http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1068 CANS Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:22:13 GMT 2026-04-07T17:22:13Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12227 Assessing the Potential of Local Beneficial Halophytes in Desalination Sanleri, Kwabena Azure Cape Coast, part of Ghana's coastal region, has a rich diversity of plant species with various potential uses. These plant species, called halophytes, possess qualities that enable them to grow and thrive in saline environments. This research aimed to identify and explore these plants' nutritional, ecological, and medicinal significance, examining their salt tolerance and desalination abilities. The halophytes were identified using an image recognition method, where images of the plants were keyed into Pl@ntNet Identify website (https://identify.plantnet.org/), an online software for plant identification. Five halophytes, namely, Ipomoea aquatica, Lactuca taraxacifolia, Paspalum vaginatum, Sesuvium portulacastrum and Talinum triangulare, were selected from the identified halophytes for a greenhouse experiment using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) to assess their response to varying salt concentrations (0, 25 and 50 dS/m) and soil types (sea sand and arable soil). Results revealed significant growth and salt tolerance variations among the studied halophytes, with P. vaginatum and S. portulacastrum demonstrating remarkable phytoremediation capabilities. These plants exhibited the ability to mitigate soil salinity and reduce the accumulation of toxic ions in soils, highlighting their potential for addressing soil and water salinity issues in affected environments. Another greenhouse experiment was conducted to assess the desalination abilities of S. portulacastrum (the most promising halophyte from the initial experiment) to desalinate saline water in a hydroponic system on a vertical farming structure. The factors for this experiment were the salt concentrations (0, 25 and 50 dS/m) and planting distances (15, 20, 30 and 40 cm). Sesuvium portulacastrum exhibited limited desalination capacity in reducing the EC and TDS of the saline water. However, it contributed to a reduction in the pH of the saline water. Further research is necessary to discover this pH-reducing effect's underlying mechanisms and potential applications in water treatment processes. Overall, this study underscores the significance of harnessing the ethnobotanical resources in Ghana for sustainable development and environmental conservation. xv, 179p:, ill. Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12227 2024-11-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12213 Design and Implementation f a Smart Low Energy Ram Pump Solar - Powered Arduino Aquaponics (Slersopaa) Kayil, Barnabas Aquaponics is a system of farming that combines both fish and crops within a closed-loop ecosystem. However, high setup costs (HSC), high operational costs (HOC), and high energy demands (HED) pose significant challenges, particularly in regions with limited access to electricity. In this thesis, Smart Low Energy Ram Pump Solar-Powered Arduino Aquaponics (SLERSOPAA) was designed. This innovative approach aims to reduce HSC, HOC, and HED of aquaponics by integrating bamboo grow beds, solar-powered Arduino automation (SPAA), and hydraulic ram pump (HRP), also known as ram pump (RP), into the system. The integration of HRP and SPAA results in a remarkable reduction of HED by 70.25%, while using of bamboo reduces the HSC by 80%. The effect of the reduced HED on water quality parameters in SLERSOPAA within the six months is: a potential hydrogen (pH) range of 7.22–8.05, dissolved oxygen (DO) range of 4.00–5.71 mg/L, electrical conductivity (EC) range of 1.30–1.81 mS/cm, and total dissolved solids (TDS) range of 0.986–1.160 g/L. Besides that, the results of growth rates for the following vegetables, such as hot pepper, tomato, cabbage, and cucumber, in just four weeks were reported. The growth rate of catfish was monitored closely. The obtained average mass of 209.3 g and length of 11.3 cm were recorded within three months. Aside from the bamboo reducing the HSC, it also provides the following antioxidant compounds, such as phenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, and E, which are natural alternatives for the developing functional foods and nutraceuticals within the system for vegetable growth. The SLERSOPAA offers a promising solution to food shortages, promotes clean energy usage, reduces household vulnerabilities, creates employment opportunities, and enhances resilience in sub-Saharan Africa. xviii, 115p:, ill. Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12213 2024-02-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12184 Development of Gluten-Free Noodles Based on Cassavabambara Groundnut Composite Flour Bassey, Akwetey, Ebenezer Noodles are now a common food in the World, eaten by many from different cultural backgrounds and races. However, noodles made from wheat are often seen as less healthy. As people become more health-conscious, researchers are experimenting with different ingredients to make noodles that are healthier, gluten-free, and meet changing food preferences. The study was centered on the development of gluten-free noodles from Casava-Bambara groundnut composite flour and the determination of the functional, textural, colour, sensory and nutritional composition of the resulting noodles. A simplex centroid mixture design in Minitab software was used for the formulations with the two mixture variables: Cassava flour [X1 (% w/w)] and Bambara groundnut flour [X2 (% w/w)] equaling 100 %. The ash, protein and fibre contents significantly increased (from 0.84 % to 1.52 %, 4.16 % to 7.27 % and 3.01 % to 4.48 % respectively) whereas the moisture and carbohydrate contents decreased (from 8.35 % to 7.35 and 87.23 % to 82.84 % respectively) as the percentage of Bambara Groundnut Flour increased. In addition, zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium for Bambara Groundnut Flour incorporated noodles increased. Cooking losses were also minimal for formulations containing Bambara groundnut flour compared to the noodles prepared from 100 % Cassava Flour. Noodles with 30 % Bambara Groundnut Flour was the most preferred after the sensory evaluation. The results are relevant for utilizing Bambara groundnut as an ingredient in gluten-free noodle production as its addition improved the functional properties, nutritional composition and sensory attributes. xii, 85p:, ill. Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12184 2024-08-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12175 Assessment of the Physicochemical and Microbial Quality of Groundnut Pastes from Major Markets in the Central Region of Ghana and Prediction of Groundnut Paste Adulteration Using Portable Handheld Nir Spectroscopy with a Mobile Phone Welbeck, Joel Groundnut paste safety and quality is of great concern to consumers due to potential contamination and adulteration which poses serious health risk. This study investigated the safety and quality of groundnut paste using wet chemistry standard method as well as develop a novel application of hand-held NIR spectrometry coupled with chemometrics for the examination of groundnut paste authenticity and quality in real time. Samples were collected within the major markets in the Central region (Mankessim, Kotokuraba, Twifo Praso, Swedru and Kasoa). The authenticity of groundnut paste was evaluated through a physicochemical analysis and fungi count were also determined. A handheld near-infrared spectrometer was used to predict the presence of cassava flour and roasted maize flour at different percentage purity. Among the pre-processing methods used to ensure the quality and accurately of the final analysis, standard normal variant (SNV) was found to be superior. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to extract relevant information from the spectral data set and the results showed that groundnut paste samples of different categories could be clustered. The performance of the Support Vector Machine (SVM) model shows strong predictive capabilities, with R² values of 0.9751 for cassava flour and 0.9753 for roasted maize flour in the training phase, indicating that it explains a substantial portion of the variance in the data. Most of the groundnut paste samples examined showed low contamination of fungi ranging from 1.60 – 2.48 log10CFU/g. The current study showed that NIR spectroscopy can classify and determine groundnut paste adulterated with cassava flour and roasted maize flour. xiv, 132p:, ill. Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12175 2025-02-01T00:00:00Z