COVID‐19 pandemic is currently decimating the world's most advanced technologies and largest economies and making its way to the continent of Africa. Weak medical infrastructure and over‐reliance on medical aids may eventually predict worse outcomes in Africa. To reverse this trend, Africa must re‐evaluate the only area with strategic advantage; phytotherapy. One of the many plants with previous antiviral potency is against RNA viruses is Aframomum melegueta. In this study, one hundred (100) A. melegueta secondary metabolites have been mined and computational evaluated for inhibition of host furin, and SARS‐COV‐2 targets including 3C‐like proteinase (Mpro/3CLpro), 2′‐O‐ribose methyltransferase (nsp16) and surface glycoprotein/ACE2 receptor interface. Silica‐gel column partitioning of A. melegueta fruit/seed resulted in 6 fractions tested against furin activity. Diarylheptanoid (Letestuianin A), phenylpropanoid (4‐Cinnamoyl‐3‐hydroxy‐spiro[furan‐5,2′‐(1′H)‐indene]‐1′,2,3′(2′H,5H)‐trione), flavonoids (Quercetin, Apigenin and Tectochrysin) have been identified as high‐binding compounds to SARS‐COV‐2 targets in a polypharmacology manner. Di‐ethyl‐ether (IC50 = 0.03 mg/L), acetone (IC50 = 1.564 mg/L), ethyl‐acetate (IC50 = 0.382 mg/L) and methanol (IC50 = 0.438 mg/L) fractions demonstrated the best inhibition in kinetic assay while DEF, ASF and MEF completely inhibited furin‐recognition sequence containing Ebola virus‐pre‐glycoprotein. In conclusion, A. melegueta and its secondary metabolites have potential for addressing the therapeutic needs of African population during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

The bioconcentration levels of 3 non-essential elements (Pb, Cd and Ni) have been investigated in three different seafoods; Fish (Tilapia zilli), Crab (Callinectes sapidus) and periwinkle (Littorina littorea), to investigate the ecosystem health status in Ondo oil-polluted coastal region, Nigeria. The seafood samples were chosen based on their popularity as a food source and the potential of the species to contain high levels of metals based on past research results. Metal concentrations in the biota showed marked interspecific differences with C. sapidus recording the highest concentrations of all the metals. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) showed that C. sapidus and T. zilli have the greatest potential to concentrate Cd (BCF = 3-10) and Pb (BCF = 11-84) respectively. Lead uptake from both water and sediment (BCF ≈ BSAF: 0.003-0.018) were abysmally low in L. littorea as compared with other organisms. The high concentrations of Pb in fish species, effective bioaccumulation of Cd in species of crab and periwinkles, as well as very high BSAF of Ni found in species of crab indicated a strong influence from anthropogenic pollutant source on the biotic community. Oil pollution appears to be a major source of bioavailable metal contaminants for the selected biota. The study shows that C. sapidus and L. littorea can effectively compartmentalize potentially toxic metals such as Cd, Pb and Ni within their tissues. In terms of toxicity, C. sapidus had Cd concentrations greater than the 3,000 ng/g limit set by the Commission of the European Communities while Pb concentration exceeded their limits in both C. sapidus and T. zilli. All levels of Ni were below the U.S. Food and Drug Administration action levels for these metals in fish, crustaceans and shellfish. The study revealed anthropogenic enrichment of the metals studied which can possibly pose potential threats to the ecology of the area.

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Field-grown winter wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Avalon) plants were treated with a formulation of 1.25 % Cycocel (2-Chloroethyl trimethylammonium chloride) and 0.5% Ll-700 (acidified soya lecithin) at the beginning of stem extension in order to identify the component parts that are most affected and on which an assessment of the effectiveness of Cycocel formulations can be based. Cycocel consistently reduced culm length due to the reduction of the lengths of the first three basal internodes by 43, 37 and 15 % respectively. In absolute terms, the second internode contributed most to stem reduction, a feature retained up till maturity. There was evidence of relative dry matter redistribution from the stem to the leaves, while growth rate was slowed down such that treated plants matured later than the controls. The youngest fully opened leaf at the time of Cycoce! application showed a transient reduction in length, area and dry weight, while total leaf area was largely unchanged. From the results, measurement of the lengths of the first two internodes proved to be the most sensitive indicator of effective Cycocel uptake.

Aims: Bambusa tuldoides cv. ventricosa (bamboo) extract is used locally in the treatment of different types of fever in Africa. The extraction by cooking of fresh bamboo leaves using fermented steep liquor of ogi either made from maize or sorghum has been used traditionally in the treatment of Typhoid fever in the SouthWestern Nigeria. This work is designed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the different fermented cereal (Zea mays and Sorghum bicolor) grains steep liquors as the extraction medium for the bamboo leaf in comparison with the ethanol extraction using agar well diffusion. Methodology and results: The extracted leaves (dried and fresh) from different fermented cereal steep liquors [maize (white and yellow) and sorghum (white and red)] media were screened for inhibition of some pathogenic species such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli. The extracts were then tested at different concentrations for bacteriostatic activity towards these clinically-important species. The fresh leaf extracts from the fermented maize and sorghum liquors at a concentration of 20 g/100 mL showed antibacterial activities for all the tested bacteria, while the ethanolic leaf extract did not show any antibacterial activity for both S. typhi and S. faecalis. Higher concentration (20 g/ 40 mL) produced higher antibacterial activity in all the leaf extracts from the fermented maize and sorghum liquors. Conclusion, significance and impact study: Our data provide support for the traditional use of fermented maize and sorghum grill steep liquor extract of Bambusa tuldoides cv. ventricosa in treating the symptoms associated with the test organisms, in which the yellow maize liquor displayed greater antibacterial activity in comparison with the others.