ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Development and evaluation of agro-waste composite for sound insulation

The palm kernel shell is a by-product of palm kernel oil production and is commonly used in the natural biomass energy industry. Coconut husk fibre is extracted from the coconut fruit. To find a use for palm kernel shells and coconut husk fibre, a composite insulator plate was developed by the addition of a binder through a process of grinding, sieving, mixing, heating, hot-pressing and cooling in a mould. An Ahuja speaker AU60 was fixed at one end of a baffled tube and a sound level meter was placed 2 m away from the output to record sound transmission loss at 5s intervals for twenty minutes. The plates of 3, 4, 5, and, 6 mm thickness were fixed in the baffled tube at a distance of 475 mm away from the input one after the other to filter the input sound. The results showed that the setup without a composite insulator recorded the highest noise of 226.8 dB. The average recorded sound transmitted loss was 185.40, 72.47, 74.54, 76.06, and 82.85 dB for no insulator, 3, 4, 5 and, 6 mm composite insulators respectively. The introduction of the 3, 4, 5, and, 6 mm thickness composite insulators resulted in 55.3 %, 59.0 %, 59.8 % and 60.9 % reduction in noise level. The application of agro-waste composite material as a sound insulator in a baffled tube has proven to be effective by 58.7 % on average. The study has confirmed that agro-waste materials can be used in sound insulation applications.

Source: KNUST
Development and evaluation of an abrasive wear test equipment

The wear of ploughshares is a major source of economic constraints to local farmers. Most field wear tests have been found to be expensive and time-consuming. Abrasive wear test machines developed in advanced countries are not available in Ghana. The main objective of this study was to develop and evaluate an equipment for testing the abrasive wear of ploughshares. The equipment consists of a circular soil bin, support frame, power transmission system and arm-subassemblies. The equipment was evaluated using a cast-steel ploughshare in soils from KNUST (57.98, 68.9% sand), Wenchi (60.40, 66.26% sand), Ho (70.45, 72.81% sand), Mampong (61.66, 67.33% sand), Akuse (60.74, 64.70% sand) and Akatsi (81.70, 83.02% sand) in Ghana.. As a result of similarity in texture, the wear rate of soils from Akatsi and Ho showed increasing trend with corresponding moisture content while that of Akuse, Wenchi and Mampong showed a reverse trend. In sandy loam and loamy sand soils, wear increases with moisture content while sandy clay loams decrease with increasing moisture content. The study concludes that the wear rate of ploughshare is directly influenced by sand content and the soil type. The pH of the soils were acidic in nature and was not found to influence the wear.

Source: KNUST
Development and evaluation of natural gum based ibuprofen matrix tablets for colonic drug delivery

The purpose of this study was to investigate the suitability of xanthan gum, cashew gum and shea gum as matrix carriers for the delivery of ibuprofen into the colon for systemic management of pain and inflammation and as a chemopreventive agent for colon cancer. Also, the direct delivery of ibuprofen into the colon may reduce the risk of peptic ulceration. The physicochemical properties of the gums were evaluated, namely: moisture content, insoluble matter, ash value, pH, viscosity, flow properties, antimicrobial activity, micronutrient content, toxic metals content and infrared spectra. The gums generally exhibited good physicochemical properties, but showed no antimicrobial activity against test microorganisms. Five batches of matrix tablets containing cashew gum and xanthan gum alone or combined in different proportions were prepared by direct compression without a binder except a diluent and a lubricant. The tablets passed the uniformity of weight, hardness and drug content tests but failed the friability test. The tablets exhibited higher swelling indices in phosphate buffers (pH 6.8 and 7.4) than in 0.1 M HCl. Tablets containing xanthan gum showed higher swelling behavior in aqueous media than tablets containing cashew gum. In vitro ibuprofen release studies in simulated physiological environment of the stomach (pH 1.2; 2 h), small intestines (pH 7.4; 3 h) and the colon (pH 6.8; 7 h) showed that batch C containing 50 % cashew gum and 50 % xanthan gum was most promising for colonic drug delivery since it released < 5 % and < 15 % ibuprofen in simulated stomach and small intestines, respectively. Batch C also showed a zero order drug release in the simulated gastrointestinal media. All the batches demonstrated a super case II transport mechanism of drug release from the matrix tablets. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that xanthan gum, cashew gum and shea gum are good matrixing agents for colonic delivery of ibuprofen due to their biocompatibility, degradation by colonic microflora, hydrophilicity and good physicochemical properties

