Haramaya University (HU) (Amharic: ሐረማያ ዩኒቨርሲቲ; Oromo: Univarsiitii Haramayaa) is a public research university in Haramaya, Oromia, Ethiopia. It is approximately 510 kilometres (320 mi) east of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education admits qualified students to Haramaya University based on their score on the Ethiopian Higher Education Entrance Examination (EHEEE).
Nanotechnology provides innovative tools for medicine, agriculture, and environmental applications. Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3 NPs) are of particular biomedical interest due to their biocompatibility, magnetic properties, and therapeutic potential. Harnessing the phytoconstituents of F. indica for nanoparticle fabrication offers a sustainable approach to generate biofunctional nanomaterials with enhanced therapeutic efficacyIn this study, Fe2O3 NPs were biosynthesized using F. indica extract through a green and cost-effective method. The nanoparticles were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet–Visible Spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), confirming their rectangular (average size of 65 nm) morphology, functional group interactions, and elemental composition of iron and oxygen. The bio-fabricated Fe2O3 NPs displayed broad pharmacological activities: strong antileishmanial (71
Indigenous chickens serve as a source of food security, nutrition, and income for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia, accounting for more than 78
This study was conducted to determine the concentrations of some physicochemical parameters of water and sediment in Lake Tinike during dry and wet seasons as well as some heavy metals in water, sediment, and fish. A laboratory-based study was carried out between January and June 2017, with samples collected from three purposively selected sites. Heavy metal concentrations were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS), while physicochemical parameters, including temperature, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and electrical conductivity, were measured using standard procedures. The mean concentrations of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and manganese (Mn) in water were 0.96 ± 0.02, 0.05 ± 0.003, 0.13 ± 0.07, and 1.00 ± 0.01 mg/L, respectively, while in sediments—2.00 ± 0.041, 0.80 ± 0.008, 1.70 ± 0.10, and 1.22 ± 0.10 mg/kg; and in fish—2.78 ± 0.034, 0.07 ± 0.001, 1.72 ± 0.02, and 3.46 ± 0.08 mg/kg. Fish samples recorded the highest levels of Cu, Pb, and Mn compared to sediments and water. Cd, Pb, and Mn in water slightly exceeded the maximum permissible concentration limits for drinking water, while Cd and Mn in sediments were above permissible levels of concentration. In fish, Pb exceeded permissible limits of concentration, whereas Cu, Cd, and Mn remained within acceptable ranges. Generally, some heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Pb, and Mn) in Lake Tinike were above international safety standards, indicating potential ecological risks and public health concerns for surrounding communities that rely on the lake for water and fish consumption. Therefore, continuous monitoring, strict regulation of pollutant discharges, and public awareness initiatives are strongly recommended to safeguard both environmental and human health in the region.
In Ethiopia, maize production is significantly threatened by insect pests such as stalk borers and fall armyworm (FAW), as well as the major ear rots, notably Gibberella ear rot (GER) and Fusarium ear rot (FER). Smallholder farmers, particularly those operating in resource-limited environments, often lack effective and accessible pest management strategies. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate the effect of using the "push-pull" (PP)-cropping system, which involves inter-cropping (maize) with insect-repellent forage legume in the genus Desmodium (Desmodium uncinatum) as a "push" plant and the Brecaria grass (Brachiaria decumbens) forage as the "pull" plant on the incidence of maize stalk borers and FAW and the intensity of GER and FER at Bako, western Ethiopia. Field trials with the cropping systems (maize cropping in the PP-system, maize mono-cropping, and maize mono-cropping with insecticide/Radiant 120SC-treatment) randomized to the main plot units and three hybrid maize varieties randomized to the sub-plot units were arranged in a split-plot design with three replications during the main cropping seasons of 2021 to 2022. Three maize hybrids (BH546, BH549, and P3812W) were planted in subplots at a spacing of 75 × 30 cm in four rows with a 10 m row length. The incidence and severity of GER and FER, were recorded upon manual harvest at physiological maturity. Some important agronomic traits were also recorded during the maize growing seasons. The analysis of variance confirmed highly significant (P < 0.001) interaction among cropping systems and maize hybrid varieties in both seasons. However, no significant interactions were indicated among the cropping seasons for stalk borer, foliar damage p = 0.116, ear damage, p = 0.429 and FAW; foliar damage, p = 0.925, ear damage, p = 0.446 as well as ear rots severity; FER, p = 0.778 and GER, p = 0.054 were observed between the cropping seasons. Among the tested varieties, BH546 recorded significantly (P < 0.001) lower insect infestation and ear rot disease intensity (FER and GER) with the PP-cropping system and Radiant 120SC insecticide treatment when compared to the non-treated mono-cropping system. Additionally, the PP-cropping system improved agronomic traits such as grain yield, plant height, ear height, ear length, ear diameter and kernel characteristics (grain weight), particularly using the BH546 hybrid, suggesting that hybrid selection is critical to maximizing the benefits of inter-cropping strategies. This finding imply that the strategy could be further verified on the small holder farmers field before recommending to be used by small-holder farmers in major maize-growing regions in Ethiopia.
Background This study investigated the impact of thermosonication on the metabolomic profile of orange juice to understand processing-induced alterations in bioactive compounds and quality attributes.Results Moderate thermosonication at 45 degrees C preserved structural siloxanes and certain amino acids, whereas higher temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees C markedly enhanced the liberation of phenolic acids, flavonoids, organic acids, and ascorbic acid. Caffeic acid, nobiletin, malic acid, and sucrose derivatives showed significant amplification at 75 degrees C, highlighting the potential of thermosonication to improve the nutraceutical quality of orange juice.Conclusion Overall, the findings suggest that thermosonication, particularly at elevated temperatures, can be a promising green processing technique for functional beverage development by enhancing polyphenolic and antioxidant profiles, while requiring careful optimization to minimize the loss of heat-sensitive metabolites.
