DOCSLIB.ORG

Cricetomys Gambianus ) Emmanuel Ilesanmi Adeyeye 1 and Funke Aina Falemu 2 1Department of Chemistry, Ekiti State University, PMB 5363, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Cricetomys Gambianus ) Emmanuel Ilesanmi Adeyeye 1 and Funke Aina Falemu 2 1Department of Chemistry, Ekiti State University, PMB 5363, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria 6543 Emmanuel Ilesanmi Adeyeye et al./ Elixir Appl. Biology 43 (2012) 6543-6549 Available online at www.elixirpublishers.com (Elixir International Journal) Applied Biology Elixir Appl. Biology 43 (2012) 6543-6549 Relationship of the amino acid composition of the muscle and skin of African giant pouch rat ( Cricetomys gambianus ) Emmanuel Ilesanmi Adeyeye 1 and Funke Aina Falemu 2 1Department of Chemistry, Ekiti State University, PMB 5363, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. 2Department of Biology, College of Education, PMB 250, Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: The amino acid composition of the muscle and skin of the matured female African giant Received: 13 December 2011; pouch rat ( Cricetomys gambianus ) was determined on a dry weight basis. The total essential Received in revised form: amino acids ranged from 29.8-41.2 g/100 g crude protein or from 48.6-53.2 % of the total 19 January 2012; amino acid. The amino acid score showed that lysine ranged from 0.73-1.06 (on whole hen’s Accepted: 31 January 2012; egg comparison), 0.82-1.20 (on provisional essential amino acid scoring pattern) and 0.78- 1.14 (on suggested requirement of the essential amino acid of a preschool child). The Keywords predicted protein efficiency ratio was 1.89-2.41 and the essential amino acid index range Amino acid, was 0.84-1.21. The correlation coefficient (r xy ) was positive and significant at r = 0.01 for the Muscle, total amino acids, isoelectric points and amino acid scores (on whole hen’s egg basis) in the Skin, two samples. Comparison of the samples with the muscle and skin amino acid compositions African giant pouch rat. of the Greater Cane Rat showed that positive and significant differences existed at r = 0.01 between their muscles and their skins respectively. Results have good comparison with whole hen’s egg protein. © 201 2 Elixir All rights reserved. Introduction The Gambian pouch rat ( Cricetomys gambianus ), also Family Nesomyidae, Subfamily Cricetomyinae, Genus known as the African giant pouch rat is a nocturnal rat of the Cricetomys , Species C. gambianus , Binomial name: Cricetomys giant pouched rat genus Cricetomys . It is the largest muroid in gambianus Waterhouse, 1840 the world. It is native to Africa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambian-Pouch-Rat). In Africa it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambian-Pouch-Rat). is routinely eaten as bushmeat. It (and other mammals) is The giant rat Cricetomys gambianus ( Okete ) is a common referred to by the pidgin name of “beef”. rodent found around buildings and gardens in many parts of A study carried out in Nigeria showed that the giant rat Nigeria. It digs long deep burrows with several entrances and produces about the same amount of meat as the domestic rabbit 4. stores found there. It eats roots, bulbs, young shoots and fruits. The meat’s nutritional value compares favourably with that of Other types of rats prefer grains. The female and young are domestic livestock and African villagers know how to prepare it communal and live in burrows. Each community consists of by smoking or by salting 5. The African giant pouch rat is a about thirty individuals; male giant rats live apart by themselves. delicacy in Africa; however, no literature is available on the Nests prepared from vegetable matter occur in the terminal amino acids profile of the skin and muscle. The amino acids chamber of the burrow 1. profile of the brain and eyes of African giant pouch rat had been The Gambian pouch rat can grow to be as big as a raccoon published 6. This work was therefore set out to evaluate the and can weigh up to 4 kg. It has very poor eyesight and so amino acids profile of the muscle and skin of the African giant depends on its senses of smell and hearing. Its name comes from pouch rat, the information derived here may also improve the the large, hamster- like pouches in its cheeks. It is not a true rat, information on food composition Tables. but is part of a uniquely African branch of muroid rodents. In its Materials and methods native Africa, this rat lives in colonies of up to twenty or more, Cricetomys gambianus matured female samples