Source: KNUST
Development and Quality Characteristics of Yam Bean (Pachyrhizus Erosus) Flour and its Performance in Bread

This study was undertaken to develop a standard method for the production of high quality flour from Pachyrhizus erosus (P. erosus) tubers and to evaluate the quality characteristics of the flour as well as its use in baked products. The experimental design used was a 2 x 3 factorial design with three replicates involving the two factors of peeling (peeling and no-peeling) and three pre-treatments (blanching at 100oC for 3 min; soaking in 0.1% sodium metabisulphite solution for 3 min; and a no-treatment control). Quality determinants used to establish standard process include ease of drying, colour, pH and ease of milling as indicated by the particle size. Blend formulations with P. erosus flour at 0, 10, 20 and 30 % replacement levels for wheat flour were used to assess the effect of the P. erosus flour in bread making. Peeling with sodium metabisulphite pretreatment produced the whitest P. erosus flour as indicated by the highest L*-value of 90.89. Flour samples from unpeeled roots had lower pH (5.96) than those from peeled samples (6.65). The combined effects of peeling and metabisulphite or blanching treatment produced flours with desirable pH values. The standardized flour produced recorded a moisture content of 5.8%, which is within the acceptable range for commercial flours. The crude fat content was 0.54% and crude protein was 5.68%. Total carbohydrates content was 85.85% with a crude fiber content of 6.26%. Total sugars and sucrose contents of the flour were 30.46% and 19.12% respectively, with a starch content of 21.0%. The P. erosus flour produced and pasting temperature of 70.6°C which is lower than that of sweet potato or taro flour. Peak viscosity was 14.5 BU. The swelling power obtained for the P. erosus flour was 752.9g/100g at 85°C with a solubility index of 54%. With regards to the performance of the P. erosus flour in bread production with wheat flour, loaf weight of composite bread samples ranged from 521 to 530 g, while loaf volumes ranged from 1,221 to 1,269 cm3 with significant differences (p < 0.05) among the different bread samples. As the level of P. erosus flour substitution increased, the loaf volume decreased. Overall acceptability scores of all the bread samples prepared with the flour blends were only slightly lower than that for the traditional bread. It is concluded that the standard procedure established is able to produce flour of high quality grade that could be used in composite flours for bread making to reduce the over dependence on imported wheat flour.

Source: KNUST
Development and Quality Assessment of Cassava Sweetpotato Non-Alcoholic Beverage

Most Non-alcoholic beverages (NABs) are produced from fruits, dairy, cocoa etc., but seldom from roots and tubers. This study aimed at producing NAB from cassava and sweetpotato roots. Four different formulations were prepared; cassava roots : sweetpotato roots - 100:0%, 90:10%, 70:30%, 50:50%. The clean, peeled, grated roots were weighed in percentages, blended and the juice extracted. The juice was allowed to stand, decanted, filtered and heated with maize malt, sugar, ginger and water and finally packaged hot. Consumer preference was done with 49 panelists and pH, total solids, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and Vitamin C were determined on all formulations. Titratable acidity ranged from 0.51 to 0.77% with the 50:50 formulation being the highest. Total solids, varied significantly and ranged from 8.96 - 12.00% and the 90:10 formulation had the highest value. Vitamin C content was low with a range from 2.43-3.99mg/100g for 100:0 and 50:50% respectively. TSS of the beverages were within 8.50 and 10.50 with the 100% having the least value. Generally, as sweetpotato percentage increased, the vitamin C content, TA, TSS increased but the pH decreased. The sensory results showed that there were no significant differences (p < 0.05) among the three different formulations that contained sweetpotato but rather significant differences in overall acceptability and taste between the control (100% cassava) and the other samples. Generally the beverage had good consumer preference with the most preferred being the 50:50% formulation. The quality parameters of all formulations were within the acceptable quality range specified by Ghana Standards Authority for beverages. The potential to use liquid extract from cassava and sweetpotato during processing for beverages is high. This could expand utilization base of the crops while reducing potential hazards of untreated water from root and tubers.

