http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/22 2026-05-15T14:34:30Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/12427 ANALYSIS OF ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN SELECTED CULINARY SPICES SOLD IN TWO OPEN-AIR MARKETS IN KISUMU CITY, KENYA CHORE, EUNICE AKINYI Culinary spices are used to augment flavor and impart colour to dishes and additionally furnish vital components to the living organisms. Some essential elements found in culinary spices are important for building metalloproteins, enzymes and ensuring that they function in living cells. This study analyzed the concentrations of crucial macro- and micro-elements in Zingiber officinale (Ginger), Curcuma longa (Turmeric), Allium sativum (Garlic), Capsicum annuum (Red chilies), Elettaria cardamomum (Cardamom), Piper nigrum L. (Blackpepper), Cuminum cyminum (Cumin), and Syzygium aromaticum (Cloves), compared the levels of the selected elements in the selected spices and to compare the levels of the elements with the recommended WHO standards collected from two open-air markets in Kisumu City. The essential elements concentrations were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), statistical analysis included descriptive statistical analyses (mean and standard deviation, n = 2). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significant differences in metal concentrations among the various culinary spices. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Factor and hierarchical cluster analyses were performed using the Ward's linkage method to establish the relationships between the macro and micro elements in the culinary spices. K in ginger and garlic both from Jubilee open-air market had the highest and lowest concentrations of 5767.86 ± 30.71 mg/kg and 1611.56 ± 143.15 mg/kg respectively among the macro elements. Ginger possessed the highest mean concentration of most micro elements, Mn (365.29 ± 2.22 mg/kg) and Zn (70.44 ± 0.85 mg/kg). However, the culinary spices from Kibuye open-air markets showed that Al was highest in red chilies, 116.43 ± 3.76 mg/kg and lowest in cloves 39.87 ± 0.79 mg/kg. Cumin possessed the highest concentration of Ca 5290.44 ± 147.34 mg/kg while garlic possessed the lowest 1424.43 ± 24.45 mg/kg. Ginger exhibited highest concentration of K, 5755.36 ± 46.97 mg/kg while garlic exhibited lowest concentration of 1599.06 ± 205.98 mg/kg. The highest concentration of Mg was exhibited in ginger, 4605.36 ± 76.27 mg/kg, while cloves exhibited the lowest concentration 856.50 ± 14.85 mg/kg. Lastly Cumin possessed the highest concentration of Na, 1356.88 ± 41.01 mg/kg while turmeric showed the lowest concentration 175.43 ± 9.29 mg/kg respectively. The concentration of micro elements in culinary spices from kibuye open-air market showed that Co was highest in cloves, 13.85 ± 2.28 mg/kg and lowest in red chilies 4.62 ± 0.21 mg/kg. Black pepper possessed the highest concentration of Cu 20.37 ± 0.93 mg/kg and lowest in red chilies 8.71 ± 0.35mg/kg. The highest concentration of Mn was highest in ginger 360.29 ± 2.22 mg/kg and lowest in red chilies 18.06 ± 0.04 mg/kg. Zn level was highest in cumin, 65.44 ± 0.85 mg/kg and lowest in garlic 10.52 ± 0.56 mg/kg which therefore, exceeded the WHO‘s recommended daily intake of 11mg/kg for adults, and finally black pepper exhibited the highest concentration of Fe, 275.52 mg/kg and lowest in turmeric 98.60 ± 5.01 mg/kg respectively. The concentration of macro elements in the culinary spices from the Kibuye open-air market was slightly higher than those from the Jubilee open-air market; nevertheless, the variances were not statistically significant (p˃0.05). The research found out that culinary spices are relatively nontoxic and have high levels of useful macro-and microelements supports their usage. The high concentrations of macro and micro elements and the low toxicity of the culinary spices justify that they are rich in essential elements that provide substantial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects which are accountable for managing and preventing diet-related diseases. 