ABSTRACT
Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is known for its production of sweet glycosides, an alternative to sugar. The cultivation of stevia in Malaysia is hampered because- it produces flowers at an early stage under Malaysia's photoperiod condition, thus leading to poor leaf yield for sweetener extraction. Additionally, there has been low breeding work for suitable cultivars. Thus, the impact of Gama irradiation in developing new Stevia mutants was studied. Seeds of MS012 were collected and exposed to gamma irradiation using a gamma cell in UKM, Malaysia to determine the LD50. The seeds were packed into 21 parts; one part served as the control and the others were subjected to varying gamma irradiation grays of 100 to 2000 grays. Irradiated seeds were sown for germination under the red light for 15 days. The LD50 was determined by plotting a simple regression graph of plant height against irradiation grays. Results revealed LD50 was 55 grays. The number of germinated seeds differed with respect to doses. Genetic analysis showed four types of chlorophyll mutants were induced: Albina, Chlorina, Xantha and Xantha-Viridis. Frequency and spectrum analysis revealed that Chlorina has the highest occurrence at 33.03%. Two classical novelties: (i) M1RAAMBO/03, and (ii) M2 RAAMBO/04 were developed.

ABSTRACT
This study was aimed to examine the effect of plumage colour genes on the body measurements and heat tolerant traits of indigenous chicken. A total of two hundred (200) adult chicken with different plumage colours comprising of black, white, red, brown and grey of both sexes reared by smallholder farmers with similar management system in Lafia, Nasarawa state, Nigeria were randomly sampled. Data were collected randomly at five (5) different locations in Lafia as thus: Kwandere, Shabu, Sabon Pegi, Tudun Gwandara and Tudun Amba respectively. Six body traits and four heat tolerant traits were measured on each bird: body length, breast circumference, thigh circumference, foot length, total leg length, wing length and Body temperature, Rectal temperature, pulse rate and respiratory rate. There was significant difference (P<0.05) for thigh circumference. The highest values for thigh circumference was observed for the white and grey plumage coloured chicken although not significantly different for those of brown plumage coloured. No significant differences were observed for the body length, breast circumference, wing length, foot length and total leg length for all the plumage coloured chicken. There was significant difference (P<0.05) for respiratory rate and heat stress index. The highest respiratory rate and heat stress index was observed for the white plumage coloured chicken. The white plumage coloured chicken were thermally stressed due to their inability to absorbed and withstand heat. No significant differences were observed for the remaining four plumage colours. Higher values of thigh circumference are the characteristics of meatiness in chicken. The coloured plumage chicken (Black, red, brown and grey) from this study possess the ability to better survive and adapt to heat stress due to their tendencies to absorbed heat compared to their white plumage coloured counterpart.

ABSTRACT
Yield is one of the most important component in breeding program and it depends on the relationship between plant traits. Twenty (20) hybrids of tropical maize were evaluated to investigate the relation between various traits and yield at the research and development farm of the faculty of Agriculture, Nasarawa State University Keffi, Nigeria. Two environment were used for this experiment which include 2021 for non-stress and 2022 for stressed and the experiment was laid out in a complete randomized block design with three replications. The result showed significant difference among the studied traits exception for Days to anthesis, Days to maturity, Protein content and Days maturity for stress and non-stressed respectively. Correlation analysis suggest that there is a perfect relationship between Days to silking and Days to anthesis (0.98) for non-stress and a moderate relationship (0.55) under stressed environment while there is a moderate negative correlation between Days to silking and Protein content (0.52) for stress condition.

ABSTRACT
Major limiting factors of wide consumption of cowpea in day today diet include poor digestibility and the presence of anti-nutritional factors. Whole and dehulled seeds of eight improved cowpea lines grown in N’Djamena and Bebedjia (Chad) were analysed for four antinutritional factors contents (total phenols, tannins, flavonoids, phytates) and antioxidant activity, in order to assess the variability and the effect of decortication. In each locality, the experimental design was a triplicated randomly complete block design. Standard methods were used to evaluate these biochemical traits. The results showed a wide variability among genotypes for these traits in whole and dehulled seeds. In average, the decortication reduced polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids and phytate contents by 72.3%, 64%, 48.6% and 30.1% respectively. The dehulling also reduced the antioxidant activity by 42.25%. Dehulling appeared as a proper processing method to reduce anti-nutritional factors and improve the bioavailability of nutrients, especially when cowpeas are used as food for infants and children.

