Non-sewered sanitary systems (NSS) are emerging as one of the solutions to poor sanitation because of the limitations of the conventional flush toilet. These new sanitary systems are expected to safely treat faecal waste and operate without external connections to a sewer, water supply or energy source. The Nano Membrane Toilet (NMT) is a unique domestic-scale sanitary solution currently being ...

The present study was undertaken to explore the effect of apple pulp on weight and composition of faeces. This material is rich in dietary fibre (DF; 620 g dry matter/kg) and contains appreciable amounts of polyphenols. Recent reports indicate that both condensed tannins (CT) and soluble polyphenols form cross-links with protein and inhibit digestive enzymes, affecting the protein digestibility...

BACKGROUND The root and stem bark of Cassia sieberiana DC. (Caesalpiniaceae) and the root of Senna obtusifolia (Linn) Irwin and Barneby (Caesalpiniaceae), used for constipation in Nigeria, were assayed for laxative properties in male albino rats using the official senna leaf (Senna alexandrina Mill. family Caesalpiniaceae) as the reference standard. This is with a view to finding alternative la...

In reviewing coprophagy (more precisely, reingestion: ingesting own faeces directly from the anus) in mammalian herbivores (Hirakawa, 2001), I stated that the Capybara (Hydrochaerus hydrochaeris) does not have a colonic separation mechanism, nor does it practise reingestion, following Hörnicke & Björnhag (1980). After publishing this article, Professor Ian Hume in Australia informed me that the...

Botswana imports most pig-based products from neighbouring countries. Pig farming is limited by, among other things, the negative effect of parasites and diseases on production. The object of this study was to determine the prevalence of ecto- and endoparasites in pigs of different ages and sexes in the Southeast District of Botswana. Thirty-nine pigs were sampled for endoparasites and 19 for e...

BACKGROUND The storage mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, detected in the samples collected from stored products and house dust, is one of the major causes of allergic disorders. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to ameliorate the T. putrescentiae faeces allergic immunological disorder by garlic. METHODS Albino experimental rats were classified into control, inhaled and treated groups. M...

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) infection in felids results mainly from oronasal exposure to infectious saliva and nasal secretions, but the potential for viral transmission through faeces and urine has not been completely characterized. In order to assess and compare potential FeLV transmission routes, we determined the viral kinetics in plasma, saliva, faeces and urine during early experimental...

The study of host-parasite relationships usually requires reliable estimates of parasite intensity, which is often estimated from parasite propagule concentration in faeces. However, parasite excretion in faeces may be subject to variation due to endogenous or exogenous factors that must be identified to obtain reliable results. We analysed the effect of the hour of sample collection on propagu...

Background Intense landscaping often alters the plant composition in urban areas. Knowing which plant species that pollinators are visiting in urban areas is necessary for understanding how landscaping impacts biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. The cave nectar bat, Eonycteris spelaea, is an important pollinator for many plants and is often recorded in human-dominated habitats. Prev...

oday, nearly half of humanity has no access to any type of sanitation (WHO and UNICEF 2000). The rest of humanity relies on conventional approaches to sanitation, which fall into one of two categories: water-borne systems and pit latrines. Both 'flush and discharge' and ' drop and store' technologies were built on the premise that the nutrients we excrete have little value, and that waste is su...