Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology
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Item Development of Precooked Foods Process and Product Evaluation(University of Ghana, 1983-06) Masopeh, E.A pre-cooked food has developed from cornmeal and cowpead flour . The cowpea seeds were germinated and also dehulled. Control seeds of these treatments were made. Method used in the preparation of the product was steaming and traditional roasting in the earthen- ware mashing boul. Chemical analysis on the products Showed that the product developed had a higher protein content than cornmeal . Evaluation of the functional characteristics revealed that the water absorbed by the products increased with an increase in the number of germination days . The undehulled products also absorbed water and swelled more than the dehulled products. This ws attributed to the presence of the seed coat in the undehulled sead products. There was not much difference in the water absorption and swelling properties with respect to the levels of corn and cowpea. Viscoamylograph runs showed no change in the gelatinisation of the germinated seed products , however there was a little increase in the viscosity of the ungerminated seed product during the holding and cooling sections. Sensory evaluation of the corn-cowpea product showed that the product was acceptable. Anaalysis of variance calculations showed a significant (p~ 0.01) effect of dehulling and cersination on the colour, odor, flavor and tho beneral acceptability of the nroducts The panelists could detect differences in the different products subjected to the different treatments. A second product similar to the corn-cowpea product was developed from corndough. Fermented and unfermented corndough were used. Functional characteristics analysis showed a high water absorption and swelling of unfermented corndough products. Analysis on the product Showed no significant difference in the colour, odor etc . of the fermented and unfermented corndough products . However, the unfermented corndough product was more acceptable.Item Proteolytic Activity In Adult Haemonchus Contortos(University of Ghana, 1982) Sackey, S. T; Oduro, K.K.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular BiologyProteolytic activity of the JQ.qOOxgsupernate of homegenates ef adult Haemonchus contortus has been studied with respect to substrates susceptible to its proteolytic activity, and the effects of factors such as temperature, pH, substrate concentration, extract concentration, dibasic metal ions, detergents, heat and some specific inhibitors of proteolytic activity. The supernate had two pH optima, 5.6 with haemoglobii as substrate, and 7.8 using L-alanyl - p-nitroanilide. It showed optimum activity at 36°C, was heat labile and in general was not significantly affected by the presence of metal ions in the hydrolysis of haemoglobin and L-alanyl p-nitroanilide. In screening for substrates susceptible to its hydrolytic action the most suitable were found to be those p-nitroanilides and jp-naphthylamides which have a single amino acid group (small R-group), unprotected at the free functional group end. The kinetic studies indicated that haemoglobin was more rfeadily hydrolysed than the p-nitroanilides and p-naphthylamides.Item Monomorphic and Pleomorphic Trypanosoma Brucei Rhodesiense: Biochemical, Morphological and Ultrastructural Comparisons(University of Ghana, 1983) Aboagye-Kwarteng, T.; Oduro, K.K.; Ormerod, W.B.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular BiologyMonomorphic and Pleomorphic Trypanosoma Brucei Rhodesiense: Biochemical, Morphological and Ultrastructural Comparisons The long slender and short stumpy forms of pleomorphic T . b. rhodesiense (LSHTM 180) have been compared to each other and to the monomorphic T. b. rhodesiense Liverpool Normal (Liv). 1. The agar film technique showed that morphologically the stumpy LSHTM 180 can be differentiated from the slender LSHTM 180 and the monomorphic T. b. rhodesiense (Liv) because it contains lipid granules. 2. Starch gel and cellulose acetate electrophoresis did not show any major differences in the isoenzyme profiles of 8 out of 9 enzymes studied. However, the presence of an aconitase band in the stumpy LSHTM 180 further differentiated it from the slender LSHTM 180 and the monomorphic T. b. rhodesiense (Liv). 3. Polypeptide profiles showed the presence of a 58,000 dalton polypeptide in extracts of both the slender and monomorphic trypomastigotes which was absent in the stumpy form. 4. Like starch gel and cellulose acetate electrophoresis, enzyme assays gave little information as to differences between the 3 trypomastigotes . There was, however, a higher NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase activity in the stumpy form than the other two. 5. Ultrastructural studies showed the stumpy form had more cristae in the mitochondrion than either the slender LSHTM 180 or the monomorphic T. b. rhodesiense (Liv). 6. Trypomastigotes of the pleomorphic strain LSHTM 180 infected the ependymal cells of the choroid plexus, but the monomorphic T. b. rhodesiense (Liv) was unable to do this.Item Effects Of Extracts Of The Anti-Asthmatic Plant Thonningia Sanguinea On Anaphylaxis In The Guinea Pig(University of Ghana, 1980) Nyarko, A.K.; Addy, M.E.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular BiologyThonningia sanguinea is one of the herbal preparations vised prophylactieally against asthma at the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine. Preparations of this plant are used with Desmodium adseendens which has been shown to be anti-anaphylactic. The anaphylactic reaction is a basic underlying phenomenon in asthma. In this work, the effects of T. eanguinea preparations were evaluated on some aspects of the disease. The method adopted was experimental anaphylaxis in the guinea pig. Both _in vivo and in vitro assay systems were used to evaluate extracts prepared from the plant material. The results showed that the plant material when administered orally (i) inhibited anaphylactic contractions in ileal pieces ( p < 0.05)* (ii) acted to reduce the sensitivity of ileal pieces to histamine (p < 0.05), (iii) inhibited the anaphylactic release of histamine from lung tissues (p < 0.05), (iv) reduced the amount (or effect) of mepyramine-resistant spasmogens released anaphylactically from lung tissues (p<0.05), and (v) reduced the total histamine content of lung tissues (p<0.05). The crude extract, and some of its fractions, when assayed in vitro, inhibited the anaphylactic contractions in the ileal pieces in much the same way as when the aqueous extract was administered orally (p<0.05). However, tfae ' iLn vitro effects on histaraine-induced contractions differed from the effect observed when the crude extract was administered orally. Since Thonningia preparations are administered orally, the in vitro assay system involving histamine-induced contractions, was considered to be of little or no use in evaluating the anti-asthmatic effect of the plant. These results are discussed with respect to the possible ways by which the plant could interfere with anaphylaxis and thereby prevent the incidence of asthmatic attacks. The results suggested a similar mechanism of action for both Thonningia and Desmodium. Qualitative analysis indicated the presence of enolic and/or phenolic steroids. The densitometer scan as well as Rf values and colours of resolved components could be used to control and standardize the quality of Thonningia preparations for future use.