Plants contain several compounds among which are phytochemicals with both beneficial (medicinal, nutritional, antibiotic and environmental) and deleterious (bitter taste, poisonous, chelate) effects on organisms consuming them. Eighteen (18) tropical plants comprising 8 herbaceous plants, 4 trees and 5 shrubs and ornamentals were assayed for their antinutritional factors using qualitative and quantitative techniques. Saponin, tannin, steroid, triterpeniod, cardiac glycoside and phlobatanins were present in all tropical plants examined. Alkaloids used in preparing poison was absent in all samples that were assayed, there were varying quantities of antinutritional factors in all. Saponin content in the plants ranged from (6.22-19.53 g/100 gDM) Adanzonia digitata and Vernonia amygdalina respectively this can be exploited for its nutritional and medicinal benefits for human, animal and environment. Enhancement of protein in form of by-pass protein can be achieved by exploiting tannin which ranged from Morinda lucida (0.53 g/100 gDM) to Talinum triangulae (2.80 g/100 gDM), flavonoids ranged from Newbouldia laevis (0.89 g/100 gDM) to Physalis angulata (10.52 g/100 gDM). Moreover, Phenol is important for its antiseptic action ranged from (0.60 g/100 gDM) in Corchorus olitorium and Morinda lucida to in Talinum triangulae (3.18 g/100 gDM) (p<0.05). All these phytochemicals in tropical plants can be harnessed for their advantages.

Globally, hunger and poverty are major challenges with number of household malnourished increasing daily. Conscious integration of the home gardens strategy into peri-urban and urban development can help to achieve food security. In this regard, a total of 412 questionnaires were administered to home garden owners around the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) in Ibadan (Southwest Nigeria), Mbato (Southeast Nigeria), Bagauda (Northwest Nigeria) and Dadinkowa (Northeast Nigeria). In all, 366 (88.8%) questionnaires were found suitable for analysis. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistical analytical tools. Majority of people involved in the practice of home gardening were male (78%) and young <50 years (53%), implying that they were capable of handling more tedious activities than the female and the elderly respectively. Land and house ownership were found to be the most important factor in home gardening. Goat (77.1%), sheep (58.7%) and local fowl (49.7%) were the dominant livestock in the areas investigated.Most of the livestock were fed with household waste and crop residues which ought to have caused great problem through microbial build up, while the animal wastes were usually incorporated into the soil to serve as soil amendments. Some of the livestock owners were also mindful of zoonosis.

This study was carried out to investigate the forage yield and nutritive quality of two groundnut (SAMNUT 22 and local) varieties as influenced by fertilizer type in the humid ecological zone of Nigeria. The study was a 3 x 2 factorial experiment in a split-plot design with the fertilizer type (poultry droppings, NPK and the control) as the main plot and variety (SAMNUT 22 and Local) as the sub-plot which amounts to six treatments with three replicates. The inorganic-fertilized SAMNUT 22 had the highest forage dry matter (DM) yield (10.23 t/ha). The inorganic-fertilized local variety had the highest DM (94.60 %) and the least DM value (93.68 %) recorded for inorganic-fertilized SAMNUT 22. The highest and least crude protein (21.71 % vs 18.28%) contents were recorded for inorganic-fertilized local and unfertilized SAMNUT 22 variety, respectively. The neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) that were recorded for the unfertilized SAMNUT 22 were the highest with values 58.13 %, 25.86 % and 3.35 %, respectively. The highest gas (57.75 ml/200mgDM) production, methane (13.50 ml/200mgDM) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (70.22 %) were recorded for unfertilized local variety, unfertilized SAMNUT 22 and organic-fertilized local variety, respectively. The unfertilized SAMNUT 22 had the highest tannin content of 6.43 mg/100g and saponin content of 9.29 mg/100g whereas the organically fertilized Local variety had the highest oxalate (140.65 mg/100g) content. In conclusion, the two varieties and especially SAMNUT 22 when inorganic fertilizer was applied have proved to be good feed resource with regards to high yield, CP and low anti-nutrient quality and are recommended as forage of high nutritive values for ruminant animal production.

The study evaluated the nutrient intake, apparent nutrient digestibility, performance and nitrogen balance of West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep fed cassava peel-based diets containing kenaf grain meal (KGM) in replacement of palm kernel cake (PKC). Sixteen female WAD sheep with an average initial live weight of 9.71 ± 0.05 kg were selected for four dietary treatments, having four animals per diet. The diets comprised wilted guinea grass (Panicum maximum) as basal diet and cassava peel based diets with levels of replacement of PKC by KGM at 0 %, 15 %, 20 % and 25 %, respectively, as: 1) (25 % PKC + 0 % KGM), 2) (10 % PKC + 15 % KGM), 3) (5 % PKC + 20 % KGM), and 4) (0 % PKC + 25 % KGM). Increasing levels of KGM in the dietary treatments significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the total feed and nutrient intake (g / kg W0.75), digestibility and weight gain. Total feed intake (108.48 g / kg W0.75 or 662.82 g / day), nutrient intake, feed conversion ratio (21.47) and daily weight gain (30.95 g / day) were outstanding (p < 0.05) when PKC was completely replaced by KGM. Similarly, nutrient digestibility coefficients and nitrogen utilization values differed with increasing level of KGM inclusion, with the peak effects recorded in sheep at 5 % PKC and 20 % KGM inclusions than the other dietary groups. Thus, kenaf grain meal can successfully be used to replace palm kernel cake as an unconventional protein and energy source in cassava peel based diet for WAD sheep without causing any negative impact on nutrient intake and digestibility, nitrogen balance and growth performance.

This study was carried out to improve commercial egg production using parkia pulp which is usually washed off during the processing of parkia seed into spice. A total of 54 Hyline brown Agrited brand pullets were randomly allotted to 3 treatments, 6 birds per replicate. Parkia pulp was included in the birds’ drink (0%, 1%, and 2% parkia pulp) from 08:00 h to 10:00 h followed by clean cool water daily from day 147 to day 245 (early egg production phase). At day 420 to 448 (late egg production phase) conventional multivitamins, 1% and 2% parkia pulp were included in drinking water for 3 days in a week 08:00 h to 17:00 h. Data on the growth of birds, egg production, and egg internal and external quality were measured and analysed using ANOVA at p < 0.05. The weight of birds in the early egg production phase was directly proportional to the quantity of parkia pulp included in the parkia pulp drink. The number of eggs produced per bird (64.85) was significantly higher from the birds on 1% parkia pulp drink, whereas from the egg quality indicators, egg weight (65.03 g), length (56.15 mm), shell weight (8.06 g), and albumen weight (41.75 g) were all significantly higher at 2% inclusion level of parkia pulp drink in the early stage of egg production. In the late phase there was no significant difference among the treatments in the internal and external egg qualities but the weight of birds on parkia drink was high at p ≤ 0.05. The results of our study show that parkia pulp inclusion in commercial laying hen drink enhances the quality and quantity of egg production.