2025-11-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10142 Diversity and Infection Levels of Metazoan Parasites of Oreochromis Esculentus and Protopterus Aethiopicus using Morphological and Molecular Characterization in Lake Kanyaboli, Kenya Olonde, Felix Ochieng Kenyan lakes play a major role in fish supply and food security to the local communities and in promoting revenue in the country. Diseases and parasite infestations have been viewed as some of the major unfavorable factors limiting fisheries as they leads to decreased fecundity, retarded growth and mass mortality of fish. This adversely impacts on productivity and nutritional quality of fish. This study was conducted in Lake Kanyaboli between January and March 2024 to identify and describe or re-describe the metazoan parasites of endemic Oreochromis esculentus (Graham, 1928) and Protopterus aethiopicus (Heckel, 1851) in Lake Kanyaboli, Kenya. A total of 120 specimens, sixty of each fish species were collected using a fleet of gill nets of mesh sizes 2-5 inches and transported alive in plastic containers with the lake water. In the laboratory, the fish were euthanized through cervical disclocation and morphometric measurements, including total length (centimetres) mass (gram) and sex recorded. All fish samples were subjected to standard parasitological examination for ecto and endoparasites. Recovered parasites were preserved in 70% and 96% ethanol for morphological and molecular analysis respectively. Using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), two ectoparasites taxa, from O. esculentus and P. aethiopicus, were identified as: Dolops ranarum a branchuran copepod from the gill chambers, skin, fins and the mouth; an Hirudinean species (Batrachobdelloides tricarinata) from the skin and fins. An endo parasitic trematode, Heterorchis sp. from the intestine of P. aethiopicus was also identified. Sequences generated using 28S rDNA marker confirmed the identity of the D. ranarum and Heterorchis sp. when compared with those available in the database GenBank. This analysis revealed a 24 nucleotide base pair difference and an uncorrected genetic p-distances of 0.02 from H. cf. crumneficer (MW586924) retrieved from GenBank. Dolops ranarum recorded the highest prevalence, mean intensity and was the most diverse parasite of the two host species. A linear positive association was found between the host size and infection level of the three parasite taxa. However, the host sex factor was only associated with infections by B. tricarinata and Heterorchis sp. in P. aethiopicus. The morpho-genetic data in this study forms a parasitological baseline for future studies on these fish species and other hosts, not only in Lake Kanyaboli, but also in many water bodies within and beyond the Lake Victoria basin. 2025-10-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10074 A Computational Study of Structural and Mechanical Properties of Silicon Carbide Alloyed with Lithium or Sodium for Aerospace Applications Otieno, Ochieng Victor Aluminium (Al) and its alloys have historically been preferred materials in the aerospace sector owing to its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and ductility. These attributes contribute to enhanced fuel efficiency and ensure the structural integrity and mechanical reliability of modern aircraft. However, despite these advantages, the high ductility and malleability of Al and its alloys make them prone to dents and scratches, which can limit their performance in certain aerospace applications. This limitation has spurred the search for alternative materials that can address the weaknesses of Al and its alloys. Enhancing the mechanical strength of Al and its alloys is possible through processes like cold working and alloying. However, these methods often come at the cost of reduced corrosion resistance, which is a critical property for aerospace materials. Therefore, there is a pressing need to explore alternative materials that offer superior mechanical properties without sacrificing other essential characteristics. Compared to Al alloys, silicon carbide (SiC) has a higher Young’s modulus and superior wear resistance. Silicon carbide (SiC) has better wear resistance and a greater Young’s modulus than Al alloys. SiC is intrinsically brittle and has an even higher density than Al and its alloys, leading to it being unsuitable for aeronautical uses where both strength and low weight are vital, regardless of these benefits. This study focused on improving the structural and mechanical properties of SiC by alloying it with lithium (Li) or sodium (Na), using ab initio calculations. The primary aim was to modify the properties of SiC through alloying to create materials that better meet the demands of aerospace applications. The specific objectives were: to model SiC alloys with varying concentrations of Li or Na, to investigate how these concentrations affect the structural properties of the alloys, and to assess the impact of Li or Na concentration on the mechanical properties of the SiC-Li or SiC-Na alloys. The research began with modeling the cubic SiC