Browsing by Author "Msagati, Titus"

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Bioaccumulation and distribution pattern of heavy metals in aquaculture systems found in Arusha and Morogoro regions of Tanzania
(Taylor & Francis Group, 2020-08-20) Nyamete, Frida; Chacha, Musa; Msagati, Titus; Raymond, Jofrey
The assessment of the current distribution and concentrations of As, Pb, Hg, Cd, and Cr in farmed catfish and tilapia, fish feed, and pond sediment in Tanzania is important in order to establish the potential dietary exposure to heavy metals from aquaculture sources. Thirteen fish ponds were selected from each of the 10 sites (villages) studied in Arusha and Morogoro regions. Representative samples collected were analysed using polarised energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence (PED-XRF) spectrometer. Human health risk from fish consumption was established by calculating the estimated daily intakes (EDI), target hazard quotients (THQ), total hazard indices (HI), and carcinogenic risk (CR) of the heavy metals. Arusha had the highest concentrations (dry weight) of As (2.49–4.75 mg/kg) in the fish feed. Morogoro had the highest concentrations of Hg (1.65–2.69 mg/kg), Pb (4.59–5.64 mg/kg), and Cd (1.99–3.97 mg/kg) for sediment, fish feed, and fish muscles, respectively. Cr was the most accumulated heavy metal in the fish muscles sampled in Arusha (4.61–9.50 mg/kg) and Morogoro (2.53–5.57 mg/kg). Concentrations and EDI calculated based on mean fish consumption of 22.1 g per person per day by a 60 kg Tanzanian adult found heavy metal intakes were below the recommended daily dietary allowance (RDA) while THQ values were lower than 1, indicating no health risk related to consumption of the fish. The estimated HI was greater than 1, suggesting a potential significant non-carcinogenic health risk. The CR values were below 10−4, indicating no carcinogenic health risk in humans from fish consumption. This study recommends continued surveillance given potential bioaccumulation of these heavy metals in fish.
Development of a Natural Product Rich in Bioavailable Omega-3 DHA from Locally Available Ingredients for Prevention of Nutrition Related Mental Illnesses
(Taylor & Francis Online, 2020-03-19) Charles, Christina; Swai, Hulda; Msagati, Titus; Chacha, Musa
Objectives: Poor mental health remains a serious public concern worldwide. The most vulnerable individuals are children and adolescents in developing countries. Nutritional deficiency of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), have long been recognized as a major contributing factor for mental health illnesses. Provision of ready-to-use natural product rich in preformed Omega-3 DHA and EPA could address this problem. However, most commonly used products are expensive and contain less or no preformed Omega-3 DHA and EPA, making them less suitable for prevention of mental illnesses in resource-poor countries. The main objective of this study was to develop a natural product rich in preformed Omega-3 DHA and EPA from locally available ingredients. Methods: Linear programing (LP) was used to formulate a natural product rich in preformed Omega-3 DHA and other essential nutrients using locally available ingredients other than fish and dairy products. Laboratory analysis was then performed to validate the nutritional value of the LP-formulation using standard analytical methods. The relative difference between the LP tool calculated values, and the laboratory-analyzed values were calculated. Sensory testing was also done to evaluate consumer acceptance of the final product. Results: Optimal formulation contained about 220 mg of preformed Omega-3 DHA + EPA, enough to meet the RDI for children aged 2-10 years. The LP analysis further showed that the cost of the developed product is USD 0.15/100 g, which is 50% lower than that of Plumpy’nut. Laboratory analysis revealed similar results as that of LP at P = 0.05. Conclusions: These findings indicate that ready-to-use natural food rich in preformed DHA and EPA can be developed from locally available ingredients.
Development of a Natural Product Rich in Bioavailable Omega-3 DHA from Locally Available Ingredients for Prevention of Nutrition Related Mental Illnesses.