were usually in forests and thickets, but also commonly in termite caught in the wild by a local hunter commissioned for the mounds. It is omnivorous, feeding on vegetables, insects, crabs, purpose at Iworoko Ekiti, Nigeria; identified, immersed in hot snails, and other items, but apparently preferring palm fruits and water (10 min), hair removed and the animals dissected. The kernels 2. muscle and skin were then separately removed, washed with Unlike domestic rats, it has cheek pouches like a hamster. distilled water and dried to constant weight; milled into flour These cheek pouches allow it to gather up several kilograms of and kept in a freezer, pending analysis. nuts per night for storage underground. It has been known to The micro-Kjeldahl methods as described by Pearson stuff its pouches so full of date palm nuts so as to be hardly able (1976) 7 was followed to determine the fat-free crude protein. to squeeze through the entrance of its burrows. The burrow The fat was extracted with a chloroform/methanol (2:1 v/v) consists of a long passage with side alleys and several chambers, mixture using Soxhlet extraction apparatus 8. one for sleeping and the others for storage 3. The African giant About 35 mg defatted samples were weighed into glass pouch rat belongs to the Order Rodentia, Superfamily Muroidea, ampoule, 7 ml of 6M HCl added and hydrolysed in an oven Tele: E-mail addresses: [email protected] © 2012 Elixir All rights reserved 6544 Emmanuel Ilesanmi Adeyeye et al./ Elixir Appl. Biology 43 (2012) 6543-6549 preset at 105±5 oC for 22 h. Oxygen was expelled in the Determination of the ratio of total essential amino acids ampoule by passing nitrogen gas into it. (TEAA) to the total amino acids (TAA), i.e. (TEAA/TAA), total Amino acid analysis was done by ion-exchange sulphur amino acid (TSAA), percentage cystine in TSAA, total chromatography 9 using a Technicon Sequential Multisample aromatic amino acid (TArAA), total neutral amino acid Amino Acid Analyzer (Technicon Instruments Corporation, (TNAA), total acidic amino acid (TAAA) and total basic amino New York, USA) 10 . The period of analysis was 76 min, with a acid (TBAA) were estimated from the results of amino acid gas flow rate of 0.50 ml/min at 60 oC, and the reproducibility profile. The leucine/isoleucine ratio was also calculated. was ±3 %. Tryptophan was not determined. All data generated were analysed statistically. The statistical The amino acid values were calculated from the analysis carried out included the determination of the grand chromatogram peaks as follows. The net height of each peak mean, standard deviation (SD) and the coefficients of variation produced by the chart recorder of TSM (each representing an percent (CV %). Other calculations made were the simple linear 2 amino acid) was measured. The half- height of the peak on the correlation coefficient (r xy ), coefficient of determination (r xy ), chart was found and the width of the peak on the half-height was coefficient of alienation (or index of lack of relationship) (C A) accurately measured and recorded. and index of forecasting efficiency (IFE) and subjected to Table Approximate area of each peak was then obtained by standards to test for significance difference, the level of 17 multiplying the width at half-height. probability was set a r = 0.01 at n-2 degrees of freedom (df) . The norleucine equivalent (NE) for each amino acid in the Results and discussion standard mixture was calculated using the formula: Amino acid compositions (g/100 g crude protein, cp) for the NE = Area of norleucine peak/area of each amino acid different samples are shown in Table I. Glutamic acid was the A constant S was calculated for each amino acid in the standard most concentrated amino acid (AA) in the samples with values mixture: of 13.0 (muscle) – 7.95 g/100 g cp (skin). This was the exact 18 Sstd = NE std x mol. weight x µMAA std trend in the AA profiles of ostrich, beef and chicken . While Finally the amount of each amino acid present in the sample our Lys levels were lower than in ostrich, beef and chicken 18 was calculated in g/16 N or g/100 g protein using the following (with respective values of 8.48, 9.12, 8.96 g/100 g cp); muscle formula: (7.01) and skin (5.94) in turkey hen 19 ; our levels of Lys was Concentration (g/100 g protein) = NH x W@ NH/2 x S std x C better than in the muscle and skin of Greater Cane Rat Dilution x 16 (Thryonomysswingerianus ) with respective levels of 5.19 and C = 4.01 g/100 g cp 20 .Our His levels were close to 2.06-2.25 g/100 g ÷NH x W (Nleu) cp in Greater Cane Rat 20 ; 2.03 in ostrich, beef (3.20), chicken Sample wt (g) x N % x 10 vol. loaded (3.04) 18 ; turkey-hen: muscle (2.60) and skin (2.47) 19 . Phenylalanine levels (4.11-3.50 g/100 g cp) were close to these Where: NH = net height literature values (g/100 g cp): ostrich (4.84), beef (4.48), chicken W = width @ half-height and (4.48) 18 ; turkey -hen: muscle (4.79) and skin (3.80) 19 ; Greater Neu = norleucine Cane Rat: muscle (4.05) and skin (4.80) 20 .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Conservation Status of Animal Species Used by Indigenous Traditional Medicine Practitioners in Ogbomoso, Oyo State
    Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medical Research 3(4): 1-8, 2017; Article no.JOCAMR.36018 ISSN: 2456-6276 Conservation Status of Animal Species Used by Indigenous Traditional Medicine Practitioners in Ogbomoso, Oyo State J. Ebele Ajagun 1* and E. Caesar Anyaku 2 1Medicinal Plant Unit, Bioresources Development Centre, National Biotechnology Development Agency, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria. 2Veterinary Unit, Bioresources Development Centre, National Biotechnology Development Agency Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration between both authors. Author JEA designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the protocol, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Author ECA took part in the survey, managed the literature searches and contributed to the first draft of the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/JOCAMR/2017/36018 Editor(s): (1) Francisco Cruz-Sosa, Metropolitan Autonomous University Iztapalapa Campus Av. San Rafael Atlixco, Mexico. Reviewers: (1) M. Fawzi Mahomoodally, University of Mauritius, Mauritius. (2) Nwachukwu Francis Chukwuedozie, Nigeria Police Academy, Nigeria. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/21007 Received 8th August 2017 Accepted 7th September 2017 Original Research Article Published 15 th September 2017 ABSTRACT Aim: To document the indigenous knowledge of fauna species used in traditional medicine practices and to establish their conservational status. Study Design: A questionnaire guided survey of the traditional uses of fauna species by the indigenous people of Ogbomoso, Oyo State. Place and Duration of Study: Bioresources Development Centre, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria between March and December, 2016. Methodology: A total of 43 participants were interviewed during the survey and constituted 4 hunters, 19 traditional medicine practitioner (TMP) and 20 trado-herbal traders (THT) as the study population.
    [Show full text]
  • Skills Required by Agricultural Education Graduates in Grass Cutter (Thryonomys Swinderianus) Farming for Self-Employment in Kaduna State, Nigeria
    12+2.4 g a.i./ha, (T10) Weedy. There was no phytotoxicity of any of the herbicide treatments on crop during both Scien the years. The tank-mix or sequential application of herbicides would be a better optional thance their applications ur an lt d u F alone to manage the serious problem of herbicide-resistant P. minor in wheat. ic r o o g d A f R o e l s Journal of Agricultural Science and Food a e a n r r c u h o [5]. The isoproturon resisJ tant affected area is ranged between 0.8 and 1.0 million ha in noISSrth-N:w 2593-917estern 3India, mostly inResearch the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and other foothill plains areas Research Skills Required by Agricultural Education Graduates in Grass Cutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) Farming for Self-Employment in Kaduna State, Nigeria James Timothy, Amonjenu Anthony *, Agbulu Nicodemus Ochani Department of Vocational Agriculture and Technology Education, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi Benue State, Nigeria ABSTRACT Whereas the demand for bush meat consumption is high in Kaduna State of Nigeria, the demand can only be sustained by creating self employment by agricultural graduates who have mastered the skills of grass-cutter farming. This is why this study identified skills required by Agricultural Education Graduates in: planning for Grasscutter farming, housing construction for grasscutter farming and breeding Grasscutter in Kaduna state. Three research questions of what are the skills required by Agricultural Education Graduates in planning for Grasscutter farming, housing construction for Grasscutter farming and breeding Grasscutter in Kaduna state were answered by the study while three null hypotheses were formulated and tested at the 0.05 level of significance.
