Laxative activities of Mareya micrantha (Benth.) Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) leaf aqueous extract in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Mareya micrantha </it>(Benth.) Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) is a shrub that is commonly used in Côte d'Ivoire (West Africa) for the treatment of constipation and as an ocytocic drug. The present study was carried out to investigate the laxative activity of <it>Mareya micrantha </it>in albino's Wistar rats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Rats were divided in 5 groups of 5 animals each, first group as control, second group served as standard (sodium picosulfate) while group 3, 4 and 5 were treated with leaf aqueous extract of <it>Mareya micrantha </it>at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight (b.w.), <it>per os </it>respectively. The laxative activity was determined based on the weight of the faeces matter. The effects of the leaves aqueous extract of <it>Mareya micrantha </it>and castor oil were also evaluated on intestinal transit, intestinal fluid accumulation and ions secretion.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Phytochemicals screening of the extract revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, polyphenols, sterols and polyterpenes. The aqueous extract of <it>Mareya micrantha </it>applied orally (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg; <it>p.o</it>.), produced significant laxative activity and reduced loperamide induced constipation in dose dependant manner. The effect of the extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg (<it>p.o</it>.) was similar to that of reference drug sodium picosulfate (5 mg/kg, <it>p.o</it>). The same doses of the extract (200 and 400 mg/kg, <it>p.o</it>.) produced a significant increase (p < 0.01) of intestinal transit in comparison with castor oil (2 mL) (p < 0.01). Moreover, the extract induced a significant enteropooling and excretion of Cl^-, Na⁺, K⁺and Ca²⁺in the intestinal fluid (p < 0.01).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results showed that the aqueous extract of <it>Mareya micrantha </it>has a significant laxative activity and supports its traditional use in herbal medicine.</p

Fifth European Dirofilaria and Angiostrongylus Days (FiEDAD) 2016

Peer reviewe

La sismologie citoyenne, un révélateur des crises en Haïti

On January 12, 2010, Haiti was hit by one of the largest seismic disasters known to date. This disaster is part of a long series of crises that affect Haitians, whether natural (hurricanes, earthquakes...) or related to political and economic factors (demonstrations, impoverishment...).Using a citizen seismology approach, a multidisciplinary team of seismo-sociologists used low-cost seismic sensors (Raspberry Shake, or RS) placed in the homes of Haitian citizens in order to complete the national seismic network and improve the risk perception, the level of preparedness and the scientific knowledge of the population. Through these objectives, it is in fact a paradigm shift that is aimed at, in which seismic networks are not only composed of sensors, but also of citizens and scientists who gather around these tools and their information.Presented here are the results of a qualitative survey of 15 RS seismometer hosts in Haiti. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to learn more about their experience, to assess their motivations, their difficulties and expectations in this citizen seismology process. It was found that RS hosts expressed pride and interest in being part of the network and actively contributing to risk reduction in their community. Some of them reported a form of empowerment in that they could compensate for the deficiency of the state, which they generally distrust. Thus, the combination of the seismologists' approach and the sociologists' analysis based on the citizen science approach allows us to understand issues that go beyond those solely related to earthquakes. We conclude that a citizen seismology approach is a very relevant way to understand the general environment of a crisis in order to better respond to it and to contribute to risk reduction: RS become indicators of major issues in Haitian society, beyond earthquakes

Smoking cessation interventions for Hispanic/Latino(a) adults in the USA: protocol for a systematic review and planned meta-analysis

Introduction Hispanic smokers face multiple cultural and socioeconomic barriers to cessation that lead to prominent health disparities, including a lack of language-appropriate, culturally relevant, evidence-based smoking cessation interventions. This systematic review will examine the literature on smoking cessation interventions for Hispanic adults in the USA to assess (1) the availability of interventions, (2) the methodological quality of the studies evaluating the interventions and (3) the efficacy of the interventions.Methods and analysis A systematic literature search will be conducted, in English with no date limits, through the following databases starting at year of inception: Medical Allied Health Literature, Embase, American Psychology Association Psychology Articles, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Complete, ScienceDirect, Health &amp; Medicine Collection and Web of Science Core Collection. Trial registries and grey literature sources will be searched to identify ongoing or unpublished studies. Literature search will be rerun prior to eventual submission of the review to ensure the inclusion of relevant studies. Quantitative studies evaluating the efficacy of a smoking cessation intervention (ie, smoking cessation as a measured outcome) for Hispanic adult smokers in the USA will be included in the systematic review. Two authors will independently identify relevant studies, extract data and conduct quality and risk of bias assessments. Discrepancies in coding will be discussed between the two reviewers and pending disagreements will be resolved by a third reviewer. First, the quality of all studies will be assessed, then randomised controlled trials (RCTs) will be further evaluated for risk of bias using Cochrane’s Risk of Bias Tool. All eligible studies will be summarised descriptively. If data allow, the efficacy of smoking cessation interventions tested in RCTs, with a minimum follow-up of 6 months, will be quantitatively estimated using ORs and 95% CIs. The association between intervention type/modality and efficacy will be assessed via subgroup analyses.PROSPERO registration number CRD42022291068

Associations between Perceived Racial Discrimination and Tobacco Cessation among Diverse Treatment Seekers

This study investigated a) racial/ethnic differences in past-year discrimination experiences and b) associations between discrimination and smoking abstinence. Prospective, longitudinal analysis of smoking status. Perceived past-year discrimination was assessed at baseline. ANCOVAs and intent-to-treat hierarchical logistic regressions were conducted. Dual-site (Tampa, FL and Miami, FL) randomized controlled trial testing the effects of a group cessation intervention plus pharmacotherapy. Treatment-seeking adult smokers (N=347; non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic African American/Black, or Hispanic). Biochemically verified 7-day point prevalence abstinence (7-day ppa) was assessed immediately post-intervention and at 6-month follow-up. After controlling for covariates, African Americans/Blacks reported greater perceived discrimination compared with non-Hispanic Whites (P=.02), and Hispanics (P=.06). Non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanics did not differ in perceived racial/ethnic discrimination experiences over the past year. Irrespective of race/ethnicity, past-year perceived discrimination was inversely associated with 7-day ppa, both post-intervention (AOR=.97, CI: .95-.99) and at 6-months (AOR=.98, CI: .96-.99). Among African Americans/Blacks, past-year perceived discrimination was inversely associated with 7-day ppa, both post-intervention (AOR=.95, CI: .92-.97) and at 6-months (AOR=.97, CI: .94-.99). Perceived discrimination was unrelated to 7-day ppa among Hispanics. Among non-Hispanic Whites, past-year perceived discrimination was inversely associated with post-intervention 7-day ppa (AOR=.95, CI: .91-.99), but not 6-months. Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination was greater among African American/Black smokers compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Perceived discrimination was negatively associated with tobacco cessation in the full sample, and for African Americans at 6-months post-intervention. These data have implications for intervention delivery and health disparities