(Taylor & Francis online, 2020-03-19) Charles, Christina; Swai, Hulda; Msagati, Titus; Chacha, Musa
Poor mental health remains a serious public concern worldwide. The most vulnerable individuals are children and adolescents in developing countries. Nutritional deficiency of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), have long been recognized as a major contributing factor for mental health illnesses. Provision of ready-to-use natural product rich in preformed Omega-3 DHA and EPA could address this problem. However, most commonly used products are expensive and contain less or no preformed Omega-3 DHA and EPA, making them less suitable for prevention of mental illnesses in resource-poor countries. The main objective of this study was to develop a natural product rich in preformed Omega-3 DHA and EPA from locally available ingredients. Linear programing (LP) was used to formulate a natural product rich in preformed Omega-3 DHA and other essential nutrients using locally available ingredients other than fish and dairy products. Laboratory analysis was then performed to validate the nutritional value of the LP-formulation using standard analytical methods. The relative difference between the LP tool calculated values, and the laboratory-analyzed values were calculated. Sensory testing was also done to evaluate consumer acceptance of the final product. Optimal formulation contained about 220 mg of preformed Omega-3 DHA + EPA, enough to meet the RDI for children aged 2-10 years. The LP analysis further showed that the cost of the developed product is USD 0.15/100 g, which is 50% lower than that of Plumpy'nut. Laboratory analysis revealed similar results as that of LP at P = 0.05. These findings indicate that ready-to-use natural food rich in preformed DHA and EPA can be developed from locally available ingredients.
Fatty Acid Composition of Dried Fruits of Sclerocarya birrea, Diospyros blancoi and Landolphia kirkii
(MDPI, 2017-11-17) Matemu, Athanasia; Adeyemi, Durotoye; Nyoni, Hlengilizwe; Mdee, Ladislaus; Tshabalala, Papiso; Mamba, Bhekie; Msagati, Titus
Wild fruits are commonly consumed in the rural communities of SouthAfrica. The information on their nutritionally important fatty acids is, however, limited. Threewild fruit species, Diospyros blancoi, Landolphia kirkii and Sclerocarya birrea from Limpopo Province were selected for evaluation of fatty acid content. Fatty acids composition of dried fruits of Diospyros blancoi (Db), Landolphia kirkii (Lk) and ripe and/or overripe Sclerocarya birrea (Sb) were evaluated by a gas chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometer (GC-TOF-MS). Hexadecanoic acid (C16:0) was found in highest abundance in L. kirkii (57.73–73.55%), followed by S. birrea (55.92–71.31%) and D. blancoi (46.31–62.05%), respectively. Octadecanoic acid (C18:0) was of second highest abundance, with 24.71–100% in D. blancoi, L. kirkii (31.03–41.60%) and S. birrea (9.11–17.0%). The 9-octadecenoic acid (C18:1n-9) was the major unsaturated fatty acid in both S. birrea (5.33–18.82%), D. blancoi (8.22–8.92%), and L. kirkii (3.84–8.63%). The 9,-12-octadecadienoic acid (C18:2n-6) was the major unsaturated fatty acid in D. blancoi (22.34%). The 9,-12,-15-octadecatrienoic acid (C18:3n-3) was found in L. kirkii (3.51%) and S. birrea (2.79%). From the results, saturated fatty acids were the most dominant, whereas mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids were the minor constituents. Therefore, presence of nutritionally important essential fatty acids from S. birrea, D. blancoi and L. kirkii has been shown.
Magnetic Nanoparticles: Advances in Synthesis, Sensing, and Theragnostic Applications
(MDPI, 2025-01-26) Adeeyo, Adeyemi; Alabi, Mercy; Oyetade, Joshua; Oladipo, Adewale; Makungo, Rachel; Nkambule, Thabo; Msagati, Titus
The synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) via the chemical, biological, and physical routes has been reported on along with advantages and attendant limitations. This study focuses on the sensing and emerging theragnostic applications of this category of nanoparticles (NPs) in clinical sciences by unveiling the unique performance of these NPs in the biological sensing of bacteria and nucleotide sequencing. Also, in terms of medicine and clinical science, this review analyzes the emerging theragnostic applications of NPs in drug delivery, bone tissue engineering, deep brain stimulation, therapeutic hyperthermia, tumor detection, magnetic imaging and cell tracking, lymph node visualization, blood purification, and COVID-19 detection. This review presents succinct surface functionalization and unique surface coating techniques to confer less toxicity and biocompatibility during synthesis, which are often identified as limitations in medical applications. This study also indicates that these surface improvement techniques are useful for refining the selective activity of MNPs during their use as sensors and biomarkers. In addition, this study unveils attendant limitations, especially toxicological impacts on biomolecules, and suggests that future research should pay attention to the mitigation of the biotoxicity of MNPs. Thus, this study presents a proficient approach for the synthesis of high-performance MNPs fit for proficient medicine in the detection of microorganisms, better diagnosis, and treatment in medicine.
