Protection of maize (Zea mays) and soybeans (Glycine max) using Aframomum danielli

When maize and soybeans were stored under ambient conditions (26 +/- 1 degreesC/RH 75 +/- 5%) using the ground material of the spice Aframomum danielli (family Zingiberaceae), mouldiness and insect infestation were controlled for 15 months. After eight weeks of storage, chemical compositions of maize and soybeans (moisture content, mc 10.0%) treated with 4.0%, 6.0% and 8.0% ground powder of A. danielli did not differ significantly (P=0.05) from those of untreated (control) samples. However, chemical compositions of samples maintained at 15.0% and 20.0% mc respectively were different from those of control samples (P>0.05). At 10.0% mc, maize and soybean samples treated with different concentrations of A. danielli powder were preferred to treated samples maintained at 15.0% and 20.0% respectively. The preservative capability of the powder of A. danielli was associated with phytochemical components tentatively identified as alkaloids. Viability of maize and soybeans was not affected by treatment with A. danielli powder. The powder of A. danielli has some protective effects on liver cells because it exerted no hepatotoxic effect on test albino rats as serum enzyme levels of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were lowered by 67.0%, 86.3% and 49.7% respectively when compared with control albino rats not fed with A. danielli powder in their rations (meals).