Antioxidant activity of eight plants consumed by great apes in Côte d’Ivoire

Oxidative stress is an aggravating factor involved in a number of pathologies. The source and mobilization of antioxidant compounds are a challenge for the public health sector and new approaches are needed to  assess and identify the main sources of antioxidants. Monkeys and great apes are considered to tolerate the Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection and other diseases. The current study aimed at  screening wild chimpanzeefs diet to select plants with high antioxidant potential as supplement for  improving health status of people under oxidative stress. Bio-cultural approach based on chimpanzeefs  diet or auto-medication and human traditional medicine was used for selection of eight species, Ficus  elasticoides, Ficus lyrata, Ficus umbelleta, Ficus thonningii, Ficus mucuso, Xylopia quintasii,  Sherbournia calycina and Myrianthus libericus. Further, antioxidant activity of extracts (methanolic and  dichloromethane) from these plants was assessed by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric  reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods. Methanolic extract of leaves from F. elasticoides showed the highest radical scavenging activity with 96.69% of DPPH inhibition, followed by extracts of F. lyrata (94.53%), X. quintasii (94.36%) and F. mucuso (94.33%). The IC50 values of extracts were respectively 7.8, 9.3, 8.3 and 8.7 µg/ml and close to those of ascorbic acid (8.00 µg/ml) and gallic acid (8.20 µg/ml). The ferric reducing power of F. lyrata (185.01 µM) was the strongest. Active species contain monoterpenoid, secoiridoides and polyphenols. Further investigation on the use of such plants in the traditional medicine will contribute to generate an added value at the interface of human and animal  nutrition to provide nutraceuticals for immunocompromised people.Key words: Cote dfIvoire, great apes diet, oxidative stress, antioxidant activity

Activité antioxydante de quelques plantes utilisées dans la région de Tiassalé (Côte d’Ivoire) dans le maintien de la santé de la peau

Skin health is a concern for many people. This aim of this study is to evaluate in vitro the antioxidant activity of 10 plants used in cosmetopoeia for the maintenance of skin health. To achieve this objective, 30 extracts were tested using 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6) acid. -sulfonic) (ABTS + •) assays. The extracts studied were rich in total polyphenols, flavonoids, gallic tannins and alkaloids. For the DPPH reduction, 7 extracts including 5 methanolic and 2 aqueous extracts showed a percentage of inhibition similar to that of Vitamin C (95.79 ± 10.53%) used as a control. With ABTS, 11 extracts (5 methanol, 3 aqueous and 3 hexane) gave reduction percentages close to Trolox (95.97 ± 8.51%). These active plants could play a role in the maintaining of skin

Using participatory workshops to assess alignment or tension in the community for minimally invasive tissue sampling prior to start of child mortality surveillance: lessons From 5 sites across the CHAMPS network

The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) program is a 7-country network (as of December 2018) established by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to identify the causes of death in children in communities with high rates of under-5 mortality. The program carries out both mortality and pregnancy surveillance, and mortality surveillance employs minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) to gather small samples of body fluids and tissue from the bodies of children who have died. While this method will lead to greater knowledge of the specific causes of childhood mortality, the procedure is in tension with cultural and religious norms in many of the countries where CHAMPS works - Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. Participatory Inquiry Into Community Knowledge of Child Health and Mortality Prevention (PICK-CHAMP) is a community entry activity designed to introduce CHAMPS to communities and gather initial perspectives on alignments and tensions between CHAMPS activities and community perceptions and priorities. Participants' responses revealed medium levels of overall alignment in all sites (with the exception of South Africa, where alignment was high) and medium levels of tension (with the exception of Ethiopia, where tension was high). Alignment was high and tension was low for pregnancy surveillance across all sites, whereas Ethiopia reflected low alignment and high tension for MITS. Participants across all sites indicated that support for MITS was possible only if the procedure did not interfere with burial practices and rituals

Investigating the feasibility of child mortality surveillance with postmortem tissue sampling: generating constructs and variables to strengthen validity and reliability in qualitative research

