Emmanuel I Aigbokhan | University of Benin, Benin City , Nigeria. (original) (raw)

Papers by Emmanuel I Aigbokhan

Asian Journal of Biological Sciences, 2019

Makara Journal of Science, 2019

Secondary pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (sPAP) is a complication of myelodysplastic syndrome (MD... more Secondary pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (sPAP) is a complication of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). A 60-year-old woman was diagnosed with MDS with excess blasts-1. Fifty-four months after the initial diagnosis, treatment with azacitidine was initiated. Seventy-three months after the diagnosis, a bone marrow examination revealed increased myeloblasts, at which time computed tomography showed diffuse ground-glass opacities and interlobular septal thickening in the bilateral lower lung fields. A lung biopsy revealed the presence of PAP; therefore, the clinical diagnosis of MDS/sPAP was confirmed. Careful attention should be paid to the development of sPAP in MDS patients with pulmonary lesions during azacitidine treatment.

Asian Journal of Biological Sciences

Studies have yet to assess the genetic variability inThonningia sanguinea populations in Southern... more Studies have yet to assess the genetic variability inThonningia sanguinea populations in Southern Nigeria. Hence, thisstudy was conducted to elucidate the pattern of genetic variability and population structure amongT. sanguinea populations in Southern Nigeria. Genomic DNA was extracted from 31 individuals in 15 populations and tested using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers. Several genetic diversity parameters were examined using GenALExVer. 6.5. Reproducible RAPD markers indicated that allthe sampled populations were composed of individuals with ahigh genetic variability. The populations were grouped into four distinct clusters. The populations from the Okourcommunity forest had high gene diversity and Shannon index. Conversely, the populations from Cross River NationalPark had the lowest gene diversity and Shannon index. Genetic variability did not correlate with geographic distances.Analysis of molecular variance revealed that most (82.3%) of the diversities could be explained by allelic variationswithin the population. An indirect estimate of gene flow yielded gave an Nmof 1.09, indicating a low migration level among populations. Results demonstrated thatT. sanguineapopulations in Southern Nigeria exhibited outcrossing strat-egy expected of the sexual exchange of gametes by different individuals within a local population

The Nigerian Field , 2018

Hydnora species (Hydnoraceae) are parasitic angiosperms, endemic to Africa and restricted to the ... more Hydnora species (Hydnoraceae) are parasitic angiosperms, endemic to Africa and restricted to the Sudano-Zambezian region. We report here the occurrence of several stands of Hydnora abyssinica A. Braun in Nekong, Wusali ward, a lowland area in the Sudan-savanna zone in Kanke Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria. Hydnora abyssinica was found parasitizing woody plants noticably Acacia hockii De Wild, Piliostigma thonningii (Schum.) Milne-Redh., and Tamarindus indica L. Our observation represents the first recorded occurrence of any Hydnora species in the Guineo-Congolian region which when combined with its well-known Sudano-Zambezian distribution, enlarges and establishes its distributional range as an African endemic species.