Microalgae: An alternative natural source of bioavailable omega-3 DHA for promotion of mental health in East Africa
(Elsevier, 2019-10-11) Charles, Christina; Msagati, Titus; Swai, Hulda; Chacha, Musa
Mental health illness associated with poor nutrition is a serious public concern worldwide. The most at risk individuals are children and adolescents in the developing world. Deficiencies in omega-3 DHA fatty acids have long been recognized as a major contributing factor for mental health illnesses. Provision of products rich in omega-3 DHA could address this problem. But most commonly used products do not have preformed omega-3 DHA, making them less suitable for prevention of mental illnesses in resource-poor countries. The objective of this study was to provide a narration of the best alternative source of bioavailable omega-3 DHA for promotion of mental health in developing countries. This study identified microalgae as the best natural source of preformed omega-3 DHA over fish oil which has been reported to contain heavy metals, antibiotics and other contaminants that may pose a serious safety concerns to consumers. The study has further narrated future opportunities around microalgae in East Africa. One of the opportunities is development of a business model that could accelerate sustainable production and utilization of microalgae for improved nutrition and health in Eastern Africa.
Performance of a Wild Sesame (Sesamum Spp) Phytochemical Extract for Water Disinfection
(Springer, 2025-01-14) Adeeyo, Adeyemi; Oyetade, Joshua; Msagati, Titus; Colile, Nkosi; Makungo, Rachel
The study sampled wild Sesame from open field in South Africa. The samples were pretreated while the extracts were screened for phytochemical compositions and applied for water purification using standard procedures. The physicochemical properties of sampled raw and purified water (pH, total dissolved solids, salinity turbidity and conductivity) were analyzed in situ before and after treatment in the lab, respectively. The plant’s phytochemical extract from the leaves and stem was prepared using selected solvents (methanol, cold water and warm water). The results revealed the presence of phytochemicals including tannins, phenols, flavonoids, steroids, anthraquinone, terpenoids, saponins, and phlobatannins in both the stem and leaf of the wild Sesame plant. The study shows effective percentage reduction of E. coli and total bacteria with extracts of leaf (98.5, 100.0 and 97.2%), (98.8, 100.0 and 95.0%) and stem (94.0, 95.4 and 99.0%), (99.4, 98.6 and 98.4%) using methanol, cold and warm water, respectively, at 5ml of the phytochemical extracts. This study explores the use of wild Sesame phytochemicals for disinfecting river and stream water samples, highlighting the potential for greener and sustainable water treatment. The physicochemical parameters of the treated water were within tolerable limits, especially salinity and the total dissolved solids. Thus, the extract is presented as a potential solution for water purification, aligning with SDG goals 6 (clean water), 9, and 12 (green innovations). It fills the knowledge and product gap in water treatment, causing minimal harm, consistent with the African Union's sustainable development agenda and the African Council on Water's goal for clean water. This innovation meets the criteria for technology readiness levels 2 and 3, making it ready for further development.
Valorization of invasive sickle bush plant (Dichrostachys cinerea L.) and evaluation of its water treatment potentials
(Elsevier Inc., 2025-08-16) Adeeyo, Adeyemi; Makungo, Rachel; Mothapo, Eva; Oyetade, Joshua; Msagati, Titus
The study investigates the valorization of invasive plant (Dichrostachys cinerea L.), using its calcinated product (550 oC for 5 h) as a treatment and disinfection agent, especially for E. coli and total coliform count in water samples. The methods compare the use of the derived ash and potash alum in their pristine form and when combined using a dosage range of 0.01g-0.05 g at 0, 6 hrs and 24 hrs treatment time for 100 mL of respective water samples. The treatment with the volarized product resulted in a pH range of 8.03–9.07, which is in tandem with the limits set by the regulatory bodies for drinking water. The conductivity of the treated water increased with increased dosage and treatment time. The highest reported values were 564.00, 567.00, 569.00 µS/cm for the upper stream of Pond and 577.00, 585.00, 592.00 µS/cm for the lower stream of the Pond, although within the set limit for drinking water (1700 mS/cm). Salinity and Total dissolved solids (TDS) were in a similar manner at the respective sampling points. The blended product presents a greener alternative to synthetic alum and showed excellent antimicrobial potential, with a 100 % reduction efficiency, especially using a 0.03 and 0.05 g dosage for 24 hrs.