ABSTRACT
Test of deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectation base on location of the Tiv and Fulani local chicken ecotypes of Nigeria was undertaken using eighty (80) matured birds (40 birds each for Tiv and Fulani ecotypes). Blood samples were collected from five locations each of the ecotype to determine their blood protein. Blood protein loci namely: haemoglobin, albumen, transferrin and carbonic anhydrase were determine using electrophoresis. Data collected were analyzed using popgene version 1.31. The result revealed significant deviations (P<0.05) from Hardy-Weinberg expectations in the two ecotypes except in the Fulani ecotype were haemoglobin did not deviate significantly. Based on location, there were no significant (P>0.05) deviation from Hardy-Weinberg expectations in the Fulani ecotype except in location 4 were Hb, Al and Ca as well as location 5 where Al and Ca were significant. Allelic frequencies of albumin showed significant (P<0.05) deviation from Hardy-Weinberg expectations at locations 1 and 5 while allelic frequencies of transferrin deviated significantly (P<0.05) from the Hardy-Weinberg frequency at location 5. In the Tiv ecotype, albumin showed the highest significant (P<0.05) deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg expectations in all locations. The allelic frequencies of transferrin did not differ significantly (P>0.05) from the Hardy-Weinberg expectations. From the finding of this research, it was concluded that the deviation from Hardy-Weinberg expectations at the four blood proteins loci of the two ecotypes indicated that the Tiv and the Fulani chicken populations are variable in their genome and that there are chances of genetic improvement when crossed between themselves across location or with exotic breeds. Generally, these findings provide the fundamental step in the direction of judicious decision-making before the development of genetic enhancement and preservation programmes without interfering with the uniqueness of the Tiv............

ABSTRACT
Vitamin E (VE) is an antioxydant defense system and a signaling molecule which has been the subject of various clinical trials in cancer chemoprevention or in adjuvant therapy after chemotherapy. In some circunstances it is indexed to act as a pro-oxidant inducing adverse effects such as progesssion of cancer metastasis or diabetes. The objective of this work is firstly to investigated the effect of VE (α-T) supplementation on mices, in way to evaluate the risk in developping diabetes and secondly to make review on vitamin E modulated genes. The study was performed on 32 adult albino mices in which alpha-tocopherol was administred at different doses. After, blood biochemical paramaters status has been analysed. Renal damages were researched by histopathological analysis. We have made review on VE modulated genes through indexed articles in genetic databases, PubMed Central and Google scholar. An inadequate status of blood biochemical paramaters especially, glucose level, hyperlipidemia and a hypercreatininemia has been observed. Renal damages with modifications in structures were noted. A list of genes modulated by VE, which could explain mechanisms by which α-T- induced diabetes could appear was highlighted. The study shows that high doses of α-T supplement resulted in disorder of biochemical parameters, with dysfunction of renal tissue and development of diabetes.

ABSTRACT
: Background: A study to obtain reference data that would be useful in comparative and analytical studies on ABH secretor status in Kano, North Western Nigeria. Method: A total of 256 subjects made up of 129 consecutive blood donors and 127 women attending Antenatal Clinic in AKTH were recruited for the study. Their secretor status was determined using saliva samples. Results: One hundred and eighty (70.31%) of the subjects studied secretors while Non- secretors were 76 (29.69%). Conclusion: There is high rate of non-secretors in Kano metropolis compared to various studies carried out in different parts of the Nigeria though similar to other climes like Dhaka in Bangladesh and Karachi in Pakistan which may be associated with the high incidence of duodenal Ulcer disease in the locality of this study.