The Nigerian Field, 2018

No comprehensive appraisal of the precolonial nature of plant use by the Binis (Edos) of the fame... more No comprehensive appraisal of the precolonial nature of plant use by the Binis (Edos) of the famed Benin Kingdom is available. Using the recent catalogue of botanical and ethnobotanical narratives and commentaries, extracts from the 1937 Melzian's Bini Dictionary, this study aims to define the structure of Bini ethnobotany in relation to the Africa-wide, primary plant use criteria of the Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA). Relative plant use from three sampling approaches: comprehensive sample (COMPS), abridged sample (ABRS) and congruent sample (CONGS) were assessed based on their status in Bini ethnobotany and PROTA criteria. COMPS comprised all the 295 catalogued plants, while ABRS contained 129 plants with attributes on Bini ethnobotany selected from COMPS. CONGS contained 136 plants whose Bini and PROTA's statuses were determined as congruent. Use distribution profiles in COMPS and ABRS using both Bini and PROTA criteria showed marked dissimilarities, the most divergent demonstrated mainly in the fuel and auxiliary plants categories. Except for stimulants which ranked high in both COMPS and ABRS, marked differences in Bini/PROTA congruency ratios were apparent. In COMPS, high congruence ratios were observed in spices and condiments, carbohydrates and cereals and pulses, while in ABRS, vegetable oils, medicinal plants and vegetables. Correlation between percent relative frequencies of Bini ethnobotany and PROTA was +0.83 in COMPS and +0.69 in ABRS while for Bini/PROTA congruence ratios between COMP vs ABRS was +0.37. Profile distributions from COMPS and ABRS showed high estimates for timber plants than historically justified by local Bini practice. The profile from CONGS appeared more representative with the following distributions: carbohydrates (18.25%), timbers (17.52%), fruits (13.14%), medicinal plants (11.68%), vegetables (7.30%), spices and condiments (6.57%), auxiliary plants (4.38%), cereals and pulses (4.38%), fibres (3.65%), stimulants (3.65%), essential oils (2.19%), forage plants (2.19%), dyes and tannins (1.46%), fuel plants (1.46%), vegetable oils (1.46%) and ornamental plants (0.73%). The prominence attributed to carbohydrates (primarily yams), appear to reflect the traditional Bini preference and hence proposed as the precolonial template of Bini ethnobotany. The low congruence between Bini ethnobotany and PROTA makes tenuous the utility of the latter for interpreting or predicting Bini ethnobotany.The preeminence of carbohydrate appropriately identifies Benin Kingdom among the so-called "Yam Zone" forest civilizations of West Africa, while the undue emphasis on timbers, suggest recent reclassification probably influenced by the British economic interests in colonial Nigeria. Nigerian Field 84 (x): xx-xxx. 2018. (in press). 2

The Nigerian Field , 2018

The forests of Benin kingdom, southern Nigeria are rich in biodiversity and the natives, referred... more The forests of Benin kingdom, southern Nigeria are rich in biodiversity and the natives, referred to as the Binis (or Edos) are renowned for their vast and intimate folk knowledge of plants. This study on Bini ethnobotany is the second series of extracts from Hans Melzian"s 1937 book "A Concise Dictionary of the Bini Language of Southern Nigeria"; following the first compilation of Edo Plant names checklist. Narratives and annotations on Bini ethnobotany in the dictionary were selected and organized according to their placements among 16 primary plant use categories on the template developed by Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA). For each plant entry, the most customary usage by the Binis was obtained from commentaries in the dictionary with additional inputs from literature and oral interviews of selected individuals knowledgeable in Bini language, culture and traditions including herbalist. The entire plant entries was designated as Comprehensive sample (COMPS) and used as a template from which selected plants with attributes on Bini ethnobotany were derived and constituted as the Abridge sample (ABRS), while another category designated as Congruent sample (CONGS) was constituted with entries whose use status in Bini ethnobotany corresponded with PROTA"s. Twenty-two (22) Edo plant names comprising 17 new and five revised plant names were added to the previously published checklist. COMPS comprised 302 plants of which 122 (40.39%) were included in ABRS. Only 136 (45.03%) entries in COMPS and 63 (20.86%) ABRS were determined as congruent (CONGS). The most prevalent plant use categories in COMPS were: timbers 87 (28.81%), medicinal plants 51 (16.89%), carbohydrates 32 (10.60%) and fruits 26 (8.61%), while the least represented groups were: forage plants 2 (0.06%), fuel plants 4 (1.32%) and dyes & tannins 5 (1.65%). Similar trends were observed in ABRS: timbers 45 (36.89%), medicinal plants 21 (17.21%), vegetables 11 (9.01%) and fruits 11 (9.01%), and least prevalent were forages 0 (0.00%), vegetable oils 1 (0.08%) and stimulants 1 (0.08%). The more prevalence status attributed to the timbers class debunks historical accounts which depicted timber usage in Benin Kingdom as peripheral, thus suggesting a marked disparity between PROTA criteria and Bini ethnobotany. These findings probably suggests that the economic interests on timber plants of either the author (Melzian) or the British colonists may have influenced their inclusion in the dictionary.