    [Show full text]
  • Burgeoning and Domestication of Grasscutter (Thryonomys Swinderianus) in a Post-Ebola Era: a Reassessment of Its Prospects and Challenges in Nigeria
    Available online at www.worldscientificnews.com WSN 130 (2019) 216-237 EISSN 2392-2192 Burgeoning and Domestication of Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) in a Post-Ebola Era: A Reassessment of its Prospects and Challenges in Nigeria Oluwatosin Ibitoye*, Oluwatobi Kolejo, Gabriel Akinyemi Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria *E-mail address: [email protected] ABSTRACT Nigeria has been declared free from Ebola, but Nigerians are left with the aftereffect of the experience. The Post Ebola era is the era where the aftereffect of the disease is felt. This era is characterized by a low demand for bushmeat, although the trend may reduce as time goes on. Unfortunately, this is the era where Grasscutter domestication is tipped to be a tool for poverty and unemployment reduction in the country. Nigeria is rich in biodiversity and its natives relish bushmeat. There is practically no ecological zone in Nigeria where this delicacy is not consumed. Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) also known as cane rat, is seen throughout sub-Saharan Africa; its flesh is very popular for domestic consumers but it is scarce and highly priced. Researchers and civil society organizations have fronted the advantages of its domestication and multiplication, but all efforts seem to produce little result since low patronage was recorded. Therefore, this review aims to revisit the prospects associated with Grasscutter domestication in a time like this, also identifying its corresponding challenges. The review also presents Grasscutter farming as a tool for sustainable development in Nigeria. The study identifies good meat quality, ethno-medicinal importance, economical advantages and conservational values as the prospects while diseases, reproductive issues, and nutritional constraints were presented among challenges facing Grasscutter farming in Nigeria.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 15 the Mammals of Angola
    Chapter 15 The Mammals of Angola Pedro Beja, Pedro Vaz Pinto, Luís Veríssimo, Elena Bersacola, Ezequiel Fabiano, Jorge M. Palmeirim, Ara Monadjem, Pedro Monterroso, Magdalena S. Svensson, and Peter John Taylor Abstract Scientific investigations on the mammals of Angola started over 150 years ago, but information remains scarce and scattered, with only one recent published account. Here we provide a synthesis of the mammals of Angola based on a thorough survey of primary and grey literature, as well as recent unpublished records. We present a short history of mammal research, and provide brief information on each species known to occur in the country. Particular attention is given to endemic and near endemic species. We also provide a zoogeographic outline and information on the conservation of Angolan mammals. We found confirmed records for 291 native species, most of which from the orders Rodentia (85), Chiroptera (73), Carnivora (39), and Cetartiodactyla (33). There is a large number of endemic and near endemic species, most of which are rodents or bats. The large diversity of species is favoured by the wide P. Beja (*) CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal CEABN-InBio, Centro de Ecologia Aplicada “Professor Baeta Neves”, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal e-mail: [email protected] P. Vaz Pinto Fundação Kissama, Luanda, Angola CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal e-mail: [email protected] L. Veríssimo Fundação Kissama, Luanda, Angola e-mail: [email protected] E.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Species of Felicola (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Trichodectidae)
    Volume 124, Number 2, September 2014 77 A NEW SPECIES OF FELICOLA (PHTHIRAPTERA: ISCHNOCERA: TRICHODECTIDAE) FROM THE FOREST GIANT POUCHED RAT (CRICETOMYS EMINI) IN CAMEROON, AFRICA AND A REDESCRIPTION OF FELICOLA HOPKINSI BEDFORD, 19361 Dennis J. Richardson2 and Jerry L. Cook3 Of the 56 described species in the genus Felicola, 55 are parasites of carni- vores and 1 has been described from a primate (Perez and Palma, 2001). To date, no representative of this genus has been reported from a rodent. Such high host specificity is not uncommon among chewing lice, especially the trichodectids. As pointed out by Hopkins (1949), “each species of Trichodectidae occurs nor- mally as a rule, on only one species of host, but occasionally on several hosts which, though very closely related, are not conspecific.” In the present study, 1 of 15 Forest Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys emini Wrough ton 1910) from Bawa, West Province, Cameroon (approx. 5º20'N, 9º 54'E), purchased as food items by the first author during May 2007, was infest- ed with 10 chewing lice, 6 females (5 adults and 1 juvenile) and 4 males (2 adults and 2 juveniles). This region constitutes a montane tropical forest lying along a volcanic ridge in western Cameroon. Tchuinkam et al. (2010) described the ge- og raphy and climate of the region. Exceedingly little information is available on the ectoparasitic fauna of C. emini. Cook and Richardson (2010) reported on epi- faunistic earwigs associated with these individual rats. No other ectoparasites were observed on the rat infested with chewing lice. Lice were collected with watchmaker’s forceps and fixed in 70% ethanol.
