Evaluation of in vivo pathogenicity of Candida species isolated from palm wine and sorghum beer in a murine model

Since Candida species frequently isolated in hospitals have been found in food processing environments, their presence in palm wine and sorghum beer may be of some clinical significance. This study was carried out to assess the in vivo pathogenicity of Candida strains isolated from these traditional beverages. Thus, ten potentially pathogenic strains were used to inoculate immunocompromised rat models by gavage and observed up to 30 days post-inoculation. On contrary to the control rats, the body weights of the animals inoculated with all the studied strains decreased over time, passing from 105-111 g to 89-98 g. Furthermore, the amount of white blood cells and platelets significantly increased while the red blood cell counts decreased, except those inoculated with Kluyveromyces marxianus strains. The blood smears taken at day-30 showed yeast cells in 60% of the inoculated rats. All strains in the study, except Candida tropicalis S10 and S13, were detected in the kidney with loads ranging from 2.58 to 7.24 log (CFU/g). In the liver, C. tropicalis S17, K. marxianus S87 and K. marxianus S2 were not detected. Thus, palm wine and sorghum beer yeast strains, mainly C. rugosa, C. inconspicua and C. tropicalis strains are capable of inducing candidemia

Effet de l’extrait aqueux de l’écorce de tige de Anthocleista djalonensis A. Chev (Gentianaceae) sur la glycémie des lapins

En Côte d’Ivoire, le diabète sucré est un problème majeur de santé publique avec une prévalence estimée à 9,6%. Les remèdes à base de plantes constituent une alternative thérapeutique pour la prise en charge de cette pathologie. Parmi les phytomédicaments les plus utilisés pour le traitement du diabète, figure l’extrait aqueux des écorces de tige de Anthocleista djalonensis. L’objectif de l’étude était de rechercher l’effet hypoglycémiant de l’extrait aqueux des écorces de tige de Anthocleista djalonensis chez le lapin. Ainsi, l’effet hypoglycémiant de l’extrait aqueux a été mis en évidence par voie orale chez les lapins normoglycémiques et rendus hyperglycémiques en comparaison avec un lot témoin et un lot de référence sous glibenclamide. Au total, vingt quatre (24) lapins répartis en 8 lots de 3 ont été utilisés durant quatre heures d’expérimentation. Les résultats ont mis en évidence les propriétés hypoglycémiantes de l’extrait aqueux des écorces de tige de Anthocleista djalonensis à la concentration de 2500 mg/kg de poids corporel (p.c) chez les lapins traités. Toutefois, l’évaluation de l’effet hypoglycémiant sur une période d’expérimentation plus longue et l’étude de son innocuité sont à envisager.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Mots clés: Extrait aqueux, Anthocleista djalonensis, hypoglycémiant, diabèteEnglish Title: Effect of the aqueous extract of Anthocleista djalonensis A. Chev (Gentianaceae) stem bark on the glycaemia of rabbitsEnglish AbstractIn Côte d’Ivoire, diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem with an estimated prevalence of 9.6%. Herbal remedies constitute a therapeutic alternative for the treatment of this pathology. Among phytomedicines commonly used for the treatment of diabetes, the aqueous extract of the stem bark of  Anthocleista djalonensis was described. The hypoglycemic effect of the aqueous extract was demonstrated by the oral route in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic rabbits in comparison with a control group and a batch of reference under glibenclamide. A total of twenty four (24) rabbits divided into eight batches of 3 were used for four hours of experimentation. The results showed the hypoglycemic properties of the aqueous extract of the stem bark Anthocleista djalonensis at a concentration of 2500 mg/kg.p.c in the treated rabbits. However, the evaluation of the hypoglycemic effect over a longer period of experimentation and study of its safety are considered.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Aqueous extract, hypoglycemic effect, Anthocleista djalonensis, diabete

EFFETS HYPOGLYCEMIQUE ET ANTI-HYPERGLYCEMIQUE DE L’EXTRAIT ETHANOLIQUE 70 % DE RACINES DE RAUVOLFIA VOMITORIA AFZEL (APOCYNACEAE)

Rauwolfia vomitoria Afzel. (Apocynaceae) is a plant used in traditional medicine in the Ivory Coast for the treatment of several illnesses such as malaria, diarrhea, rheumatism, high blood pressure, and diabetes. This study aims to determine the level of toxicity of a 70 % ethanol extract of the root of that plant (HARv) and to evaluate its hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglicemic activities. It occurs that HARv shows no toxicity when administered orally to rats up to a concentration of 5000 mg/kg of body weight. However, doses of 500, 700 and 1000 mg/kg of body weight lead to hypoglycemia when HARv is administered via the oral route. Similar to the effect of glibenclamide (in a concentration of 10 mg/kg of body weight), concentrations of 700 and 1000 mg/kg of body weight of HARv significantly reduce hyperglycemia induced by the administration of 4 g/kg of body weight of glucose. The presence of saponins, flavonoids, and tannoids in the extract may cause the observed hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic effects. We infer from this study that 70 % ethanol extract of the roots of Rauwolfia vomitoria is not toxic when administered orally to rats. In addition, HARv shows hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic effects, explaining its use in traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes

Evaluation de la toxicité d’un aphrodisiaque ivoirien d’origine naturelle (aphro) chez le rat

L’usage des plantes à des fins thérapeutiques est très ancien. De nos jours encore, elles sont utilisées par une frange partie de la population mondiale. La présente étude avait pour objectif d’étudier les effets toxiques de l'administration subaiguë d'un phytomédicament ivoirien Aphro vendu sur les marchés chez le rat Wistar albinos. Pour ce faire, le phytomédicament Aphro a été administré quotidiennement par voie orale à trois lots de rats, aux doses de 5,75 ; 11,5 et 23 mg/kg de poids corporel et cela pendant 28 jours. Le taux de croissance des rats, les paramètres hématologiques et biochimiques sanguins ont été étudiés. Les résultats de cette étude ont révélé qu’aux doses de 5,75 ; 11,5 et 23 mg/kg de poids corporel, le phytomédicament ne modifie pas de façon significative le taux d’accroissement de la masse corporelle et les paramètres hématologiques constitués du taux de globules rouges, de globules blancs, de plaquettes sanguines et le taux d’hémoglobine. Par ailleurs, des marqueurs hépatiques et lipidiques sériques des rats traités n'ont pas été perturbés par l’administration du phytomédicament comparativement au lot témoin. En revanche, la créatinine, l’un des marqueurs rénaux étudiés a connu une augmentation significative (p < 0,05) chez les rats traités avec le phytomédicament aux doses de 11,5 et 23 mg/kg de poids corporel par rapport au lot témoin. Cette étude a permis de montrer que l’usage prolongé et à doses élevées de Aphro pourrait entraîner des effets nocifs sur les reins.   English title: Assessment of the toxicity of an ivoirian natural aphrodisiac (aphro) on rat The use of plants for therapeutic purposes is very old. Even today, they are used by a part of the world population. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the toxic effects of the subacute administration of an ivorian phytomedicine Aphro sold in the markets in the albino Wistar rat. To do this, the phytomedicine Aphro was administered orally daily to three batches of rats, at doses of 5.75; 11.5 and 23 mg/kg of body weight for 28 days. Rats' growth rate, blood haematological and biochemical parameters were studied. The results of this study showed that at doses of 5.75; 11.5 and 23 mg/kg of body weight, the phytomedicine does not significantly modify the rate of increase in body mass and the hematological parameters consisting of the level of red blood cells, white blood cells, blood platelets and the level hemoglobin. Furthermore, hepatic and serum lipid markers of the treated rats were not disturbed by the administration of the phytomedicine compared to the control group. In contrast, creatinine, one of the renal markers studied, experienced a significant increase (p <0.05) in rats treated with the phytomedicine at doses of 11.5 and 23 mg / kg of body weight compared to the batch witness. This study showed that prolonged use and in high doses of Aphro could cause harmful effects on the kidneys

Data from: Genetic and paleomodelling evidence of the population expansion of the cattle egret Bubulcus ibis in Africa during the climatic oscillations of the Late Pleistocene

Increasing aridity during glacial periods produced the retraction of forests and the expansion of arid and semi-arid environments in Africa, with consequences for birds. Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a dispersive species that prefers semiarid environments and requires proximity to bodies of water. We expected that climatic oscillations led to the expansion of the range of the cattle egret during arid periods, such as the Last Maximum Glacial (LGM) and contraction of distribution during the Last Interglacial (LIG) period, resulting in contact of populations previously isolated. We investigated this hypothesis by evaluating the genetic structure and population history of 15 cattle egret breeding colonies located in West and South Africa using the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region, mtDNA ATPase 8 and 6, and an intron of nuclear gene transforming growth factor beta-2. Occurrence data and bioclimatic information were used to generate ecological niche models of three periods (present, LGM and LIG). We used the genetic and paleomodelling data to assess the responses of the cattle egret from Africa to the climatic oscillations during the late Pleistocene. Genetic data revealed low levels of genetic differentiation, signs of isolation-by-distance, as well as recent increases in effective population size that started during the LGM. The observed low genetic structure may be explained by recent colonization events due to the demographic expansion following the last glacial period and by dispersal capacity of this species. The paleomodels corroborated the expansion during the LGM, and a more restricted potential distribution during the LIG. Our findinds supports the hypothesis that the species range of the cattle egret expanded during arid periods and contracted during wet periods

Nexus file of DNA sequence alignments for mtDNA control region without nine positions with signs of homoplasy

Nexus file of DNA sequence alignments for mtDNA control region without nine positions with signs of homoplas

Nexus file of DNA sequence alignments for phased alleles of the intron 5 of the TGFB2

Nexus file of DNA sequence alignments for phased alleles of the intron 5 of the TGFB

Nexus file of DNA sequence alignments for ATPase 6 and 8

Nexus file of DNA sequence alignments for ATPase 6 and