Artificial structures in urban environments such as wire-mesh fences when left undisturbed, often... more Artificial structures in urban environments such as wire-mesh fences when left undisturbed, often support spontaneous vegetation which escape regular weeding interventions. This study describes the vegetation composition, structure and conservation potential of the perimeter wire-mesh fence surrounding the University of Benin Farm Project site in Benin City, located within the wet tropical rainforest zone. Floristic composition and structure at different sides of the fence were obtained from visual surveillance and triplicate sample quadrats measuring 300 cm x 10 cm (3000 cm2). Ordinal and hierarchical cluster analysis of phytosociological (cover, sociability) and species presence or absence data were used to determine relative similarities and infer extent of anthropogenic disturbance at different sections of the fence. Collectively, 123 vascular plants were inventoried with all but one verified to known taxa. The plants distributed into one fern and 44 angiosperm families had Fabaceae (14.9%), Poaceae (7.4%) and Euphorbiaceae (7.4%) as most prevalent. Growth form distribution was: shrubs (22.76%), vines (22.76%), herbs (20.33%), trees (15.44)% and lianas (8.13%). Majority (70%) were native plants while exotic and cosmopolitan plants accounted for 28% and 3% respectively. Up to 26 (25.2%) were plants typical of a heavily farmed forest regrowth habitat. Structurally, the East-facing section was most species rich, while the South facing section was most diverse and the North-facing section least diverse. Four floristically distinct vegetation groups were revealed in both the scatter and cluster plots and appeared to reflect degree of anthropogenic disturbance. The South section was the most markedly different from other sections while the least accessible West and North sections were most similar and distinctly different from the East and South sections which were located along thoroughfares. Among the plants, 26 (21.13%) were recognized as rare to the urban environment, suggesting that the fence may have protected them from weeding and grazing. This demonstrates that fence precincts in urban areas could serve as conservation refugia for rare native plants and that routine surveys of such sites may yield relics of rare, vulnerable or endangered native indigenous or endemic plants in urban environments.

Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and Robinson (Asteraceae: Eupatorieae) is an invasive perennial wee... more Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and Robinson (Asteraceae: Eupatorieae) is an invasive perennial weedy scrambling shrub of neotropical origin, widely acknowledged as a major economic and ecological burden to many tropical and subtropical regions of the world including Nigeria. Here, we examine the invasion and management of C. odorata in Nigeria over the last seven decades using historical records and field surveys and ask: (i) Does the usefulness of C. odorata influence its invasion success? (ii) Is a coordinated control approach against C. odorata needed in the face of its usefulness or do we need to develop strategies for its adaptive management? We searched major institutional libraries in Nigeria and carried out extensive research of historical records using different data base platforms, including Google Scholar, Science Direct, ISI web of Science, SciFinders and Scopus. Apart from the biological invasive characteristics of C. odorata and the increased anthropogenic disturbances occurring over the time period, the records indicate that the ethno-pharmacological, funcigicidal, nematicidal importance of the plant and its use as a fallow species and as a soil fertility improvement plant in the slash and burn rotation system of agriculture is partly responsible for the invasion success of the weed. The current distribution and infestation levels of this invasive weed in Nigeria are mapped. The current methods of control and the failed attempt made by the Nigerian government to eradicate the weed between the late 1960s and 1970s are discussed. We argue that even in the face of the usefulness of C. odorata, it is reasonable to implement a nationwide coordinated control programme against it with biological control as a core component, because weed biological control does not eliminate the target species, instead it aims to establish an equilibrium which maintains the weed's population below the level where it causes significant harm to natural and semi-natural ecosystems.

Aigbokhan, E. I., Berner, D. K., and Musselman, L. J. 1998. Reproductive ability of hybrids of St... more Aigbokhan, E. I., Berner, D. K., and Musselman, L. J. 1998. Reproductive ability of hybrids of Striga aspera and Striga hermonthica. Phytopathology 88:563-567.