The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) network aims to generate reliable data on the causes of death among children aged <5 years using all available information, including minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS). The sensitive nature of MITS inevitably evokes religious, cultural, and ethical questions influencing the feasibility and sustainability of CHAMPS.Due to limited behavioral studies related to child MITS, we developed an innovative qualitative methodology to determine the barriers, facilitators, and other factors that affect the implementation and sustainability of CHAMPS surveillance across 7 diverse locations in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. We employed a multimethod grounded theory approach and analytical structure based on culturally specific conceptual frameworks. The methodology guided data interpretation and collective analyses confirming how to define dimensions of CHAMPS feasibility within the cultural context of each site while reducing subjectivity and bias in the process of interpretation and reporting.Findings showed that the approach to gain consent to conduct the MITS procedure involves religious factors associated with timing of burial, use of certain terminology, and methods of transporting the body. Community misperceptions and uncertainties resulted in rumor surveillance and consistency in information sharing. Religious pronouncements, recognition of health priorities, attention to pregnancy, and advancement of child health facilitated community acceptability. These findings helped formulate program priorities, guided site-specific adaptations in surveillance procedures, and verified inferences drawn from CHAMPS epidemiological and formative research data. Results informed appropriate community sensitization and engagement activities for introducing and sustaining mortality surveillance, including MITS

Effets de deux types de déjections animales sur la croissance en longueur de deux variétés de concombre (Cucumis sativus)

Objectif : L’objectif de l’étude est d’évaluer l’efficacité de la fiente de poulet et du lisier de porc sur la croissance en longueur de deux variétés de concombre, POINSETT et F1 TOKYO, les plus cultivées en Côte d’Ivoire. Méthodologie et résultats : La couche superficielle du sol de la parcelle expérimentale de l’Université Nangui Abrogoua a été prélevée à 20 cm de profondeur, séchée et tamisée à 2 mm. La partie fine recueillie a servi de substrat pour l’étude. Les différents fertilisants étudiés sont la fiente de poulet, le lisier de porc, le mélange fiente de poulet et lisier de porc et l’engrais minéral NPK. Des sachets en plastique ont servi de support pour les milieux de culture. Les doses croissantes de fiente de poulet ont retardé l’émergence des plantules des deux variétés. Les meilleurs résultats sur la croissance des plantes ont été obtenus avec le mélange de fertilisants.Conclusion et application : Le mélange fiente de poulet et lisier de porc favorise plus la croissance en longueur des deux variétés de concombre. Il peut être utilisé en amendement de sol pour la production des deux variétés de concombre.Mots clés : concombre, variété POINSETT, variété F1 TOKYO, fiente de poulet, lisier de porc. Objective: The study objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of chicken manure and pig slurry on the growth in length of two varieties of cucumber, POINSETT and F1 TOKYO, most cultivated in Côte d'Ivoire. Methodology and results: The soil surface layer of the experimental plot of Nangui Abrogoua University was taken at a depth of 20 centimeters, dried and sieved to two millimeters. The fine part collected served as a substrate for the study. The different fertilizers studied are poultry manure, pig slurry, poultry and slurry manure mix and NPK mineral fertilizer. Plastic bags were used as support for culture media. Increasing doses of chicken manure delayed the emergence of seedlings of both varieties. The best results on plant growth were obtained with the fertilizer mix. Conclusion and application: The slurry mix of chicken and pig manure favors longer growth in both varieties of cucumber. It can be used as a soil amendment for the production of both varieties of cucumber.Keywords: cucumber, POINSETT variety, TOKYO F1 variety, poultry manure, pig manure

Efficacy of Olyset® Duo, a permethrin and pyriproxyfen mixture net against wild pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles gambiae s.s. from Côte d’Ivoire: an experimental hut trial

Pyrethroid resistance in malaria vectors has spread across sub-Saharan Africa. Alternative tools and molecules are urgently needed for effective vector control. One of the most promising strategies to prevent or delay the development of resistance is to use at least two molecules having unrelated modes of action in combination in the same bed net. We evaluated in experimental huts in Côte d’Ivoire, a new polyethylene long-lasting insecticidal net (LN) product, Olyset® Duo, incorporating permethrin (PER) and pyriproxyfen (PPF), an insect growth regulator (IGR). PPF alone or in combination with permethrin had a significant impact on fertility (7–12% reduction relative to control) and no effect on fecundity of wild multi-resistant An. gambiae s.s. These results triggered crucial research questions on the behaviour of targeted mosquitoes around the LN. To maximize the sterilizing effect of PPF in the combination, there would be a need for a trade-off between the necessary contact time of the insect with PPF and the surface content of the pyrethroid insecticide that is bioavailable and induces excito-repellency

Results from a rapid national assessment of services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Côte d’Ivoire