structure, by creating a 2 × 2 × 2 supercell containing 64 atoms. Burai software, known for its user-friendly graphical interface with Quantum ESPRESSO, was used for this purpose, facilitating the creation of input files and crystal structure visualization. Alloying was achieved by substituting up to 25 % of the silicon atoms with Li or Na atoms while retaining the cubic structure of the alloys. Ab initio calculations were then performed using density functional theory (DFT) with the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof functional for solids (PBESOL), implemented in the Quantum ESPRESSO code. Ultrasoft pseudopotentials were employed in self-consistent field (SCF) calculations. The results showed that the SiC-Li and SiC-Na alloys, particularly SiC-6Li, SiC-8Li (2784, 2656 kg/m³, respectively), and the SiC-6Na and SiC-8Na (2889, and 2788 kg/m³, respectively), exhibited lower densities, higher ductility, and superior mechanical strength (8.74 and 2.46, and 6.99 and 0.74 GPa, respectively) compared to Al and its alloys. The alloys with lower compositions of Li or Na (SiC-2Li and SiC-2Na), are the strongest mechanically (strength very close to pure SiC though a bit more ductile), therefore can be used on the plane skins to curb surface erosion. These findings suggest that these alloys could be used to manufacture lighter, yet structurally and mechanically stronger materials, making them highly suitable for aerospace applications. To create even more optimal materials for aerospace applications, future studies should concentrate on empirically confirming these findings and investigating the simultaneous alloying of SiC with both Li and Na. 2025-10-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/9859 Macro and Micro Element Composition in Indigenous Solanum Nigrum and Gynadropsis Gynandra from Two Agroecological Zones of Kisii, Kenya Moenga, Mercilline Nyamokami Vegetables are good sources of essential minerals that promote good health and immunity. Information on the nutritional contents of indigenous vegetables is scarce. Therefore, this study sought to ascertain the concentrations of macro and micro elements in Solanum nigrum and Gynandropsis gynandra indigenous vegetables from two agroecological zones (AEZs): upper midland (UM) and lower highland (LH) of Kisii County, Kenya. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP‒ OES-900 model with CAT NO-211-86000-96) was used for elemental analysis. The highest concentration of Ca (53811.67±8.65mg/kg Dw) macro element was detected in Solanum nigrum at Nyaura (UM), while a lower concentration of Al (45.83±2.54mg/kg Dw) in Gynandropsis gynandra was detected at Nyamemiso (LH). For Gnandropsis gynandra, the most abundant erythrocytic synthesis element was Fe (1856.67±15.28 mg/kg DW) for plants harvested from Nyanchwa (UM), and the least available element was Cu (8.90±0.44 mg/kg DW) from plants in Kari (LH). In addition, Mg was the hypoglycemic element with the highest concentration (5975.00±10.00 mg/kg DW) and Cr lowest (3.16±0.45 mg/kg Dw) in G.gynandra from Matongo (UM). For Solanum nigrum, the most erythrocytic synthesis element was Fe (1280.00±10.00 mg/kg Dw in vegetables from Kiamabundu (UM), and the least element was Cu (9.08±0.15 mg/kg Dw) in vegetables collected from Nyanchwa (UM), whereas Mg (4920.00±10.00 mg/kg Dw) in vegetables from Nyabioto (UM) was the hypoglycemic element with the highest concentration, while Cr(3.95±1.63mg/kg Dw) in veetables from Mariba (LH) had the lowest concentration. The highest positive and significant correlation was observed between Ca and Mg contents (r= 0.92, p<0.05 in Gynandropsis gynandra from LH while, the highest negative and significant correlation was between Co and Cr (r = 0.88 P<0.05) in Gynandropsis gynandra from LH, while no correlation between Ca and Co, (r=0.00, P >0.05) in Solanium nigrium from LH was observed. High levels of micro elements were bio accessed as compared to macro elements for vegetables from UM. In a general trend, elements in the two indigenous vegetables from UM were slightly greater than those in the LH. Nonetheless, the differences in concentrations were insignificant (P0.05). Enzymatically bio-accessed concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cr, Mg, Mn, and Cu were higher than those obtained aquatically. The indigenous vegetables bio avails substantial amounts of Fe and Cu, hence offering a good alternative in the management of pernicious anaemia. In addition, substantial bio-accessible levels of Zn, Mn, Mg, and Cr offer the potential for consumption and management of diabetes. 2025-05-01T00:00:00Z