    [Show full text]
  • Thryonomys Swinderianus, Temmnick)
    ~ Nigerian Veterinary Journal ~ Vol3S (3) 1026·1037 -----ARTIClE------------------------------------------------ Morphometric Study of the Skull of the Greater Cane Rat (Thryonomys swinderianus, Temmnick) OlUDE. M.A.'.'. MUSTAPHA. O.A.".'. SONUBI. A.C.'. FALADE. lE.'. OGUNBUNMI. lK.'. ADEBAYO. A.O.',' and AKINlOYE. AK ' 'Department of Vetennary Anatomy. Coltege of Veterinary Medicine, Federat University of Agricutture. AIleokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, 'Department of Veterinary Anatomy, FaCIlity of Veterinary Medicine, University of lbadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, 'Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology. FaC1JJtyofVeterinary Medicine. University of tbadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. 'Corresponding author Email:[email protected], Tel:+2348035915275 SUMMARY INTRODUCTION This study was designed to investigate The Greater cane rat (GCR) (Thryonomys some morphometric characteristics of the swinderianus), popularly known as skull of the Greater cane rat (GCR) grasscutter, is one ofthe wildrodents that is involving 30 morphometric parameters. A currently undergoing domestication and total of 10 adult GCR were used for this captive rearing in parts of Africa and is study comprising of both sexes (5 males regarded as the continent's number one and 5 females). Student t-test was used to "micro-rodents" (Ajayi, 1974; Asibey and analyze the values obtained and to Addo, 2000). It belongs to the sub-order determine differences between the sexes. Hystricomorpha because they have their Morphological features were found in the medial masseter muscles spread through zygomatic bone which occurred as a large the infra-orbital foramen while the lateral and thick bone on both ends. From 30 masseter muscles are attached to the parameters analyzed, 12 were statistically zygomatic arches as in primitive rodents significant (p s 0.05) between both sexes, (Allaby,1999).
    [Show full text]
  • Thryonomys Swinderianus)
    Nigerian Veterinary Journal 37(1). 2016 Igado et al NIGERIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL ISSN 0331-3026 Nig. Vet. J., March 2016 Vol. 37 (1): 54-63. ORIGINAL ARTICLE Cranio-facial and Ocular Morphometrics of the Male Greater Cane Rat (Thryonomys swinderianus) 1 2 1 1 Igado, O. O. *; Adebayo, A. O. ; Oriji, C. C. and Oke, B. O. 1Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.. 2Department of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. *Corresponding Authors: Email: [email protected]; Tel No:+2348035790102. SUMMARY Cranio-facial indices still remain a useful means of early detection of the characteristic facial appearance of some syndromes. The cranio-facial and gross ocular morphometry of the male Greater cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus) was studied using 9 adults. A total of twenty seven parameters were determined for each head. Linear measurements were determined on each eyeball using digital vernier calliper, measuring rule and a piece of twine. Cranio-facial parameters assessed included distance between medial canthi, height of the incisor, extent of oral commissures, width and length of the pinnae. All measured parameters were correlated with the body weight. The highest positive correlation was observed between the body weight and the width of the head, while the heights of the two upper incisors showed the lowest negative correlation with the body weight. The weights of the animals, heads and both eyeballs were 1.97 ± 0.37 kg, 252.00 ± 36.89 g, and 1.00 ± 0.12 g respectively. With increase in the use of wildlife as experimental animals, results from this study may find application in the field of comparative anatomy and pathological studies as well as in wildlife clinical applications.
