined 500-bp intergenic region sequences were used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification.

Effect of cocoa powder on hypertension and antioxidant status in uninephrectomized hypertensive rats.

Background And Aim: High salt diet and uninephrectomy are associated with high blood pressure with attendant cardiovascular disease conditions such as hypertension, renal damage, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of consumption of cocoa and cocoa-containing products in the management of high blood pressure in uninephrectomized hypertensive rats.

Materials And Methods: The effect of cocoa powder on blood pressure, markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and histopathology were investigated in uninephrectomized animals fed with cocoa feed alone or in combination with a high salt diet.

Kinetic field dissipation and fate of endosulfan after application on Theobroma cacao farm in tropical Southwestern Nigeria.

Endosulfan, 6,7,8,9,10,10-hexachloro-1,5,5a,6,9,9a-hexahydro-6,9-methano,2,4,3-benzodioxathiepin-3-oxide, is still a pesticide of choice for most cocoa farmers in Southwestern Nigeria, in spite of its persistence, bioaccumulative, toxicological properties, and restriction. A single treatment of 1.4 kg ai/ha (0.

Microbial Diversity in the Gut of Cashew Stem Girdler, Analeptes trifasciata Fabricius (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), in Ibadan, Nigeria.

The cashew stem girdler, Analeptes trifasciata, is a major insect pest of cashew in Nigeria causing economic damage in cashew plantations even at low density. In this study, newly emerged adults of A. trifasciata reared from field-infested cashew stems were collected from the rearing cages, sexed, and dissected to reveal the internal structures of the insects.

Grading of fermented and dried cocoa beans using fungal contamination, ergosterol index and ochratoxin a production.

Sixty four samples of cocoa beans replicated in quadruplicates were collected from five warehouses from southwest Nigeria and examined for fungal loads, ergosterol and ochratoxin A The levels of all the variables obtained were further used as indices for cocoa grading into food quality, FoQ (erg < 5 mg/kg; OTA < 1 µg/kg), feed quality, FeQ (erg = 5~10 mg/kg; OTA in the range of 1.1~3.11 µg/kg), Screen for mycotoxin, SFM (erg = 10~20 mg/kg; OTA from 3.

Identification and survival of the causal organism of leaf smut disease of cowpea in Nigeria.

Protomycopsis phaseoli (Ramak and Subram) is the causal agent of the cowpea leaf smut disease in Nigeria and not Entyloma vignae as claimed by some authors. This pathogen formed dark ash-grey to sooty-black lesions of 3-10 mm in diameter, while young lesions had yellow haloes. P.