Edo [Bini] language is spoken in Oredo, Orhionmwon, and Ovia Local Government Areas of Edo State,... more Edo [Bini] language is spoken in Oredo, Orhionmwon, and Ovia Local Government Areas of Edo State, Nigeria. Few reports have been dedicated solely to the vocabulary of plant names in Edo language and the available records are scattered in different checklists with varying levels of comprehensiveness. The 233-page "Bini-English Dictionary" by Hans Melzian published in 1937 contains a rich collection of Edo plant names complemented with corresponding scientific names equivalents. In this study, an inventory of Edo plant names in the dictionary was collated, characterized based on habit, native origin and utility and compared with five existing Edo plant names checklists for congruency. A total of 309 plants were inventoried out of which only 284 plants (91.9%), distributed in 67 families could be verified to known scientific taxa. The top four most prevalent families were: Fabaceae 55 (17.8%), Dioscoreaceae 19 (6.4%), Annonaceae and Malvaceae 15 (8.5%). The frequency of distribution based on growth form categories was: trees 190 (63.5%), vines 43 (14%), shrubs 24 (9.4%), herbs 26 (8.6%), lianas 6 (2%), grasses 4 (1.3%) and ferns 3 (1%). Congruency between Edo plant names listed in Melzian dictionary with other checklist by authors revealed that Dalziel had the highest with 234 plants or 75.7%, followed by Kennedy 184 plants (60%), Keay 120 plants (38.8%), Irvine 80 plants (25.9%), Gill 60 plants (19.4%) and Olorode 49 plants (15.9%). Majority (82%) of the plants are native plants and only 33 were of exotic origin. This finding suggests that the Edo plant names listed in the Melzian's dictionary may have been unknown and unavailable as a reference resource to other authors until now. The checklist generated from this study therefore, spotlights Melzian's contribution of plant names in Edo language as well as contribute additional names to the existing pool. It also highlights the status of some plants in Benin City in the 1930s, while providing a historical benchmark for evaluating new plant introductions, the fate of others that may have become rare or probably extinct due to overexploitation or habitat loss. Overall, the checklist provides a veritable preliminary template on which a more comprehensive plant name vocabulary in Edo language could be developed in the future.

The dumb cane plant Dieffenbachia seguine, is a common and popular, exotic indoor ornamental plan... more The dumb cane plant Dieffenbachia seguine, is a common and popular, exotic indoor ornamental plant in Nigeria. It is reported to be invasive in Asia and the Pacific Islands. We report a naturalized population of this shade loving plant in a forest understorey at Okhuodede village, 20 km south-west of Sapele in Niger-Delta area of Delta State, Nigeria where it forms extensive mats and appear to be displacing native and naturalized flora at the location. The site with a GPS coordinate of N05 0 45.752'', E005 0 40.884'' is situated in a degraded lowland secondary regrowth forest, characterized by sandy to clayey moist soils and in partial shade cast by canopies of common fruit trees such as Cola acuminata and Monodora myristica planted in nearby village courtyards. Some of the notable plants closely associated with D. sequine at this site include: Nyphtytis constricta, Leea guineensis, Pteris abyssinica, Pteridium aquilium, Floscopa glomerata, Parquentina nigrescens, Adenia aspidophylla and Triclisia macrophylla together with crop plants such as Manihot esculentum and Musa sp. Although no statistical differences in three community indices were observed between sites infested with D. seguine and uninfested sites, it was however apparent that the infested sites were relatively sparsely and poorly vegetated when compared with adjourning uninfested sites, signifying that the dumb cane plant may probably be out-competing other plants -a phenomenon that suggests that D. seguine has invasive tendencies and with time would gradually eliminate native plants and associated biota at this forest site. This finding establishes the presence of naturalized population of D. seguine in Delta State and agrees with earlier reports from Akwa Ibom State. This suggests that regions in southern Nigeria between latitudes 4 0 N and 6 0 N parallel may be prone to D. seguine infestation. If left unchecked, D. seguine may pose a significant invasive threat to forest ecosystems in Nigeria.