    [Show full text]
  • Cricetomys Gambianus) in the United States: Lessons Learned
    Witmer, G. W.; and P. Hall. Attempting to eradicate invasive Gambian giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) in the United States: lessons learned Attempting to eradicate invasive Gambian giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) in the United States: lessons learned G. W. Witmer1 and P. Hall2 1United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80521-2154. <[email protected]. gov>. 2United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, 59 Chenell Drive, Suite 7, Concord, NH, USA 03301. Abstract Gambian giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) are native to Africa, but they are popular pets in the United States. They caused a monkeypox outbreak in the Midwestern United States in 2003 in which 72 people were infected. A free-ranging population became established on the 400 ha Grassy Key in the Florida Keys, apparently after a release by a pet breeder. This rodent species is known to cause extensive crop damage in Africa and if it reaches the mainland US, many impacts, especially to the agriculture industry of Florida, can be expected. An apparently successful inter-agency eradication effort has run for just over three years. We discuss the strategy that has been employed and some of the difficulties encountered, especially our inability to ensure that every animal could be put at risk, which is one of the prime pre-requisites for successful eradication. We also discuss some of the recent research with rodenticides and attractants, using captive Gambian rats, that may help with future control and eradication efforts.
    [Show full text]
  • Amino Acids Composition of Liver, Heart and Kidneys of Thryonomys
    . International Letters of Natural Sciences Submitted: 2019-08-08 ISSN: 2300-9675, Vol. 79, pp 23-39 Revised: 2020-01-27 doi:10.18052/www.scipress.com/ILNS.79.23 Accepted: 2020-01-29 CC BY 4.0. Published by SciPress Ltd, Switzerland, 2020 Online: 2020-07-02 Amino Acids Composition of Liver, Heart and Kidneys of Thryonomys swingerianus (Temminck 1827) Compared Emmanuel Ilesanmi Adeyeye1,a*, Olajide Ayodele2,b and Joshua Iseoluwa Orege3,c 1Department of Chemistry (Analytical Unit), 2,3Department of Industrial Chemistry, 1,2,3Ekiti State University, PMB 5363, Ado- Ekiti, Nigeria aE-mail: [email protected], [email protected] bE-mail: [email protected] cE-mail: [email protected] *Corresponding author Keywords: Grasscutter; red viscera; amino acids Abstract: Amino acids composition of Thryonomys swingerianus is reported. Whereas protein values (g100g-1) had liver (74.1), kidney (91.5), heart (84.6); corresponding total amino acid values were 93.5, 83.2 and 80.6. True protein from the crude protein of the samples ran thus: liver>kidney>heart. Of the twenty parameters reported on, liver was best in 12/20 (60.0%), kidney and heart both shared the second position of 4/20(20%) each. Among the essential amino acids, leucine predominated in -1 -1 -1 both liver (7.96g100g protein) and kidney (8.11g100g protein) but valine (6.21g100g protein) predominated in the heart. The P-PER values were; P-PER1: 2.78 (liver), 2.91(kidney), 0.716 (heart) and P-PER2: 2.71 (liver), 2.90 (kidney), 0.564 (heart).
    [Show full text]
  • The Approaching Extinction of Monkeys and Duikers on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, Africa.” the Grim Predictions in Those Earlier Reports Are Now Becoming Reality
    OPPORTUNITIES LOST: THE RAPIDLY DETERIORATING CONSERVATION STATUS OF THE MONKEYS ON BIOKO ISLAND, EQUATORIAL GUINEA (2010) A report prepared by the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program (BBPP), part of the academic partnership between Drexel University and the Universidad Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial (UNGE) Cover photo: An adult male drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus poensis) feeding on figs on the crater floor of the Gran Caldera de Luba during February 2010. Camera trap photo was taken by Drexel Ph.D. candidate Jake Owens. Edited for modesty using Photoshop. VERSION 3 DECEMBER, 2010 This report was prepared by Drew Cronin with assistance from (alphabetical order) Demetrio Bocuma Meñe, Tom Butynski, Jose Manuel Esara Echube, Gail Hearn, Shaya Honarvar, Jake Owens, and Claudio Posa Bohome. PREFACE This document is an update of the BBPP report “Monkeys in Trouble: The Rapidly Deteriorating Conservation Status of the Monkeys on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea (2006)” which was in turn an update of the earlier 2001 report “The Approaching Extinction of Monkeys and Duikers on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, Africa.” The grim predictions in those earlier reports are now becoming reality. Only immediate action will save some of these endemic subspecies, especially the Bioko drill, the Bioko Pennant’s red colobus monkey and the Bioko Preuss’s monkey, from extirpation on Bioko Island. To be certain that people in a position to make a difference have this information before it is too late, BBPP presents the most important graphs and tables in this report. The solution to the crisis is simple: the government of Equatorial Guinea must enforce the laws that already exist to protect the primates as well as the other wildlife that lives within the boundaries of protected areas.
