Browsing by Author "Apau, Joseph"

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    Assessment of Mercury Levels in Omega-3 Food Supplements Available on the Ghanaian Market
    (Asian Journal of Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2321 – 0893), 2014-10-05) Acheampong, Akwasi; Darko, Godfred; Apau, Joseph; Oti-Boakye, Adolf; 0000-0001-7157-646X
    As a measure to prevent cardiovascular diseases and enhance in-utero development of the foetus, adequate omega-3 intake has been recommended. This has led to the manufacture of omega-3 supplements by various pharmaceutical companies and these products have flooded the market. Coldwater fishes are the primary sources of the omega-3 food supplements but these fishes are known to have high levels of mercury in them. There is therefore the potential of mercury poisoning in the course of people taking the omega-3 food supplements. Mercury levels in ten products of Omega-3 food supplements have been determined in order to ascertain their safety for human consumption. The mean mercury levels determined for the ten brands were 0.0170.003 µg/g, 0.093 0.002 µg/g, 0.0210.003 µg/g, 0.2730.005 µg/g, 0.1230.004 µg/g, 0.06580.001 µg/g, 0.0180.005 µg/g, 0.0260.008 µg/g, 0.4280.002 µg/g, 0.4280.002 µg/g, 0.0290.004 µg/g. All the levels of mercury determined were within the acceptable limits stipulated by Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization, and therefore do not pose any health threat to consumers.
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    Repellency Potential, Chemical Constituents of Ocimum Plant Essential Oils, and Their Headspace Volatiles against Anopheles gambiae s. s., Malaria Vector
    (Hindawi, 2023-04) Acheampong, Akwasi; Osei-Owusu, Jonathan; Heve, William K.; Aidoo, Owusu Fordjour; Opoku, Maxwell Jnr; Apau, Joseph; Dadzie, Kodwo Ninsin; Vigbedor, Bright Yaw; Awuah-Mensah, Kwaafo Akoto; Appiah, Margaret; Birkett, Michael; Hooper, Antony; 0000-0003-2481-1126
    African malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto) transmit a malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) to humans. )ecurrent control strategies for the vector have mainly focussed on synthetic products, which negatively impact the environment and human health. Given the potential use of environmentally friendly plant-derived volatiles as a control, this work aims to examine and compare the repellency potential of essential oils and headspace volatiles from Ocimum gratissimum, Ocimum tenui2orum, and Ocimum basilicum and their chemical compositions. )e repellency potential and chemical composition of the plants were achieved by using the protected arm-in-cage method and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Among the three Ocimum species, both the essential oils and the headspace volatiles from O. tenui2orum achieved the longest repellency time lengths of 90–120 minutes. One hundred and one (101) chemical constituents were identi6ed in the headspace volatiles of the three Ocimum spp. Nonetheless, (−)-camphor, (E)-c-bisabolene, terpinolene, 4-chamigrene, cubedol, (E)-farnesol, germacrene D-4-ol, viridi9orol, c-eudesmol, tetracyclo [6.3.2.0 (2,5).0(1,8)] tridecan-9-ol, 4,4-dimethyl, 5-eudesmol, isolongifolol, and endo-borneol were unique only to O. tenui2orum headspace volatiles. Either essential oils or headspace volatiles from O. tenui2orum could o>er longer protection time length to humans against An. gambiae. )ough 6eld studies are needed to assess the complementarity between the chemical constituents in the headspace volatiles of O. tenui2orum, our observations provide a foundation for developing e>ective repellents against An. gambiae.