The study aimed to evaluate the bacterial contamination of powdered herbal medicinal preparations sourced from identified herbal retail outlets in different parts of Kaduna metropolis. The assessments of the contamination of the herbal products were carried out using standard procedures: total aerobic bacterial plate count, measurement of some physical parameters, isolation and characterization of selected bacterial pathogens etc. The results showed that out of a total of 150, 70 (46.67%) herbal remedies were contaminated with Salmonella typhi, twenty nine (19.33%) with Shigella spp. Eighty eight (58.67%) and 98 (65.33%) were contaminated with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The total aerobic plate count results showed that the highest average count of > 5×10 7 cfu/g was found in 89 (59.33%) of the preparations, while average plate count of ≤5×10 7 cfu/g was found in 42 (28%) and no bacterial count was obtained in 19 (12.67%) of the preparations. Correlation was positive (P = 0.01; r = +0.109) between the physical parameters tested and the bacterial load. Antibacterial activities result of some common antibiotics showed that all the antibiotics had activities on the test bacterial isolates at various minimum inhibitory concentrations. Most traditionally prepared herbal medications in Kaduna state are likely to be contaminated with a wide variety of potentially pathogenic bacteria. The quality assurance of these products should be thoroughly enforced and monitored in the production and distribution of herbal preparations.

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L'étude de la structure du couvert herbacé de quelques formations pastorales des secteurs phytogéographiques soudano-sahéliens et sahélo-soudaniens du Cameroun a été faite par la méthode des points quadrats alignés dans le but de déterminer le nombre de lignes permanentes statistiquement nécessaires pour le suivi de la dynamique de cette végétation. Les résultats obtenus montrent qu'au seuil de probabilité de 5 %, une seule ligne permanente est nécessaire pour suivre la dynamique des groupements à Aristida kerstingii , Heteropogon contortus , Andropogon pinguipes , et que deux lignes sont requises pour les groupements à Andropogon gayanus , Loudetia simplex , et Loudetia togoensis. Trois lignes sont nécessaires pour les groupements à Hyparrhenia rufa et Echinochloa pyramidalis. Pour avoir une marge de sécurité et tenir compte de l'évolution possible des divers groupements, nous proposons d'effectuer pour le suivi de l'ensemble des parcours étudiés des observations sur cinq lignes permanentes.

Data were collected on live weight (LW), heart girth (HG), height-at-withers (HW), trunk length (TL), age, sex, and coat color of 207 taurines cattle--122 of the Doayo (Namchi) breed and 85 of the Kapsiki (Kirdi) breed. The animals, aged 1 to 20 years, were selected from 60 herds randomly selected from villages of Poli of Faro and Mokolo of Tsanga, divisions of the North and Far North Regions of Cameroon. The data were analyzed using the SAS program with a linear model, applying standard tests. Results indicated no breed effect (P > 0.05) in the growth trends of LW, HG, HW, and TL. HG and TL were highly significantly (P < 0.0001) related to LW. The growth pattern for the two breeds was the same since the linear contrast of least square means for the traits at various age groups did not differ (P > 0.05) significantly. The breeds attained maturity as from 4 years. In the absence of breed effect (P > 0.05), a single regression equation was established for the estimation of live weight as thus LW = -244.42 (±22.57) kg + 2.49 (±0.23) HG + 1.04 (±0.25) TL, with HG contributing up to 70% of total variation and TL, 2%. This equation could be used to develop a measuring band useful in the rural environment for commercial and clinical veterinary purposes.

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