Introduction: Loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) in the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programmes can occur at multiple stages of antenatal and follow-up care. This paper presents findings from a national assessment aimed at identifying major bottlenecks in Côte d’Ivoire’s PMTCT cascade, and to distinguish characteristics of high- and low-performing health facilities. Methods: This cross-sectional study, based on a nationally representative sample of 30 health facilities in Côte d’Ivoire used multiple data sources (registries, patient charts, patient booklets, interviews) to determine the magnitude of LTFU in PMTCT services. A composite measure of retention – based on child prophylaxis, maternal treatment and infant testing – was used to identify high- and low-performing sites and determine significant differences using Student’s t-tests. Results: Among 1,741 pregnant women newly recorded as HIV-positive between June 2011 and May 2012, 43% had a CD4 count taken, 77% received appropriate prophylaxis and 70% received prophylaxis intended for their infant. During that time, 1,054 first infant HIV tests were recorded. A conservative rate of adherence to antiretroviral therapy was estimated at 50% (n=219 patient charts). Significant differences between high- and low-performing sites included: duration of time elapsed between HIV testing and CD4 results (29.5 versus 56.3 days, p=0.001); and density (number per 100 first antenatal care visits) of full-time physicians (6.7 versus 1.7,p=0.04), laboratory technicians (2.3 versus 0.7, p=0.046), staff trained in PMTCT (10.7 versus 4.7, p=0.01), and staff performing patient follow-up activities (7.9 versus 2.5, p=0.02). Key informants highlighted staff presence and training, the availability of medical supplies and equipment (i.e., on-site CD4 machine), and the adequacy of infrastructure (i.e., space and ventilation) as perceived key factors positively and negatively impacting retention in care. Conclusions: Patient LTFU occurred throughout the PMTCT cascade from maternal to infant testing, with retention scores ranging from 0.10 to 0.83. Sites that scored higher had more dedicated and trained frontline health workers, and emphasised patient follow-up through outreach and the reduction of delays in care. Strategies to improve patient retention and decrease transmission should emphasise patient tracking systems that utilise critical human resources to both improve data quality and increase direct patient follow-up

PMTCT cascade analysis in Côte d\u27Ivoire: Results from a national representative sample

Without treatment, an HIV-positive pregnant woman has a 30–35 percent chance of transmitting the infection to her child. Early detection and appropriate treatment during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding can reduce those odds to less than 5 percent. Consequently, WHO and countries around the world have instituted prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programs, consisting of the “PMTCT cascade”: testing for HIV at the first antenatal visit; CD4 test of HIV-positive patients; antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis to mother throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding; ARV prophylaxis to child at delivery and throughout breastfeeding; HIV testing of child and initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for children found to be HIV infected. In Côte d’Ivoire, as in much of Africa, PMTCT programs have performed less than optimally due to bottlenecks throughout the cascade that cause delays in initiating care. To help inform the 2012 rollout of the WHO “Option B” treatment regimen in Côte d’Ivoire, an assessment of a sample of existing PMTCT programs in Côte d’Ivoire was carried out. The study’s objectives were to identify time delays in the PMTCT cascade, and suggest recommendations to improve current services to optimize the impact of Option B in Côte d’Ivoire

Acceptability of minimally invasive autopsy by community members and healthcare workers in Siaya and Kisumu counties, western Kenya, 2017-2018.

Worldwide, nearly six million children under the age of five (<5s) die annually, a substantial proportion of which are due to preventable and treatable diseases. Efforts to reduce child mortality indicators in the most affected regions are often undermined by a lack of accurate cause of death data. To generate timely and more accurate causes of death data for <5s, the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Network established mortality surveillance in multiple countries using Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS) in <5 deaths. Here we present acceptability of MITS by community members and healthcare workers in Siaya and Kisumu counties, western Kenya. From April 2017 to February 2018, we conducted 40 in-depth interviews and five focus group discussions with healthcare workers and community members, before and during CHAMPS implementation. Participants were purposively selected. Field observations to understand traditional death-related practices were also performed. Interviews were transcribed into Nvivo 11.0 for data organization and management. Analysis was guided by the grounded theory approach. Facilitators of acceptability were desire to understand why death occurred, timely performance of MITS procedures, potential for MITS results in improving clinical practice and specific assistance provided to families by the CHAMPS program. However, cultural and religious beliefs highlighted important challenges to acceptability, including CHAMPS teams recruiting after a child's death, rumours and myths, unmet expectations from families, and fear by healthcare workers that some families could use MITS results to sue for negligence. Increasing MITS uptake requires sustained strategies to strengthen the identified facilitators of acceptability and simultaneously address the barriers. MITS acceptance will contribute to better characterization of causes of death and support the development of improved interventions aimed at reducing <5 mortality