Source: KNUST
Development and quality assessment of nutrient-rich cereal-based porridge flour in the Northern Region of Ghana

The research was in three phases, field survey, product development and sensory trial and laboratory analysis of treatment. All the phases took place between September 2014 and May, 2015. The main objective of the study was to enhance the protein profile of cereal-based porridge by using a legume as a fortifier .The field survey and sensory trial were done in purposely selected communities in the Northern region of Ghana (Duko and Tingoli) of the Suvelugu and Torlong districts. The laboratory analysis was conducted at the Horticulture Department of KNUST and Crop and Soil Research Institute-Kwadaso, Kumasi. In all, 120 care givers and farmers were purposely selected to respond to structured questionnaires to evaluate the bio-data, feeding patterns and to evaluate the sensory acceptability of the treatments. Ten treatments in the form of composite flour from two cereals (maize and millet) and a legume (soybean) at different levels of substitution of the conventional flour for legume flour were used. The treatments were A1 (90% maize:10% soybean), A2 (80% maize:20% soybean), A3 (70% maize:30% soybean), A4 (60% maize:40% soybean), A5 (50% maize:50% soybean), B1 (90% millet:10% soybean), B2 (80% millet:20% soybean), B3 (70% millet:30% soybean), B4 (60% millet:40% soybean) and B5 (50% millet:50% soybean). Sensory evaluation was done on the treatments in both communities. A1 and B1 were selected as the most preferred in terms of aroma, taste and colour with overall score of 1.71 and 1.39 respectively. The scoring was done on a scale of 1-7 with the least magnitude being the preferred treatment. A1 (90% maize: 10% soybean) and B1 (90% millet:10% soybean)were subjected to laboratory analysis and proximate composition, minerals composition and Total Soluble Solids levels were evaluated. The results indicated that A1 (90% maize: 10% soybean) was nutritionally better with statistically higher levels of Protein (15%), Iron (0.11%) and Manganese (0.05%).

Source: KNUST
Development and quality evaluation of maize-based weaning foods enriched with plant protein

Cowpea meal (made up of 1:1 germinated: ungerminated grains) and Ipoluea involucrata leaf (a herb normally used by traditional healers in the treatment of anaemia) meal were blended in varying proportions to obtain four protein bases which were used to supplement maize meal (made up of 1:1 germinated:ungerminated grains) at 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% levels. Sixteen diets were obtained. A diet containing 10% casein was used as the standard and cerelac, a popular weaning food was used as the control. Chemical studies revealed that at each level of supplementation, protein content decreased with increase in Ipomea inv. but fibre contents increased with increase in levels of Ipomea inv. Ether extract ranged between 1.41% and 4.04% while ash content ranged from 0.95 to 2.88%. Antinutrients (tannins, phytate and oxalate) were very low in all the diets studied. Biological studies revealed that at low concentrations of protein supplementation, the diets had low Protein Efficiency Ratios (P.E.R.) and Food Efficiency Ratios (F.E.R.) as compared with the standard and control. P.E.R. and F.E.R. increased with increasing level of supplementation up to 30% at which level the test diets compared well with the standard and control. P.E.R. decreased with further increase in supplementation of protein base. All diets gave good haematological results; the diets containing 30% level of supplementation of protein bases gave the best results. Aspartate Transaminase (AST) activity was low. Albumin levels and total serum protein for rats fed on the diets containing 30% of each protein base were comparable with the standard and control. Organ: Body weight ratios of rats fed on the formulated diets were comparable with standard and control. Consumer preference was highest for all the test diets containing 30% of the protein bases.

