Journal Articles

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Characterization and evaluation of repellent effect of essential oil of mangifera indica l. from Kenya
(Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants, 2013-03-12) Alwala, J.O.; Wanzala, W.; Inyambukho, RA.
Ethnopharmacologically, the mango has a lot of applications in life in humanhealth and ethnoveterinary medicines since ancient times. The study aimed at characterizing theessential oil of Mangifera indica L. leaves and evaluating its repellent effect on the host-seekingfemale Anopheles gambiae,the vector of African malaria. The essential oil was obtained byhydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-massspectrometry (GC-MS). The repellent effect of the essential oil was evaluated using the human-baittechnique to simulate field situation. Of the 26 major hydrocarbon compounds identified, α-pineneoccurred in the largest amount (33.3 %), followed by α-phellandrene (22.6 %), Limonene (13.2 %),p-cymene (6.1 %), Heptane (3.8 %), β-pinene (2.6 %), Ledene (1.3 %), (-)-α-gurjunene (1.2 %), β-myrcene (1.1 %), γ-terpinene (1.0 %), (+)-2-carene (0.9 %) and trans (β)-caryophyllene (0.9 %) inthat order. The oil showed a significant dose-dependent repellent effect on host-seeking femaleAnopheles gambiae s.s. The oil showed a complex composition of hydrocarbon compounds andmay be richer in monoterpenes than in any other type of compounds. It showed the potential to repelmosquitoes.
Determination of tannin concentrations in african indigenous vegetables, grains and cassava roots from Emuhaya District, western Kenya
(Sciknow Publications Ltd : American Journal of Nutrition and Food Science, 2014-01-01) Wanzala, W.; Alwala, J.O.; Kiema, Francis N.
The studyevaluated tanninconcentrations in four vegetables, three grains and cassava roots as the most common foodstuffs in the diet of local communities from Emuhaya district in western Kenyaand their nutritional health implication. Plant specimens were collected from local arable farms and market centres and their identities confirmed at Maseno University herbarium. Tannincontent was evaluated using the International Phamacopoeia Method.Percent compositionof tannins in the sampled specimens were: 9.49±0.6 for rattle pod (Crotalaria brevidens(Emiroo); Family, Fabaceae), 8.38±0.3 for narrow-leaf bitter-pea(Daviesialeptophylla(Omurere); Family, Fabaceae), 2.49±0.2 for amaranth (Amaranthushybridus(Tsimboka); Family, Amaranthaceae), 0.42±0.04for black nightshade(Solanumnigrum(Lisutsa); Family, Solanaceae), 9.21±0.4 for peanut/groundnut (Arachishypogaea(Tsinjugu); Family, Fabaceae), 8.24±0.4 for sesame(Sesamumindicum(Tsinuni); Family, Pedaliaceae), 8.11±0.2 for finger millet (Eleusinecoracana(Obulee); Family, Poaceae) and 6.99±0.5 for cassava (Manihotesculenta(Emioko); Family, Euphorbiaceae). Solanumnigrumhad significantly the lowest tannin composition profile followed by A. hybridusand M. esculentain that order (P < 0.05). Interestingly, these three plants are preferred in the diet to the rest of the plants. The results provide scientific rationale for dietary exploitationof these plants bythe local communities and may lay down some groundwork for exploiting partially refined products such as peanut butter and a wide range of grades of flour for human consumption and livestock feeds. However, consumption of tannins in the diet may sometimes benecessary for optimal health but caution needs to be taken for their conflicting adverse medical-based nutritional and physiological effects.
Nutrient reduction in runoff water from sugarcane farms by sedimentation method
(Environmentalist Journal, 2012-09-02) Omwoma, Solomon; Omwoyo, N.W.; Alwala, J.O.; Ongeri, David; Lagat, Sylas; Lalah, Joseph
Due to intensive use of agronomic inputs in sugarcane farming, runoff water from these farms is loaded with high concentrations of nutrients. These nutrients find their way into rivers, lakes and sinks, eutrophicating them. Reducing the levels of these nutrients in runoff water from sugarcane farms before it is discharged into sinks will help solve the problems that arise out of eutrophication. This study employed a simple sedimentation method of making depressions in canals draining runoff water from sugarcane farms and emptying them fortnightly during the rainy season and monthly during the dry season. The method was found to significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduce water conductivity (μS/cm), turbidity (Nephelometric Turbidity Units), total phosphates, nitrate–nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, sodium and zinc (ppm) in the dry season from 52.89, 148.70,0.87, 3.34, 446.00, 420.00, 205.00, 12,941.00, 261.00, 398.00, and 484.00 in untreated canals to 48.33, 30.22, 0.21, 2.95, 120.00, 154.00, 98.00, 456.00, 181.00, 234.00, and 311.00 in treated canals, respectively. And in the wet season, the parameters were reduced from 261.46, 719.30, 820.00, 25.16, 654.00, 549.00, 493.00, 19,230.00, 763.00, 748.00, and 903.00 to 128.67, 365.70, 3.47, 10.12, 136.00, 187.00, 167.00, 654.00, 207.00, 321.00, and 231.00, respectively. Dissolved oxygen significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased from 5.11 to 8.14 ppm in the dry season and from 3.82 to 7.92 ppm wet season. Acidity reduced in the wet season from pH 5.02 to 6.20. It is, therefore, recommended
Sorption and Availability of Potassium in selected Soils from Kenya: Effects of organic matter and pH on concentration of adsorbed potassium in sugarcane and maize growing zones
(Lambert Academic Publishing, 2013-01-01) Alwala, J.O.
Potassium fertilizers have been found to increase yields of food crops in soils of Kenya and the world. The availability of potassium in maize and sugarcane growing soils in Kenya is unknown and this could be causing the low crop yields. It is therefore necessary to establish the availability of soil potassium to determine its efficiency for maize and sugarcane needs with reference to regions in Kenya. The necessity of the work is to ensure optimum nutrient availability and low cost of nutrient application with high yield of maize and sugarcane. The study of the availability of potassium reserves in these areas will enable farmers to determine whether or not to apply fertilizer. The book is divided into five chapters. This study is useful to farmers who want to practice large scale production of maize and sugarcane. The farmers are able to know the effect of pH, organic matter and potassium concentration on adsorption capacity of the soils because the adsorbed potassium concentration fit to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and adsorption of potassium differs significantly (p≤ 0.05) with organic matter and pH.
A survey of the applications and use of ethnomedicinal plants and plant products for healthcare from the ukambani region in Eastern Kenya
(IJEPP, 2016-01-01) Wanzala, W.; Syombua, Sr. Marcellina; Alwala, J.O.
The Akamba people of Kenya have a long history of ethnobotany, dating back to the pre-colonial era. Building on the Akamba’shistorical businesses involving the trade of various plants and plant products called ‘Miti,’ literally meaning plants, the Mitiare used in primary healthcare systems. Overall, the Mitilack proper documentation. Thus, the primary purpose of this paper is to record and classify the plants used by the Akamba. Non-alienating, dialogic, participatory action research (PAR) and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) approaches wereused to survery 25 women and men between the ages of 50 and 86 years old. Results indicated 200 useful medicinal plant species from 58 families, while their application methods for a wide range of ill-health conditions affecting humans, cattle and poultry were also documented. The recorded medicial conditions ranged from those that manifest clinically to those that are cultural, spiritual and psychological in nature. Management of many chronic and complicated ill-health conditions showed that the Kambaethnomedical system may practically be comparable to that of conventional medicine, particularly following an in-depth scientific studies.

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