    [Show full text]
  • Ticks Genera, Wildlife Species, Predilection Sites, Lowland Rainforest, Nigeria
    Resources and Environment 2019, 9(2): 36-40 DOI: 10.5923/j.re.20190902.02 Tick-Wildlife Associations in Lowland Rainforest, Rivers State, Nigeria Mekeu Aline Edith Noutcha, Chinasa C. Nwoke, Samuel Nwabufo Okiwelu* Entomology and Pest Management Unit, Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria Abstract Background and Objectives: Ticks and tick-borne diseases are a major constraint to livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa. Wild meat (bushmeat) is meat from any wild terrestrial mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian harvested for subsistence or trade, most often illegally. The benefits of bushmeat are varied. A compelling case has been made that our focus on wildlife should not be restricted to conservation but extended to their health. Many of the studies on tick-wildlife associations on the continent were in South Africa. Studies in Nigeria are very limited. An investigation was conducted to determine the tick diversity, numbers, host species and predilection sites on carcasses brought to a rural bushmeat market in lowland rainforest, Rivers State, Nigeria. Methods: The catchment area of offtakes was approximately 54km2. The study was conducted over a 4-month period, late dry and early rainy seasons, March-June, 2010. Specimens, collected directly with forceps from the terrestrial animals, were identified by standard keys. Results: A total of 671 ticks were collected from ten mammalian species. Six ixodid tick genera (Amblyomma, Cosimiomma, Hyalomma, Aponomma, Boophilus, Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis) of the 12 on the continent were recorded. The two argasid tick genera on the continent Ornithodorus and Argas were collected. Ticks were found on the 10 wildlife species.
    [Show full text]
  • Microscopic Anatomy of the Lower Respiratory System of the African Giant Pouched Rat (Cricetomys Gambianus, Waterhouse 1840)
    Int. J. Morphol., 29(1):27-33, 2011. Microscopic Anatomy of the Lower Respiratory System of the African Giant Pouched Rat (Cricetomys gambianus, Waterhouse 1840) Anatomía Microscópica del Sistema Respiratorio Inferior de la Rata Gigante Africana (Cricetomys gambianus, Waterhouse 1840) C. S. Ibe; B. I. Onyeanusi; S. O. Salami & J. O. Nzalak IBE, C. S.; ONYEANUSI, B. I.; SALAMI, S. O. & NZALAK, J. O. Microscopic anatomyof the lower respiratory system of the African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus, Waterhouse 1840). Int. J. Morphol., 29(1):27-33, 2011. SUMMARY:A qualitative and quantitative study, by light microscopy, was undertaken on the lower respiratory system of the African Giant pouched rat. Specifically, the trachea, bronchi and lungs were stained with Haematoxylin and eosin, Alcian blue at a pH of 2.5 and Periodic Acid-Schiff stains. Three cell types were identified in saggital sections of the trachea: the ciliated cells, basal cells and mucous cells. Fibers of the trachealis muscles in the laminar propria separated the underlying cartilages from the basal cells. Mucous cells were visible only in the membranous portion of the trachea and they were predominant in the rostral and caudal portion of the trachea. Lobar bronchi consisted of cuboidal epithelium and a layer of one or two smooth muscle cells and opened into segmental bronchi and respiratory bronchiole. Some tracheal cartilaginous rims stained blue with AB while most glandular cells stained red with PAS. The diameter of respiratory bronchiole, alveoli duct and alveoli were 24.93 µm (± 1.27), 21.14 µm (± 0.66) and 12.95 µm (± 0.21), respectively.
    [Show full text]