Source: KNUST
Development and evaluation of nutritious rice-based pasta from low grade milled rice

Rice-based gluten-free pasta with albumen as a structure building ingredient has not only come to be used as an appropriate nutritional intervention for people with various forms of gluten intolerance, but has the potential to be used in the management of burns in children. The aim of the study was to develop and evaluate nutritious rice-based pasta from low-grade milled rice fortified with soy and orange-fleshed sweetpotato flour. Four different formulations based on pre-gelatinized rice flour and liquid egg albumen, and containing soybean and/or sweet potato (up to 20%) were prepared using a single screw extruder at 25°C and oven-dried for 17 hours at a temperature of 65°C. Biochemical characterisation (Bradford test, SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, in-vitro protein digestibility and accessible thiols), cooking indices (cooking time, cooking loss and water absorption capacity), as well as sensory evaluation using e-nose and tongue were carried out on the developed pasta. The results showed significant differences (p<0.05) in the amount of proteins solubilised using the three different buffer treatments (saline, urea and urea/DTT buffer) for the Bradford test and thiol reactivity an indication of the presence of protein aggregates stabilized by hydrophobic interactions and disulphide bonds in all pasta samples, and a higher network-forming ability in soybean-enriched pasta, that may explain the lower cooking losses of this specific sample. Pasta with rice and soy had the highest protein digestibility, followed by pasta with rice only. Soybean and sweet potato enrichment resulted in a decrease in the pasta consistency and in significant changes in the color of the resulting samples. In particular, soybean clearly affected pasta yellowness, whereas the addition of sweet potato resulted in a significant decrease in lightness and an increase of redness, most likely as a result of Maillard-type browning reactions. Also, significant differences (p<0.05) existed in the cooking loss (9.07-10.50)g/100, water absorption (67.20-72.10)g/100g and firmness (233.61-535.87)N of the pasta samples produced. E-sensing approaches indicated that the sensory profile of the various pasta products strongly depends on the peculiar enrichment. Sweet potato increased the pasta astringency, whereas soybean enrichment resulted in a typical umami taste and a specific electronic nose response. The results from this study indicate that the different treatment/ingredient combinations significantly affect both nutritional and functional properties of the rice-based pasta. These findings will be useful in designing and producing gluten-free snacks that satisfy the consumers’ expectations. The development of innovative enriched rice products is a promising way to exploit low-grade African rice varieties.

Source: KNUST
Development and in vitro evaluation of oral dissolvable films of diclofenac sodium using albizia and khaya gums as film forming polymers

An oral dissolvable film (ODF) is a novel drug delivery system that offers a fast and accurate dosing without the need for water or any measuring device. Also, dysphagic, schizophrenic and dementia patients can use ODFs with little or no difficulty. The study sought to develop and evaluate ODFs of diclofenac sodium using albizia and khaya gums as film forming polymers. Authenticated crude albizia and khaya gums were taken through a purification process and both the crude and purified gums were evaluated for their physicochemical properties. Purified albizia and khaya gums were used to formulate seven different batches of ODFs of diclofenac sodium (~ 50 mg/4 cm2 film) using varying proportions of the gums and HPMC as a reference film forming polymer. The possible drug-excipient interaction of the formulated films was determined using FTIR spectroscopy. In vitro evaluation tests, namely: uniformity of weight, disintegration, assay, tensile strength, percentage elongation, elastic modulus and folding endurance were used to assess the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the formulated ODFs. In vitro dissolution testing was conducted in phosphate buffer pH 6.8 and the dissolution data was analysed using dissolution efficiency, difference (f1) and similarity (f2) factors, kinetic models and ANOVA-based methods. The yields of albizia and khaya gums were 39.38 % and 67.50 % respectively. The gums were free from objectionable microorganisms and had no intrinsic antimicrobial activity against nine test microorganisms. Elemental analysis showed the absence of toxic heavy chemicals like arsenic, lead, cyanide and mercury, suggesting the safety of the gums as pharmaceutical excipients. All the batches passed the assay and dissolution tests for immediate release dosage forms. All the films, except F7, showed over 80 % drug release within 14 min. Dissolution of diclofenac sodium in the film batches followed the Higuchi kinetic model with batch F1 (reference batch) having the highest dissolution efficiency. The dissolution profiles of formulations F2, F3, F4, F5 and F6 were similar to F1 (p˃0.05; f1 ˂15 and f2 ≥50) while F7 differed markedly from F1 (p˂0.001; f1 >15 and f2 ˂50).