An overview of the biology, history of introduction and range of spread of the grassleaf spurge (... more An overview of the biology, history of introduction and range of spread of the grassleaf spurge (Euphorbia graminea Jacq.) (Euphorbiaceae) in Nigeria was investigated using pot experiments, herbarium studies and road reconnaissance surveys. Results suggest that the weed was first collected in Nigeria in the 1990s but has remained furtive until lately when its range appears to be expanding. Surveys conducted in 2010 indicate that E. graminea was present in three Nigerian states of Oyo, Edo and Enugu, all restricted to the lowland tropical rain forest and derived savanna ecosystems in southern Nigeria. It was relatively widely distributed in Ibadan in the southwest, with scant, but increasing presence in both Benin City in the mid-west and Nsukka in the southeast. Its presence in the drier regions of northern Nigeria has not been established. Its life cycle was determined to span a period of between 70-75 days and the seeds are efficiently dispersed by dramatic repositioning of the ripe capsule before dispersal by explosive mechanism. It was often seen in highly disturbed and partially sheltered habitats located in urban settings closely associated with ruderals such as Asystasia gangetica (L.)

Several road reconnaissance surveys across Nigeria's agroecological regions were conducted in 200... more Several road reconnaissance surveys across Nigeria's agroecological regions were conducted in 2008 to delineate areas currently under infestation of the invasive weed Mimosa diplotricha C. Wright ex Sauvalle, (Syn. Mimosa invisa Mart.) (Fabaceae). Laboratory germination tests were conducted to study the effects of burning and light conditions on germination of M. diplothrica seeds. Results showed that M. diplothrica was widely distributed in 13 states; all restricted to southern Nigeria, within the Tropical lowland forest and Derived savanna ecosystems. It was however, markedly absent in the Mangrove forest to the south and the drier Guinea and Sudan savanna in the north. Mimosa diplothrica seeds subjected to burning treatments germinated significantly more (29%), than for unburned seeds (11%) and less seeds germinated in the presence of light (16%) than in the absence of light (21%). Deforestation and constant burning events especially along open forested paths may be responsible for the continued spread of M. diplotricha in Nigeria. The act of field burning often used as a control measure against M. diplothica in Nigeria may promote higher seed germination and thus possibly accentuate higher levels of M. diplothrica infestations.

Differential responses of cereals to Striga attack in Africa have often been attributed to strain... more Differential responses of cereals to Striga attack in Africa have often been attributed to strains whose origins have remained unexplained. In nature, S. hermonthica infects crops while S. aspera commonly infects wild grasses and both species have been reported to hybridise, successfully producing viable seeds that could parasitize maize plants. To investigate the virulence potential of Striga hybrids and their on maize, artificial reciprocal intra-and interspecific crosses between S. hermonthica (SH), S. aspera (SA) were made, and seeds harvested from these crosses (SA/SA, SH/SH, SA/SH and SH/SA) used to infest pots in which seeds from two maize cultivars were grown. In addition, Striga seeds obtained from the wild (SA-wild and SH-wild) were included. The degree of maize stunting and number of emerged Striga per maize host plant were used to estimate virulence and degree of aggressiveness among the Striga infested treatments respectively. Phenology of the Striga hybrids and their true bred parental lines were compared with those obtained from the wild.

Dual infection of maize by two Striga species Nigerian Journal of Botany 23 (1): 27-40 (2010) 2 A... more Dual infection of maize by two Striga species Nigerian Journal of Botany 23 (1): 27-40 (2010) 2 Abstract Striga aspera and S. hermonthica are obligate hemi-parasites of native grasses and cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa. Both species are sympatric in Nigeria, but not known to simultaneously infect the same host in nature. In this study, host performance and parasitic development were investigated in two separate pot experiments in which two maize cultivars where selectively infested with seed inoculum of both species either singly or jointly in proportionate mixtures.

Asian Journal of Biological Sciences, 2019

Makara Journal of Science, 2019

Asian Journal of Biological Sciences

The Nigerian Field , 2018

The Nigerian Field, 2018

The Nigerian Field , 2018