This study was conducted to determine the heavy metals concentration in Hibiscus leaves cultivated in Katsina State Nigeria. The objectives were mainly to detect the presence of heavy metals in the cultivated Hibiscus leaves in the study area, compare the concentration of heavy metals in samples in relation to the permissible limits specified by WHO/FAO/USEPA Standards. Samples of cultivated Hibiscus leaves were collected in the year 2017 from the selected area. Yaradua et al.; AJAHR, 3(4): 1-12, 2019; Article no.AJAHR.47834 ) limit. The study suggests that consumption of the studied samples in Katsina state is of public health concern as they may contribute to the population cancer burden. Original Research Article

Aim:The current study was carried out to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of aqueous extract of Adansonia digitata fruit pulp on carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) induced liver damage in rats. Place and Duration of Study: Methodology: A. digitata fruit pulp was extracted by maceration using water; and a concentration of 100 mg/ml was used. Two doses of the aqueous extract (200 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg) and Livoline Sa'id et al.; AJBGMB, 3(3): 12-21, 2020; Article no.AJBGMB.54697 13 (25 mg/kg) were used to investigate their hepatoprotective effects on CCl 4 -induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Results: The two doses of the plant extract showed dose-dependent hepatoprotective effect on CCl 4 -induced hepatotoxicity, as evident by the significant reduction (P<0.05) in serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP and bilirubin along with the improved histopathological liver sections compared to CCl 4treated animals. Conclusion: Due to its hepatoprotective potentials, A. digitata extract may be used to develop standard treatment drugs against some liver disorders when it is further evaluated through extensive researches. Original Research Article

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Pollution of the environment by heavy metals and other toxic xenobiotics has increasingly become global public health concern. Bacterial reduction of molybdenum to insoluble molybdenum blue (Mo-blue) forms the basis for its bioremediation. A bacterium with the ability to reduce toxic soluble molybdenum has been isolated from Agricultural soil and identified as Pseudomonas sp. based on the 16S rRNA partial sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Spectroscopic analysis reveals that the bacterium reduced sodium molybdate to Mo-blue optimally at pH between 6.5 and 7.0, temperatures between 35 °C and 40 °C. Glucose was the best electron donor source supporting molybdate reduction, followed by sucrose, fructose, glycerol and starch in descending order. Other requirements include a phosphate concentration of 3.5 mM and a molybdate concentration of between 40 and 60 mM. The absorption spectrum of the Mo-blue produced was similar to the previously isolated Mo-reducing bacteria and closely resembles a reduced phosphomolybdate.

Bioremediation of pollutants such as heavy metals is an economic and environmentally friendly process. A novel molybdenum-reducing bacterium was isolated and characterized for its potential to reduce hexavalent molybdenum to molybdenum blue (Mo-blue). The bacterium reduces molybdate optimally at pH between 6 and 8, temperature between 35 and 40 ËšC. Glucose was the best electron donor source supporting molybdate reduction followed by sucrose, fructose, starch and glycerol in descending order. Other requirements include optimum phosphate concentration at 5.0 mM and molybdate concentration between 20 and 40 mM. 16S rRNA partial sequencing and phylogenetic analysis identified the bacterium as Pantoea sp. strain HMY-P4. The capacity of this bacterium to reduce toxic soluble molybdenum to a less toxic form is novel and makes the bacterium an important instrument for bioremediation of this pollutant.