Source: KNUST
Development and validation of a RP-HPLC method with PDA detection for the simultaneous estimation of acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine in fixed dose combination tablets

Acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol belong to a class of drugs called analgesics and are often formulated together in combination with Caffeine, an adjuvant for the relief of pain, fever and inflammations. A RP-HPLC method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous estimation of acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine in multi-component drug formulation. The developed method made use of a Brownlee Analytical column C8, 5 µm, 150 x 4.6 mm as the stationary phase and acidic water-methanol mixture (60:40 v / v ) ratio as the mobile phase. All the three components were eluted within 5.5 minutes with mean retention times of 2.05 ± 0.0062 for paracetamol, 2.45 ± 0.0030 for caffeine and 5.03 ± 0.0140 for acetylsalicylic acid. The method was validated based on validation parameters such as accuracy, linearity, precision, robustness, specificity, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ). The mean recoveries were 99.39 ± 1.58 %, 99.69 ± 1.45 % and 100.56 ± 1.60 % for acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine respectively. Linearity of the developed method was in the concentration range of 20-100 ppm with R 2 value of 0.9933 for acetylsalicylic acid, 2.5-20 ppm with R 2 value of 0.9978 for paracetamol and 1.25-10 ppm with R 2 value of 0.9991 for caffeine. The % RSD for inter and intra- days precisions were 0.408; 0.143, 0.056; 0.091, and 0.470; 0.207 for acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine respectively. The LOD and LOQ for acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine were 1.078x10 -5 ; 3.267x10 -5 , 0.00; 0.00 and 1.237x10 -7 ; 2.193x10 -6 ppm respectively. Accurate results obtained for the assay of both tablet samples (A and B) also confirmed the validity of the developed method. The developed method is therefore, accurate, linear, precise, specific, robust, sensitive and cost effective and can be used in routine quality control analysis of multi-component drug formulations containing these three active ingredients

Source: KNUST
Development of a framework for entrepreneurial learning in technical education

The emergence of entrepreneurial learning has become a significant domain of inquiry in reference to both academic study of entrepreneurship and practical creation of new entrepreneurs. Learning is an essential ability to develop entrepreneurial qualities. The knowledge, skills and abilities needed through the different phases of venture creation can be acquired through successfully learning, in order that they can be applied subsequently. Entrepreneurial learning in technical education in Ghana is seen as one of the best tools to achieve economic development. It can be used to solve the graduate unemployment in the country. It has therefore become urgent to encourage people to opt for entrepreneurship after school. This thesis, by gathering relevant research findings, aims to develop a theoretical model to aid facilitate entrepreneurial education in technical education in Ghana. Three objectives were set on which literature review was conducted on which includes: the challenges confronting entrepreneurial learning, the relevance of entrepreneurial learning and development of a framework for facilitating entrepreneurial learning in technical education in Ghana. Philosophically, the study leaned towards the positivism paradigm. Quantitative method was adopted in which survey questionnaires were administered to respondents in gathering primary data. The analytical tools utilized were descriptive statistics and Relative Importance Index (RII). Out of the findings of the research conducted it indicated that: Unreliable access to capital, High loan interest rate, Inflation and High economic cost of doing business are the most significant challenges confronting entrepreneurial learning. Also it was established that Reduce unemployment, Income generation and increased economic growth, Enhancement of individual’s creativity and innovations and Provision of self-employment are the most significance of entrepreneurial learning. Furthermore, it was establish that Development of personal values, Development of self-efficacy, Opportunity recognition, Goal-setting, Motivation, Coping with the liability of newness and Creating relationships and social learning are the most significant themes that will facilitate entrepreneurial learning in technical education in Ghana. It is recommended that students must be encouraged to opt for entrepreneurship after school and Government regulatory set-up must be supportive enough to encourage citizens to engage in entrepreneurship

Source: KNUST